bug 493 - no onbeforeunload event in Safari on iPad

Issue: #493
Affects: Safari on iPad

Web Developers have long used the onbeforeunload event to catch users leaving a form partially filled out and prevent them from losing their work. ;-)

On the down side, horribly shady sites have used it to try and keep users on a site with messages about free or cheap offers of electronics or porn if they stay on the site. :-(

It is a great tool when used correctly and thus it is rather unfortunate that Apple has left it off the iPad version of Safari... Users indicate that they have accidentally left a page trying to scroll the view to see better when the keyboard pops up.

Hopefully this will get fixed in a future patch to the OS.

Known Workarounds: None.

Related Issues: None.

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bug 552 - no double-click event on the iPad

Issue: #552
Affects: Safari on the iPad

Ok, calling this a bug is a big stretch because it was intentionally removed. This is more of a footnote that the dblclick event is not available in Safari on the iPad.

The reason is that the iPad reserves the double "tap" event to zoom in and out of a Web page.

However there's a few additional events that Safari on the iPad doesn't support (with no obvious reason) but we'll tackle in another post. ;-)

Example:

<script type="text/javascript">
  <div ondblclick="alert('this will never fire');">DBL Click Me</div>
</script>

Known Workarounds: None.

Related Issues: None.

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bug 543 - no window.print() in Safari on the iPad

Issue: #543
Affects: Safari on the iPad

Printing web pages is very common when you just want to be able to hold something physically in your hands or take home with you after work to read when you have time.

With Safari on the iPad - there isn't a print option, and likewise there is no

window.print();

method implementation in the iPad version of Safari.

With any luck this won't be an issue for most users as they can surf and read the online content wherever they want... but if you were hoping to scribble notes, correct content or go to town with your rainbow array of highlighters you are out of luck.

Known Workarounds: None.

Related Issues: None.

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bug 536 - no file upload in Safari on the iPad

Issue: #536
Affects: Safari on the iPad

The iPad is great for everyday web surfing on the couch or on your daily commute but Safari on the iPad has some quirks that make it significantly different than the desktop version.

For starters - the HTML <input type="file"/> element doesn't work. It renders as a disabled input. So if you were hoping to send pictures or MP3's by attaching them to an email in GMail or Hotmail etc. you are out of luck.

Since the iPad doesn't really expose an operating system and files to the user - this does kind of make sense - though I'm sure it will confuse some users at first.

Known Workarounds: One. When viewing your pictures directly on the iPad - choose the option in the top right to "send" the picture to an email address. You are limited to 1 picture at a time, and the To: field won't remember the email address for you :-( but it will work.

Related Issues: None.

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Safari on the iPad - The new king of mobile tablet browsers

Safari on the iPad

The new king?!, says who?! - well the reality is that this is essentially a new market. Oh sure you could get bulky tablet displays that run Windows and IE but that is nothing like the iPad or the soon to be released devices by HP, Google, Microsoft and others.

The trick here is that Apple absolutely "Crushed It!" (thanks Gary Vaynerchuk ;-) when they released their iPad. If you haven't got your hands on one of these devices yet - be sure to stop by your local Apple store and check it out.

This device is so sexy, so portable, yet so simple to use that it changes the game for tablet devices.



It doesn't run a full blown bloated OS, it comes ready to install one of thousands of apps from the AppStore and users are already totally familiar with the interface due to the massive success of the iPhone.

Yeah, yeah, enough of the hype - what about the browser?

Well its no surprise that the browser on the iPad is Safari and it supports a native resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels thus it can render web pages just like its desktop counterpart.

Its a robust browser full of great standards support and even some of that HTML5 goodness that we've all been dying to play with. The good news is that Apple has simultaneously Raised the bar! for the Mobile Web platform. No longer is IE6 the lowest common denominator that you are stuck supporting... you start fresh out of the gate with a very fast standards based WebKit rendering engine based browser - Web Developers rejoice!

So is it all awesome joy and perfect harmony? - well not quite. There are some differences in Safari on the iPad (vs. its desktop cousin) that you'll want to be aware of.

(stay tuned for updates!)
(bug 536)
(bug 543)

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