FAQ
Which are the requirements to use the Javascript Browser Sniffer?
You need Javascript 1.2 or newer (jsbrwsniff makes extensive use of the match and search methods).
Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0, Netscape 4.0, any Gecko-based browser, Konqueror, Safari, Microsoft Internet Information Services 4.0, Netscape Enterprise Server 3.0 and a lot more suport Javascript 1.2.
Does it worth to upgrade to 0.5 from 0.4.1?
Well, it depends on you. There are many improvements in version 0.5, but most of the users of jsbrwsniff don't need them. The most significant improvement in 0.5 is server-side support and Macromedia Flash plug-in detection. Every other new feature or fix is marginally interesting.
On the bright side, you won't lose anything by upgrading: 0.4.1 is 13252 bytes (2287 bytes if you use modgzip), and 0.5 is 16587 bytes (2957 bytes if you use modgzip). Your users won't even notice the increase in size.
You changed the values returned by the API and I do not need the features you added with version 0.4. Why should I upgrade from 0.3.5 to 0.4?
Because earlier versions used a bad detection method, which was proven to fail more than one could expect. Upgrade. Now.
What happened to version 0.3? Did it ever exist?
Yes, it existed and I used it in a couple of projects in the SMB I worked for.
Version 0.3 returned the operating system in the br[] array, and that was ugly. I had that version ready as of February 10th 2004, but I kept it frozen because I didn't like the way the API was going.
When I had some free time to sit down and think about it, I came to the obvious conclusion: I could not release that version with that API and then change it in the next version. That's why 0.3 existed, but was never released.
Which browser engine version do you report?
- For Gecko, the Gecko version in cvs format (yyyymmdd)
- For Omniweb, the version number that appears after the dash
- For Safari, AppleWebKit's version number. THIS HAS CHANGED: JsBrwSniff<0.4.1 reported "unknown".
- For Crazy Browser, MS Internet Explorer's version
- For other browsers (namely MSIE, Konqueror, aso), while I couldn't figure how to report the internal version, I will return the browser version. THIS HAS CHANGED: JsBrwSniff<0.4.1 reported "unknown"
I need help!!!
Look at the forum or send me an e-mail.
Why are you doing this?
Because I needed a browser sniffer for a web I'm creating. I didn't find anything fitting my needs, so I wrote it.
Why LGPL? GPL is the way to go™!
If I followed GNU Foundation's advise, I would have released JsBrwSniff under a GPL license. But I think it would have discouraged its use in commercial projects, so I released it as LGPL. Maybe I'll make it GPL, depending on popular demand with sensible reasons.
Can I help or collaborate?
Certainly. Contact me.
