Google's new Web browser: What it means for Web authors
In September 2008 Google launched a new open source Web browser called Google Chrome.
It is recommended that websites are tested to ensure that they display correctly on all major Web browsers. Therefore, given the significant uptake that Google Chrome is likely to receive from Web users world-wide, what does this mean for you as a Web author?
Google reports that some of the components used to develop Google Chrome were obtained from various open-source Web browser projects including Apple's WebKit and Mozilla Firefox. The way that websites will display in Chrome is therefore likely to closely mirror the behaviour of those Web browsers. In other words, if you've already successfully tested your site using Firefox, for example, it is likely that your site will also display correctly in Chrome.
Of course, nothing beats actually checking your site to ensure it is compatible. As with most Web browsers, Chrome is a free download and is available at www.google.com/chrome .
Also validating your site's HTML and CSS will also help ensure that it functions correctly. The validators are accessible from the World Wide Web Consortium's site at the following locations:
- HTML validation: http://validator.w3.org/
- CSS validation: http://jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/
For more information on the release of Google Chrome and its features, visit the following news article on the Software Industry Professionals website: www.siprofessionals.org/developers/news.php?id=2008090201 .
