Using Spry Dynamic Effects and Components

Abstract

Dreamweaver was first released in 1997 at the height of the “browser wars” between Microsoft and Netscape. Both companies fought for dominance of the market by introducing new features that were frequently incompatible with those of their rivals. This presented a major headache for anyone trying to use JavaScript to add dynamic features, such as image replacement, rollovers, and validation of user input. What worked in Internet Explorer didn’t work in Netscape, and vice versa. Dreamweaver came to the rescue of many web designers by creating prepackaged scripts called behaviors that resolved the inconsistencies and incompatibilities. Even though the browser wars are now part of Internet history, their legacy still lingers on. The version of JavaScript used by Microsoft Internet Explorer (JScript) still doesn’t fully comply with standards laid down by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). So, designers and developers still need help with scripts that will work cross-browser.