IE browser version requirements

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AlanKearns
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IE browser version requirements

Post by AlanKearns »

I noticed that between versions 11 and 12, the Flare System Requirements changed from 'HTML5 output supports the following browsers: ..... Internet Explorer 8 through 11' to 'HTML5 responsive output are supported by the latest versions of the following browsers: ..... Internet Explorer'.

The problem is that my organisation is slow to transition to new browser versions because of the requirement to support legacy systems. Some users are still in transition from IE10 to IE11, which means I cannot upgrade myself past Flare 11, because the IE10 users don't meet the current Flare system requirements.

However, since IE is now in end of life, and IE11 is therefore the 'latest', can I trust that once everyone is on IE11, then it is safe to upgrade to the latest release of Flare?
RamonS
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Re: IE browser version requirements

Post by RamonS »

Yes. IE10 support is currently only provided on Server 2012, all other supported Windows versions can run IE11 and if they still run IE10 they are not supported by Microsoft. So unless you have many users who happen to do their work on Server 2012 assuming that IE11 is the norm is quite safe.
AlanKearns
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Re: IE browser version requirements

Post by AlanKearns »

I may not be making myself clear; it's not what Windows server version is compatible with IE11, it's what versions of Madcap Flare are compatible with IE11.

What I'm worried about, is generating HTML5 sites from Flare, which won't function correctly in IE11.

Because I can't make people use a different browser, and if I upgrade from Flare 11 to a version of Flare that doesn't generate IE11 sites, it's going to be hard to downgrade.
cdschroeder
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Re: IE browser version requirements

Post by cdschroeder »

AlanKearns wrote:I may not be making myself clear; it's not what Windows server version is compatible with IE11, it's what versions of Madcap Flare are compatible with IE11.

What I'm worried about, is generating HTML5 sites from Flare, which won't function correctly in IE11.

Because I can't make people use a different browser, and if I upgrade from Flare 11 to a version of Flare that doesn't generate IE11 sites, it's going to be hard to downgrade.
Can you parallel install (install the new version of Flare to a different directory), then back up your project and try generating it in the new version? I think that will be the best way to see if it's still compatible with IE10. My output (generated in Flare 2017) is 100% compatible with IE11, but I don't have a way to test it with IE10.

Minimum requirements don't always mean that things don't work in older versions, just that the company won't provide support for them (my company doesn't support Win7, but our software currently works fine on it). Most companies won't support products that are not supported by the manufacturer. (Why would Flare support IE10 if the creator, Microsoft, will not support it?)

It's worth testing to see what happens, and if there is an issue, you can always revert to your backup.
Casey

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RamonS
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Re: IE browser version requirements

Post by RamonS »

AlanKearns wrote:I may not be making myself clear; it's not what Windows server version is compatible with IE11, it's what versions of Madcap Flare are compatible with IE11.

What I'm worried about, is generating HTML5 sites from Flare, which won't function correctly in IE11.

Because I can't make people use a different browser, and if I upgrade from Flare 11 to a version of Flare that doesn't generate IE11 sites, it's going to be hard to downgrade.
The latest Flare version will generate output that works with IE11. That is the most current version of IE.
AlanKearns
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Re: IE browser version requirements

Post by AlanKearns »

Thanks - you've confirmed that it'll be safe to upgrade from Flare 11 to Flare 2017, when all of my users have upgraded from IE10 to IE11.

regards

AK
cdschroeder
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Re: IE browser version requirements

Post by cdschroeder »

AlanKearns wrote:Thanks - you've confirmed that it'll be safe to upgrade from Flare 11 to Flare 2017, when all of my users have upgraded from IE10 to IE11.

regards

AK
Hi Alan,

I don't think Ramon realized that there was a typo in the post he is referencing (I believe you mistakenly said IE11, not IE10, in your 2nd post). There's no need to get upset - we are just fellow Flare users trying to help.

Did you try the parallel install idea that I suggested above? It's probably best that you try it for yourself, to make sure you aren't losing any important functionality. My guess is that it will be fine, but of course, I can't say that with absolute certainty since I can't install IE10 on my computer.
Casey

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RamonS
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Re: IE browser version requirements

Post by RamonS »

My point was that there is only one version of Windows that runs IE10 and is still supported in that constellation (Server 2012). If users on other Windows versions haven't upgraded to IE11, which is out now for about four years, they ought to have much bigger issues than help potentially not working.
If you want to go with the latest version of Flare then go ahead. If someone is stuck on IE10 for really no good reason then they can install Firefox or Chrome or consult the PDF version of the help.
AlanKearns
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Re: IE browser version requirements

Post by AlanKearns »

cdschroeder wrote:
AlanKearns wrote:Thanks - you've confirmed that it'll be safe to upgrade from Flare 11 to Flare 2017, when all of my users have upgraded from IE10 to IE11.

regards

AK
Hi Alan,

I don't think Ramon realized that there was a typo in the post he is referencing (I believe you mistakenly said IE11, not IE10, in your 2nd post). There's no need to get upset - we are just fellow Flare users trying to help.

Did you try the parallel install idea that I suggested above? It's probably best that you try it for yourself, to make sure you aren't losing any important functionality. My guess is that it will be fine, but of course, I can't say that with absolute certainty since I can't install IE10 on my computer.
Tone is a difficult thing online, I'm not upset, really! I was just trying to summarise, so that if I'd misunderstood, someone might say 'Hang on...', because a lot rides on it for me. I probably could and will do a parallel install, but first I want to save the administrators the trouble of installing something that won't work, and my embarrassment if I publish a broken site, and then have to regenerate it from an older Flare version. After all, if Madcap could confirm compatibility like they used to, I wouldn't have to re-test everything.

I'm sensitive to this sort of thing, because I have been waiting over 18 months for a fix on a bug that was introduced in Flare 11 which effectively discounts it as a tool for HTML5 CSH. I only found out when my help stopped working and none of the updates since Flare 10 have fixed it. So I am wary of versions and compatibility.

I actually think that Madcap should not have switched from stating compatibility with specific browser versions to 'the latest version'. Even without constraints like mine, deployment takes time, and all the browsers are moving towards much faster and more frequent releases. Only guaranteeing functionality with the latest is unreasonable, I think. I don't expect them to maintain compatibility with our ancient IE version, just to be specific about what they have and haven't tested.

We are in the last few months of IE10, which the users have been stuck with due to compatibility issues with obsolescent custom software, plus for internal use, only IE is authorised. These situations happen, and there's no point in railing against them.

And I don't think I did mean IE10 in post 2, this whole thing is only about IE11. Also, I'm not sure how the server version fits in. It only needs for a browser to have a problem with the HTML it is presented with, by whatever web server, for issues to occur. :D

Best regards
RamonS
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Re: IE browser version requirements

Post by RamonS »

AlanKearns wrote:And I don't think I did mean IE10 in post 2, this whole thing is only about IE11. Also, I'm not sure how the server version fits in. It only needs for a browser to have a problem with the HTML it is presented with, by whatever web server, for issues to occur. :D
Because by now Server 2012 is the only Windows version that still runs IE10, every other Windows version has IE11 OR is grossly out of date and should not be subject to support. I did not meant it as in reference to the OS the web server runs on.
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