Client's browser opens site as full page

[lightimages]

I've started building a site with an expanding header. Explaining this to the client, I suggested she open www.texasroadhouse.com to see an expanding header. She had sent me this link as a sample of a look she wants for her e-commerce pages.

Client tells me the site expands her browser to full page when it opens. And she LOVES that, of course. She is on IE 7.

I have opened the site on a Mac in Firefox and Safari and on PCs in IE 7, 8, Firefox and Chrome. It never expanded my browser.

Question 1 - Does this site expand the browser for anyone here? Can you see any code in it for that?

Question two should be obvious - she want's her site to work that way. And the content to expand to fill the screen. She say's roadhouse doesn't zoom/expand to fill the full screen window, except the header.

I've searched for code/tutorials/etc. Everything I found is 8 or 9 years old and doesn't work on modern browsers, or is theater mode with no nav or scroll on the browser it does work on. We've talked about that and she wants nav and scroll.

I don't want to make this an all Flash site. The art director is freaked out about a liquid layout. I doubt too many of her prospects will be on 30" monitors

Question 2 - Can someone point me to best way to make a CSS, JS, HTML site expand the browser (with nav) to full or near full screen and auto zoom (something like code for cmd/+) all content?

 

[angelwatt]

Doesn't expand for me in either Firefox or Safari, but at least in Firefox I turn off JavaScript being able to resize my browser so that may be part of it. I absolutely hate a site that resizes my browser and would leave instantly if it happened. It can be done with JavaScript, though it can just as easily be turned off by users. I didn't see anything in the JavaScript that was attempting and resizing, but there's a lot of JavaScript there. Resizing can also be done from their Flash I believe, but don't know how to test if that's the case here.

Here's some links, but you should let the customer know that there are many who will despise such a site that resizes their browser and will result in a loss of potential customers.
http://www.codeave.com/javascript/code.asp?u_log=7065
http://www.javascriptkit.com/javatutors/advwin4.shtml

 

[SrWebDeveloper]

It's a simple trick in Javascript to make the browser window "maximized". However, many modern browsers also have options to block such window behavior, or have Javascript outright disabled.

Example:
FFox for Windows -> Tools -> Options -> Enable Javascript -> Advanced -> Move or resize existing windows

That behavior cannot be forced on the public Internet, period.

As to zoom, there are fantastic tools (other than Flash) that make this happen, most commonly found on e-Commerce sites selling you something where you need a closer look, but it could be galleries as well. For information on zooming images in particular via DHTML, check this out. This means the developer has control - just remember users can still disable Javascript in their browsers, so it's a cool feature - don't rely on it.

Please do not confuse this with the browser zoom, which is not controllable by the web developer and is a feature built into the browser independent of the web site content.

-jim

 

[lightimages]

I have told her that. A lot. It hasn't helped so far. For now it looks like I give her full screen or I resign the project.

She represents a tourism destination and feels her site needs large, full screen photos and minimum copy. Sort of has web mixed up with television.

Thanks for the quick response and links. Off to surf now.

 

[Consultant]

If you want to keep the job, include the code for I.E. So what if it doesn't work on other browsers? This person is too dull to know that it won't work on other browsers anyway.

Personally it's annoying to have browser page change size, since that's usually the way cyber scammers operate.

However it does seem like the project will run into conflicts, as this person does not know that a web site is for information, not to be a slide show. If I could, I probably won't take the job.

 

[SrWebDeveloper]

The only issue that bothers me is the user might get calls from people saying (when asked) their screen didn't expand, and then comes the stop payment on the check or maybe a small claims action. Or a simple bad mouthing without telling you, you list the job as a reference and lose future work as a result. Any of these might occur. I know its petty and silly and unlikely, but somewhere in the contract (or on the web site nicely hidden in a Browser Requirements link in the footer, hint hint) should say, "Javascript required" even if you don't specify why it is required or for what purpose. That disclaimer is all you need to protect yourself. Period.

If you don't care or the client is a dolt or this is such a small job it doesn't matter either way, do nothing, I'm just advising this in case you have doubt.

-jim

 

[lightimages]

somewhere in the contract (or on the web site nicely hidden in a Browser Requirements link in the footer, hint hint) should say, "Javascript required" even if you don't specify why it is required or for what purpose. That disclaimer is all you need to protect yourself. Period.

If you don't care or the client is a dolt or this is such a small job it doesn't matter either way, do nothing, I'm just advising this in case you have doubt.

-jim

Thanks for the note. Not a bad idea.

btw, the client isn't a dolt. Bright, articulate, likable - but she has seen this effect and want's it. She just also wants me to quit telling her what she can't have.

We had another talk today, about browser compatibility issues that may come up and that some had suggested she would lose sales. I suggested a button to Go Fullscreen for those that want to. Not buying any of it. Forced fullscreen only.

In my testing I haven't found/built instructions that work in IE8/Safari/Firefox, haven't gone to Opera/IE7/Chrome yet . Guessing it will have to be different for each.

I'll probably have to build 3 or 4 different scale sites to to open in different screen size ranges to keep border space to a minimum, if I can't find a way to code for zooming.

For zooming, I would need to create an effect similar to cmd/+, not taking control of cmd/+ in the browser.

 

[SrWebDeveloper]

I've already given you a link to zoom images, now here is a link to magnify fonts including a cookie to remember their zoom setting and demagnify. Merge both scripts together, or google search for one that does both, make sure all elements on any page you want to magnify have ID's or are within div's with ID's so you an easily target them to magnify/demagnify. Images get scaled proportionately based on window size, fonts get resized "x" pixels or em up/down by steps, window dimensions get resized based on screen dimensions. Those are your rules. This is all available via Javascript code as discussed before.

Your client IS a threat if not a dolt, not for insisting on what she wants, but for telling you to do the impossible - make sure it works for all users, all browsers, 100% of the time. That disclaimer I mentioned is more vital than you think, you really could be sued by someone like this, the more info you post here. You'd win, but that's not the point - it's the time and the expense. You lose.

-jim