Information Index for Internet Explorer 7

The Information Index gives you a high level view of the Internet Explorer 7 for Windows XP SP2, Windows Server 2003, and Microsoft Vista. This Information Index connects you to specific technical articles, overviews, reference material and blog entries that delve into individual features and functionality. The goal is to organize information by topic and make it easily accessible. Blog entries and other temporary information will be combined into more formal Internet Explorer documentation before final product shipment. This is your chance to access all the documentation available and to let us know what content and format work best for you.

On This Page:

  • Introducing Internet Explorer 7
  • Compatibility
  • Security Features
  • Networking
  • IT Pro Features
  • RSS
  • CSS
  • HTML
  • XML
  • HTTPS and SSL Features
  • Internationalized Internet Explorer
  • User Interface and Experience

Introducing Internet Explorer 7

Release Notes for Internet Explorer 7

These Release Notes give you information about installing Internet Explorer® 7 and contain information about known issues and possible workarounds for those issues.

New C++ Features in Internet Explorer 7
List of all new C++ features in Internet Explorer 7 with links to appropraite SDK documentation.
New Scripting Features in Internet Explorer 7
List of all new scripting features in Internet Explorer 7 with links to appropraite SDK documentation.
Quick Guided Tour
A "Quick Tour" of the new Internet Explorer 7 User Interface and functionality
Internet Explorer 7 checklists
Checklists for Internet Explorer 7 Users, Developers, and IT Pros
Polishing the Chrome
Personalize Internet Explorer 7 with available add-ons.
Readiness Toolkit for Developers and ITPros
Tools and tips to prepare your web sites and users for Windows Internet Explorer 7

Networking

Internationalized Domain Names and Compatibility
Navigation to IDN sites composed of all Unicode characters
URL Handling Architecture
More secure method of parsing Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs)
CreateURLMoniker Considered Harmful
Information about CreateURLMoniker and Internet Explorer 7.
HTTPS Security Improvements and Compatibility
HTTPS changes impact on browser compatibility

CSS

Details on our CSS changes for Internet Explorer 7
Information on CSS changes for Internet Explorer 7.
Cascading Style Sheet Compatibility
Improvements in CSS parsing and rendering
CSS hacks and broken pages
Formerly required CSS Hacks sometimes generate failures

RSS

Introducing the Windows RSS Platform

This topic introduces the Windows RSS Platform, an API that developers can use to manipulate the Common Feed List, the set of feeds to which the user is subscribed. The properties and methods are categorized to provide a technical overview of the platform and its functionality.

Understanding Lists and Simple List Extensions (SLE)
Simple List Extensions can define list and alter user experience on the RSS platform
Introduction to Feeds--Part 1
Introducing feeds
Introduction to Feeds--Part 2
Discover and subscribe to Feeds
Introduction to Feeds--Part 3
Read and manage feeds
Script in Feeds, the Internet Explorer 7 Feed View and the Windows RSS Platform
Information on mitigations that are implemented in the Internet Explorer 7 Feed View and the Windows RSS Platform that specifically address potentially malicious scripts in feeds.
Sample Application: Screen Saver
This section offers conceptual overview material for the Microsoft Windows RSS Platform, which is an application programming interface (API) of objects for managing and accessing Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds.
The little rss icon--what makes it glow?
Feed auto-discovery and the RSS icon
Windows RSS Platform a la carte
How applications can use the Windows RSS Platform
Microsoft Feeds API Reference
Microsoft Feeds API for objects related to Really Simple Synication (RSS).
Events in the RSS Platform
Eventing subsystem to listen and respond to feed and folder events
Simple list extensions
Extensions to feed formats that expose ordered lists of items
Valid Feed and Folder Names
Common feed list subscription store for feed XML

XML

The xml prolog, strict mode, and XHTML in IE
XHML handling in strict compliance mode
Native XMLHTTP
New scriptable native version of XHLHTTP

HTTPS and SSL Features

HTTPS Security Improvements and Compatibility
HTTPS changes impact on browser compatibility
Making HTTPS Sites More Visible (Lock Icon)
Improved visibility of site security from browser windows

IT Pro Features

IT Pro Checklist
Checklist for IT Pros setting up Internet Explorer 7.
Internet Explorer 7 Set up for security
Setup keeps you more secure and IE running smoothly
Internet Explorer 7 Installation and Anti-Malware Applications
Information about installing Internet Explorer 7 with anti-malware applications.
Internet Explorer Administration Kit and Group Policy
Manageability, customization, and deployment features in IEAK and group policy.
Understanding User-Agent Strings

Describes the user-agent string, which identifies your browser and provides certain system details to servers hosting the Web sites you visit.

