Document Modes in IE (Internet Explorer) | UA - User Agents

Standards Based Development

IE8
Four rules about how IE handles doctype, X-UA-Compatible meta element and header,
Developer Tools, and Compatibility View Settings that follow the diagram below, from top
to bottom:
1. Developer Tools settings override all Document Modes for documents displayed in a tab.
2. X-UA-Compatible meta element and then header override Compatibility View Settings and the doctype unless X-UA-Compatible value is EmulateIE7 or EmulateIE8.
3. User's Compatibility View Settings override the Microsoft Compatiblity View List.
4. If none of the above apply, doctype determines if the document renders in IE8 Standards, IE8 Almost Standards or Quirks Mode.
Determining IE8's Document Mode
IE8's Compatibility View Request to Web Server Diagram
How IE8 Determines Document Mode
IE9
Navigation
ToolsOverr
ide
indicated by De
vTools End
sites in CompatV
iew
UserCom
patibilityVie
w ListEna
bled
MSCom
patibilityVie
w ListEna
bled
Yes
No
No
Compatibility
ViewList
Match Found?
Match Found? Yes
No
intranet sit
es inCompat Views
et
Is webpage in
Intranet Zone?
Compatibi
lity ViewList
No
No
Yes
EmulateIE
7
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Determining IE9s Document Mode
XCompatible
Respo
nseHeade
r f or XUA
No
Yes
Yes
Is there a
<!DOCTYPE>?
Yes
IE=EmulateIE
9IE=EmulateIE
8orIE=Emulate
IE
7
IE=5
IE=7
IE=8
IE7Standar
dsMode
Quirks Mod
e
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
C
o
m
p
a
t
i
b
i
l
i
t
y

V
i
e
w
X
-
U
A
-
C
o
m
p
a
t
i
b
l
e

M
e
t
a

T
a
g

a
n
d

H
T
T
P

R
e
s
p
o
n
s
e

H
e
a
d
e
r
T
o
o
l
s
No
No
No
No
Is there a
<!DOCTYPE>?
Yes
Quirks Mod
e
No
IE8Standar
dsMode
No
EmulateIE
9
IE=9IE=edge
Yes
IE9Standar
dsMode
No
Yes
Is this an
IFRAME?
Page in IEStandar
dsMode
Quirks Modewithi
n IE
IFRAMEind
icate
QuirksMode
IE9StandardsMode
render in IESta
ndards Modeand
f ollows theru
les below
Yes Yes Yes
No No
No
I
F
R
A
M
E

H
a
n
d
l
i
n
g
No
Navigation
ToolsOverr
ide
indicated by De
vTools End
sites in CompatV
iew
UserCom
patibilityVie
w ListEna
bled
MSCom
patibilityVie
w ListEna
bled
Yes
No
No
Compatibility
ViewList
Match Found?
Match Found? Yes
No
intranet sit
es inCompat Views
et
Is webpage in
Intranet Zone?
Compatibi
lity ViewList
No
No
Yes
EmulateIE
7
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Determining IE9s Document Mode
XCompatible
Respo
nseHeade
r f or XUA
No
Yes
Yes
Is there a
<!DOCTYPE>?
Yes
IE=EmulateIE
9IE=EmulateIE
8orIE=Emulate
IE
7
IE=5
IE=7
IE=8
IE7Standar
dsMode
Quirks Mod
e
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
C
o
m
p
a
t
i
b
i
l
i
t
y

V
i
e
w
X
-
U
A
-
C
o
m
p
a
t
i
b
l
e

M
e
t
a

T
a
g

a
n
d

H
T
T
P

R
e
s
p
o
n
s
e

H
e
a
d
e
r
T
o
o
l
s
No
No
No
No
Is there a
<!DOCTYPE>?
Yes
Quirks Mod
e
No
IE8Standar
dsMode
No
EmulateIE
9
IE=9IE=edge
Yes
IE9Standar
dsMode
No
Yes
Is this an
IFRAME?
Page in IEStandar
dsMode
Quirks Modewithi
n IE
IFRAMEind
icate
QuirksMode
IE9StandardsMode
render in IESta
ndards Modeand
f ollows theru
les below
Yes Yes Yes
No No
No
I
F
R
A
M
E

