Links in Firefox

I have an unordered list of links that forms a horizontal tab bar. It works
perfectly in IE6, IE7, and Opera 9.27. However, in Firefox 2.0.0.14.

For whatever reason, when I click on my tabs/links, nothing happens in
Firefox. (Other links on the page that aren't in this unordered list work
fine.) I assume that my problem is some sort of weirdness related to the
CSS, although I'm darned if I know how to prove it. I have both
WebDeveloper, which I've been using for a few weeks now, and Firebug, which
I've just installed. For all the bells and whistles those tools have on
them, I'm afraid I don't know how to use them to figure this problem out.

Can anyone get me started with some debugging tips? What should I check to
try to zero in on the problem?

For what it's worth, the pages accessed by the links in my tab bar all
render perfectly and I can get to all of the pages by simply typing their
full addresses in the address bar. I just can't get the browser to go to the
desired address by clicking on the tabs.

I've never seen anything quite like this and don't know where to start.

I'd be grateful for any suggestions anyone can make.

--
Rhino

In article <g1q2q2$ira$1 (AT) news (DOT) datemas.de>,
"rhino" <No.offline.contact.please (AT) anonymous (DOT) com> wrote:

I have an unordered list of links that forms a horizontal tab bar. It works
perfectly in IE6, IE7, and Opera 9.27. However, in Firefox 2.0.0.14.

For whatever reason, when I click on my tabs/links, nothing happens in
Firefox. (Other links on the page that aren't in this unordered list work
fine.) I assume that my problem is some sort of weirdness related to the
CSS, although I'm darned if I know how to prove it. I have both
WebDeveloper, which I've been using for a few weeks now, and Firebug, which
I've just installed. For all the bells and whistles those tools have on
them, I'm afraid I don't know how to use them to figure this problem out.

Can anyone get me started with some debugging tips? What should I check to
try to zero in on the problem?

For what it's worth, the pages accessed by the links in my tab bar all
render perfectly and I can get to all of the pages by simply typing their
full addresses in the address bar. I just can't get the browser to go to the
desired address by clicking on the tabs.

I've never seen anything quite like this and don't know where to start.

I'd be grateful for any suggestions anyone can make.

!

--
dorayme

"Beauregard T. Shagnasty" <a.nony.mous (AT) example (DOT) invalid> wrote

rhino wrote:

I've never seen anything quite like this and don't know where to
start.

..and neither will we until you give us the URL.

Due to confidentiality issues with my client, I am very reluctant to post a

working URL. Instead, I need some pointers on the best way to find the
problem with the tools at hand. I'm hoping the vast experience of some of
the regulars here will point me in the right direction....

In other words, where would _you_ start looking if tabs in a list starting
behaving the way I have described and you were not at liberty to show anyone
the actual website?

--
Rhino

rhino wrote:

"Beauregard T. Shagnasty" <a.nony.mous (AT) example (DOT) invalid> wrote in message
news:48409b05$0$30521$4c368faf (AT) roadrunner (DOT) com...
rhino wrote:

I've never seen anything quite like this and don't know where to
start.
..and neither will we until you give us the URL.

Due to confidentiality issues with my client, I am very reluctant to post a
working URL. Instead, I need some pointers on the best way to find the
problem with the tools at hand. I'm hoping the vast experience of some of
the regulars here will point me in the right direction....

In other words, where would _you_ start looking if tabs in a list starting
behaving the way I have described and you were not at liberty to show anyone
the actual website?

Dollar to donuts you have some position: absolute element over your
links. Abuse of absolute positioning is a common error for folks. So
this site is going to be so secret that it will not be published?

Try "Outline Current Elements" or "Positioned Elements" for starters.

--
Take care,

Jonathan
-------------------
LITTLE WORKS STUDIO
http://www.LittleWorksStudio.com

In article <g1q7f7$nis$1 (AT) news (DOT) datemas.de>,
"rhino" <No.offline.contact.please (AT) anonymous (DOT) com> wrote:

In other words, where would _you_ start looking if tabs in a list starting
behaving the way I have described and you were not at liberty to show anyone
the actual website?