Detecting Internet Explorer More Effectively
How to detect current and future versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer effectively
Networking improvements in caching and decompression
Networking improvements in content caching and decompression
Understanding User Agent String
How to identify browser and system details to web site servers
Reset Internet Explorer Settings (RIES)
Reset Internet Explorer Settings (RIES) provides a one-button solution to get Internet Explorer settings to its workable state.
Troubleshooting and Internet Explorer’s (No Add-ons) Mode
Internet Explorer 7 Troubleshooting tips on incompatible browser extensions, add-ons, spyware or malware

Compatibility

Checklist for Developers and Web Developers
Checklist for developers using Internet Explorer 7.
Validating HTTPS Servers TLS Support

How to check HTTPS improvements that may crash nonstandard TLS Servers. See also the Windows Network Development blog for more detail about TLS and WinINet.

Security and Compatibility with Internet Explorer 7
Enhanced security features may affect feature compatibility
Finding Security Compatibility Issues
Compatibility logging to evaluate the effect of Internet Explorer 7 data security changes on web page behavior
Detecting Internet Explorer Versions
The best way to use the User Agent String for browser detection
HTTPS Security Improvements and Compatibility
HTTPS changes impact on browser compatibility
Internationalized Domain Names and Compatibility
Navigation to IDN sites composed of all Unicode characters
Displaying tfeL-ot-thgiR Scripts - Can your computer handle it?
Information on supporting Complex Scripts
Changes to IDN in Internet Explorer 7 to now allow mixing of scripts
Information on recent changes to IDN.
Cascading Style Sheet Compatibility
Improvements in CSS parsing and rendering
Troubleshooting and Internet Explorer’s (No Add-ons) Mode
Internet Explorer 7 Troubleshooting tips on incompatible browser extensions, add-ons, spyware or malware
Internet Explorer + JavaScript Performance Recommendations - Part 1
JavaScript performance recommendations.

Security Features

Understanding User Agent String
How to identify browser and system details to web site servers
Internet Explorer 7 Set up for security
Setup keeps you more secure and IE running smoothly
ActiveX Security: Improvements and Best Practices
This document describes the changes in how Internet Explorer 7 reduces the number of ActiveX controls enabled by default, with "ActiveX Opt-In".
Understanding and Working in Protected Mode Internet Explorer (Windows Vista only)
An introduction to Protected Mode Internet Explorer and how it works with Windows Vista features
Finding Security Compatibility Issues
Compatibility logging to evaluate changes in behavior of web applications.
Anti-Phishing Accuracy Study
Information on Anti-Phishing accuracy.
AntiPhishing White Paper
Basic workings of the Microsoft Phishing Filter
Changes in Internet Security Zones
Changes in Internet Security Zone rules
Principles of Internet Explorer Phishing Filter
How phishing filter detects phishing web sites
Sources of information used by Phishing Filter
Information sources used by the Microsoft Phishing Filter for site detection
URL Handling Architecture
More secure method of parsing Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs)

HTML

Activating ActiveX Controls
Describes how Microsoft Internet Explorer handles ActiveX Controls, including activation of interfaces and impact on accessibility tools and applications that host the WebBrowser Control
HTML Base Tag
Make the HTML BASE tag up to spec and fix some previous odd behavior
HTML Select Element
Improved HTML SELECT element for consistent platform support
Why Does Internet Explorer Resize My Dialogs?
Information about modal or modeless dialogs created from script in Internet Explorer.

Internationalized Internet Explorer

Improved Bidirectional Behavior
Improved support for right- to left-language display
Internationalized Domain Names and Compatibility
Navigation to IDN sites composed of all Unicode characters
Changes to IDN in Internet Explorer 7 to now allow mixing of scripts
Information on recent IDN changes.
Converting Development to IDN
Support for draft dtandard RFC 3490: Internationalizing Domain Names in Applications
Displaying tfeL-ot-thgiR Scripts - Can your computer handle it?
Information on supporting Complex Scripts

User Interface and Experience

How Search Works in Windows Internet Explorer 7 -- Part 1
How Internet Explorer 7 search works -- as much as or little as detail as you want -- Part 1
How Search Works in WIndows Internet Explorer 7 -- Part 2
More information on how search works, plus feedback and responses from users
A Quick Reference Sheet for Internet Explorer 7

A reference sheet to bring together keyboard shortcuts and directions for common tasks in one, easy to access location.

ClearType text as browser default text rendering
Describes default browser rendering font and how to change it
Introduction to Feeds--Part 1
Introducing feeds
Introduction to Feeds--Part 2
Discover and Subscribe to Feeds
Introduction to Feeds--Part 3
Read and manage feeds
Tabbed Browsing for Developers
Effects of Tabbed Browsing on the Document Object Model (DOM) and WebBrowser Control