Using the IE8 'Developer Tools' to debug earlier IE versions

Question

I am less than satisfied in my HTML/CSS/JS debugging of pages with IE6 and 7 specific bugs.

I am aware that IE8 has a Firebug clone, called 'Developer Tools' installed.

Is it possible to have IE8 installed (maybe on a VM, i don't mind), set it to compatibility mode (is there one for IE6?), then perform JS debugging and live HTML changes, using the IE8 Developer Tools, just like we can in Firebug?

many many thanks mieze

Answer 1

There are differences between native IE6/7 and the IE8 compatibility mode: http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2009/03/12/site-compatibility-and-ie8.aspx

The best option I've found to debug in IE6/7 is to install the Microsoft Script Editor (not Debugger), that is bundled with Microsoft Office. It's an optional install, so you probably have to open Add remove programs in Control panel and go through setup again. Here's a guide to configure IE after you've installed the Microsoft Script Editor. http://www.jonathanboutelle.com/mt/archives/2006/01/howto_debug_jav.html

The default view doesn't have breakpoints and such, so take a look at the menu to add the views you like. It's not as good as Firebug, but it's a lot better than alert-debugging ;)