You could open the source code and the css and progressively remove as
much as does not make the problem go away.

--
dorayme

In article
<doraymeRidThis-B3AB6A.11211431052008 (AT) news-vip (DOT) optusnet.com.au>,
dorayme <doraymeRidThis (AT) optusnet (DOT) com.au> wrote:

In article <g1q7f7$nis$1 (AT) news (DOT) datemas.de>,
"rhino" <No.offline.contact.please (AT) anonymous (DOT) com> wrote:

In other words, where would _you_ start looking if tabs in a list starting
behaving the way I have described and you were not at liberty to show
anyone
the actual website?

You could open the source code and the css and progressively remove as
much as does not make the problem go away.

I'd be tempted to do it the other way round: make up a test page with
just the horizontal tab list, and see if it works at all. Gradually
build everything back in, and see where it breaks.

You could modify the content in you test page(s) so that you could
post them without infringing you client's confidentiality.

One other thing I would do: validate both the html and the css at
the W3C site, and pay careful attention to any errors or warnings:
different browsers handle markup errors (including misplaced :,. etc)
differently, and these can be hard to spot in the source code.

In article <nomail-EA4D05.09482831052008 (AT) news1 (DOT) chem.utoronto.ca>,
"David C. Stone" <nomail (AT) domain (DOT) invalid> wrote:

In article
doraymeRidThis-B3AB6A.11211431052008...ptusnet.com.au>,
dorayme <doraymeRidThis (AT) optusnet (DOT) com.au> wrote:

In article <g1q7f7$nis$1 (AT) news (DOT) datemas.de>,
"rhino" <No.offline.contact.please (AT) anonymous (DOT) com> wrote:

In other words, where would _you_ start looking if tabs in a list
starting
behaving the way I have described and you were not at liberty to show
anyone
the actual website?

You could open the source code and the css and progressively remove as
much as does not make the problem go away.

I'd be tempted to do it the other way round: make up a test page with
just the horizontal tab list, and see if it works at all. Gradually
build everything back in, and see where it breaks.

Actually, we are not so much talking different things here. To see this,
think of my suggestion as removing *huge* slabs of stuff as a first try
(by command X, so it can be pasted back, or by use of command Z to
undo...), and if no good, removing less. (btw, actually a description of
something I often do when I am totally puzzled).

--
dorayme

On 2008-05-30, rhino <No.offline.contact.please (AT) anonymous (DOT) com> wrote:

I have an unordered list of links that forms a horizontal tab bar. It works
perfectly in IE6, IE7, and Opera 9.27. However, in Firefox 2.0.0.14.

For whatever reason, when I click on my tabs/links, nothing happens in
Firefox. (Other links on the page that aren't in this unordered list work
fine.) I assume that my problem is some sort of weirdness related to the
CSS, although I'm darned if I know how to prove it. I have both
WebDeveloper, which I've been using for a few weeks now, and Firebug, which
I've just installed. For all the bells and whistles those tools have on
them, I'm afraid I don't know how to use them to figure this problem out.

Can anyone get me started with some debugging tips? What should I check to
try to zero in on the problem?

There could be something (transparent) on top of the links that you
can't see but which is stopping the mouse clicks getting through.

Try adding borders and background-colors to suspicious elements to
confirm where they actually are. Beware that borders may alter
margin-collapsing behaviour and therefore things' positions so
background-color is preferable.

Another possibility is the HTML is invalid and the A elements haven't
ended up where you think they are.

For what it's worth, the pages accessed by the links in my tab bar all
render perfectly and I can get to all of the pages by simply typing their
full addresses in the address bar. I just can't get the browser to go to the
desired address by clicking on the tabs.

Does the mouse pointer change into a hand when you hover over them?