As Microsoft inches closer to the first beta release of Internet Explorer 7, the company's development advisors have been advising Web site developers and managers to run certain tests now to prevent problems when the beta version does appear. Although Microsoft Corp. is not releasing a specific date for the beta version, the company has stated that the browser will appear this summer, and that developers should be getting ready. At this point, Microsoft has given limited information on what will be included in the initial beta test, beyond stating that it will include features such as tabs and "developer platform advancements." Developers can expect that much more information will be forthcoming shortly on the company's technical resource site, however, said Gary Schare, director of Microsoft's Internet Platforms and Security Product Management. "Follow the IE Blog to gain general technical insights about IE 7 directly from the development team," Schare added. "Stay tuned in the coming months as we announce more details." One area that Microsoft has clearly articulated as being one in which developers can start work now to prepare for IE 7 involves the UA (user agent) string. First discussed in the company's Weblog in April, the code change prompted a reminder on Wednesday to developers, telling them that Microsoft continues to run across Web sites that are not expecting Version 7 of the browser, and urging them to test their UA strings. The UA is sent in the headers of every HTTP request, telling the server what type of browser is issuing the request. Microsoft updated the UA after considering application compatibility issues. Source:eWeek