H
a
n
d
l
i
n
g
No
Navigation
ToolsOverr
ide
indicated by De
vTools End
sites in CompatV
iew
UserCom
patibilityVie
w ListEna
bled
MSCom
patibilityVie
w ListEna
bled
Yes
No
No
Compatibility
ViewList
Match Found?
Match Found? Yes
No
intranet sit
es inCompat Views
et
Is webpage in
Intranet Zone?
Compatibi
lity ViewList
No
No
Yes
EmulateIE
7
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Determining IE9s Document Mode
XCompatible
Respo
nseHeade
r f or XUA
No
Yes
Yes
Is there a
<!DOCTYPE>?
Yes
IE=EmulateIE
9IE=EmulateIE
8orIE=Emulate
IE
7
IE=5
IE=7
IE=8
IE7Standar
dsMode
Quirks Mod
e
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
C
o
m
p
a
t
i
b
i
l
i
t
y

V
i
e
w
X
-
U
A
-
C
o
m
p
a
t
i
b
l
e

M
e
t
a

T
a
g

a
n
d

H
T
T
P

R
e
s
p
o
n
s
e

H
e
a
d
e
r
T
o
o
l
s
No
No
No
No
Is there a
<!DOCTYPE>?
Yes
Quirks Mod
e
No
IE8Standar
dsMode
No
EmulateIE
9
IE=9IE=edge
Yes
IE9Standar
dsMode
No
Yes
Is this an
IFRAME?
Page in IEStandar
dsMode
Quirks Modewithi
n IE
IFRAMEind
icate
QuirksMode
IE9StandardsMode
render in IESta
ndards Modeand
f ollows theru
les below
Yes Yes Yes
No No
No
I
F
R
A
M
E

H
a
n
d
l
i
n
g
No
IE9 Document Mode <iframe> Impact Determination Flow Chart Diagram
<meta X-UA-Compatible /> and IE9
The following table indicates which document mode that Windows Internet Explorer 9 uses
based on the X-UA-Compatible value.
X-UA-Compatible
value
Document modes
IE=5 Quirks mode
IE=7 IE7 mode
IE=8 IE8 mode
IE=9 IE9 mode
IE=10 IE10 mode
IE=edge The highest supported document mode of the
browser
IE=EmulateIE7 IE7 mode (if a valid <!DOCTYPE> declaration is present)
Quirks mode (otherwise)
IE=EmulateIE8 IE8 mode (if a valid <!DOCTYPE> declaration is present)
Quirks mode (otherwise)
IE=EmulateIE9 IE9 mode (if a valid <!DOCTYPE> declaration is present)
How to Change User Agent String in Browser Mode with f12 Developer Tools in IE9
IE10
IE=EmulateIE9 IE9 mode (if a valid <!DOCTYPE> declaration is present)
Quirks mode (otherwise)
IE=EmulateIE10 IE10 mode (if a valid <!DOCTYPE> declaration is
present)
Quirks mode (otherwise)
Tomorrow, US Congress is voting on an amendment
that would block funding for NSA programs using
Section 215 of the Patriot Act to mass collect the call
records of innocent Americans.
We have one day to
convince Congress to vote
to restore our privacy!
How f12 Developer Tools Settings Impact Browser Mode and Document Mode in IE10 Diagram
References and Resources
Defining document compatibility
How to Enable Standards Support
<!DOCTYPE>
<
compatMode Property
documentMode Property
How Internet Explorer 8 Document Mode Affects JavaScript
Internet Explorer 8 Document and Browser Modes
How IE8 Determines Document Mode
Testing Sites with Browser Mode vs. DocMode
Document Compatibility Modes in Internet Explorer 9<
Understanding the Need for Document Compatibility Modes
Specifying Legacy Document Modes
Defining Document Compatibility
Fix Site Display Problems with Compatibility View
How to Change Browser Modes in IE9 Permanently - Superuser.com
>
<
Last modified: June 25 2013 08:00:47.
2012 sonofbluerobot J. Albert Bowden II
>
< >