I’m curious about how Google Docs implements its drawing feature in Internet Explorer. Given IE’s limited SVG support, I’m interested in what methods Google uses to ensure the drawing tools function correctly.
Does Google rely on Flash for rendering these drawings? Or is there an alternative solution in place?
I’d like to learn more about the JavaScript library or framework they might use to ensure SVG compatibility across various browsers, particularly older Internet Explorer versions. Any information about their technical methods would be appreciated.
I actually tested this across different IE versions while debugging cross-browser issues at work. Google Docs Drawing had a polyfill that converted SVG to Canvas for IE8 and below, while IE9+ handled basic SVG directly. The conversion wasn’t perfect - complex shapes lost fidelity and ran slower. They also had server-side rendering that’d create bitmap images when client-side rendering crapped out. This hybrid setup worked okay but was a pain to maintain. Google eventually dropped IE support completely, which makes total sense given the headache and shrinking user base.
google dropped ie support for docs drawing ages ago. i tried it on ie11 recently and got a msg telling me to use chrome or firefox instead. they probably got sick of maintaining vml fallbacks since nobody uses ie anymore.
From my experience, Google Docs Drawing employs a dual strategy for Internet Explorer’s rendering capabilities. For IE versions prior to 9, VML (Vector Markup Language) is utilized because these browsers have limited SVG support. VML, being a Microsoft standard, allows older versions of IE to interpret graphics natively. The system detects the user’s browser and seamlessly switches between SVG for more modern browsers and VML for older versions. This necessitates the use of two rendering systems in their coding structure. Libraries like Raphael.js are likely used to streamline these operations, providing a unified API while addressing compatibility challenges across different browsers. Although rendering performance on IE may not match that of modern browsers with full SVG support, it still allows for basic drawing functionalities.