[xsl] Testing with MSXML 3.0 or MSXML 6.0 (WAS: XSL 2.0 and .NET and VB)

["Manfred Staudinger" <manfred.staudinger@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Abel,

> By default, with Vista and
> higher, any IE will use MSXML 6.0. Win2k, WinXP and Win2k3 by default
> use MSXML 3.0, unless MS Office 2003 is installed, in which case IE6
> defaults to MSXML 5.0. But, surprisingly, IE7 will default to MSXML 3.0

Thanks for the concise clarification. Well, some month ago I have read
through the "Using the right version of MSXML in Internet Explorer" blog
entry you mentioned, but got very frustrated.

Part of that disappointment was: "Just remember to test your app with
MSXML6 and with MSXML3 so you aren't surprised when you release
your application". But how would I do that if I use PI ? Can I tell the IE
which version to use for default ? May I install 2 IE 6 with different MSXML's ?
I would love the possibility of a "stand-alone" installation to support that
(as in http://www.positioniseverything.net/articles/multiIE.html).

The other consideration was, should I upgrade to MSXML6 ? Sure I should,
but when ? Would this mean to lose the ability to test with MSXML3 ?
You see, many question marks, few if any answers (from MS).

> Read on at this good and detailed story about the versions and how
> best to instantiate them and you will be enthralled ;)
Not exactly.

Manfred

On 02/07/07, Abel Braaksma <abel.online@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> M. David Peterson wrote:
> > On Sun, 01 Jul 2007 04:26:08 -0600, Manfred Staudinger
> > <manfred.staudinger@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >
> >> No. Both IE 6 and IE 7 use MSXML3.
> >
> > They do?  UGGGLLYYY!!!  I guess it's because I have physically
> > installed MSXML 6 that I had it there by default...
> >
> > Hmmm... That bites!
> >
>
> This is not entirely correct. It depends on what operating system you
> have, or it depends on the user settings. By default, with Vista and
> higher, any IE will use MSXML 6.0. Win2k, WinXP and Win2k3 by default
> use MSXML 3.0, unless MS Office 2003 is installed, in which case IE6
> defaults to MSXML 5.0. But, surprisingly, IE7 will default to MSXML 3.0
> (MS considers 3.0 a more stable and secure release, and 6.0 is its
> successor, not 4.0 or 5.0), unless MSXML 6.0 is available.
>
> MS wants to put MXSML in some future service pack for 2k, XP and 2k3,
> which may change matters (and probably will make matters even worse).
>
> If a user downloads MSXML 6.0 by hand, it will become the preferred
> version for either IE6 or IE7.
>
> When you try to instantiate an MSXML object without specifying its
> version number, it will NOT instantiate the latest version, instead, it
> will ALWAYS instantiate an MSXML 3.0 object:
>
>    new ActiveXObject('Msxml2.DOMDocument.3.0')
>
> and
>
>    new ActiveXObject('Msxml2.DOMDocument)
>
> are both equal on any system. So, defaults or not, you must always
> specify the 6.0 version explicitly to use it.
>
> Does this all sound awfully confusing? Read on at this good and detailed
> story about the versions and how best to instantiate them
> http://blogs.msdn.com/xmlteam/archive/2006/10/23/using-the-right-version-of-msxml-in-internet-explorer.aspx
> and you will be enthralled ;)
>
> Cheers,
> -- Abel Braaksma