JavaScript required

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Not sure if this is the right forum, if not apologies. I’ve had a problem with one web site in IE11 which comes up with “Java script required” despite the fact I’m up to date. I looked in the lounge and saw I’m not the only one but none of the solutions seemed to meet my issue. So I did a verify java check and yes I have the latest version but the check reported and earlier version and offered to uninstall but this failed so I did it through Windows Uninstall and whoopee my problem has gone away. Looks as though the presence of an older version was confusing IE.

Hope this may be of help to any other suffers.

Peter

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Are you talking about JavaScript or Java? You refer to both (though with the former misspelt with a space) but they aren’t the same.

Eliminate spare time: start programming PowerShell

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I’m referring to Java from Java.com – version 8 update 25. I’m sure the error message referred to Java script but now all is working I clearly can’t check it. Sorry for any confusion.

Peter

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Javascript and Java are completely different things. Uninstalling Java wouldn’t affect the way your browser supports Javascript so, sorry to say it, but your fix isn’t really a fix. It was just a fortunate coincidence that IE no longer showed error messages, after you removed an old Java version.

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Javascript and Java are completely different things. Uninstalling Java wouldn’t affect the way your browser supports Javascript so, sorry to say it, but your fix isn’t really a fix. It was just a fortunate coincidence that IE no longer showed error messages, after you removed an old Java version.

True. However, the ERROR MESSAGE issued by some websites when the problem is that Java is absent or is an unrecognized version refers to JAVASCRIPT. Just one example: “The Future Shop Online Flyer requires JavaScript in your browser to be enabled and working. Our site has detected that Javascript in your browser is either disabled or not working correctly. Please take the necessary corrective actions and return to our flyer site. Thank you for being a customer of Future Shop.” JavaScript was just fine; the problem was that Java was not installed.

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True. However, the ERROR MESSAGE issued by some websites when the problem is that Java is absent or is an unrecognized version refers to JAVASCRIPT. Just one example: “The Future Shop Online Flyer requires JavaScript in your browser to be enabled and working. Our site has detected that Javascript in your browser is either disabled or not working correctly. Please take the necessary corrective actions and return to our flyer site. Thank you for being a customer of Future Shop.” JavaScript was just fine; the problem was that Java was not installed.

Just been to the website and it works fine. I don’t have Java. The reason for this is Java is a known security hole. Therefore the message you had was because a problem with JavaScript, not that Java was not installed, they are two different beasts. I also tested this by switching JavaScript of

Eliminate spare time: start programming PowerShell

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Therefore the message you had was because a problem with JavaScript, not that Java was not installed…

WRONG. This was some times ago. I picked that message because I had it verbatim. The site used Java at the time. If you can’t believe that, I will quote the entire correspondence with Future Shop regarding the issue.

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True. However, the ERROR MESSAGE issued by some websites when the problem is that Java is absent or is an unrecognized version refers to JAVASCRIPT. Just one example: “The Future Shop Online Flyer requires JavaScript in your browser to be enabled and working. Our site has detected that Javascript in your browser is either disabled or not working correctly. Please take the necessary corrective actions and return to our flyer site. Thank you for being a customer of Future Shop.” JavaScript was just fine; the problem was that Java was not installed.

I would be extremely careful about making a general statement regarding messages about Javascript being enabled being caused by the absence of Java. Although Java, some years ago, was used in some websites (usually in the form of Java applets), I have trouble finding it in current websites, other than very specific ones. The evolution in Javascript made Java virtually irrelevant in terms of website development and it is clear to me that a Javascript message error caused by the absence of Java can only result from bad programming.

All current browsers, desktop of mobile, support Javascript, which has become the most relevant language for website development. It was common to advise Javacripts to be disabled, as it could be seen as security risk, but that time has passed, too, in my opinion, given the way Javascript use has become so common to provide a decent user experience in any website.

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…it is clear to me that a Javascript message error caused by the absence of Java can only result from bad programming.

Of course! Bad programming that I have seen on probably three different sites. Here is the gist of my exchange with the one mentioned:

ME: Your error message falsely claims that JavaScript is disabled. I tested with Firefox and Opera.
FUTURE SHOP: You need Java.
ME: Then change your error message to reflect reality.
FUTURE SHOP: No.

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Me: Your error message falsely claims that javascript is disabled. I tested with firefox and opera.
Future shop: You need java.
Me: Then change your error message to reflect reality.
Future shop: No.

ROFL… nice response from website support.

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Of course! Bad programming that I have seen on probably three different sites. Here is the gist of my exchange with the one mentioned:

ME: Your error message falsely claims that JavaScript is disabled. I tested with Firefox and Opera.
FUTURE SHOP: You need Java.
ME: Then change your error message to reflect reality.
FUTURE SHOP: No.

Amazing exchange! I would tell Future Shop that misleading visitors and probably causing the more knowledgeable of them to get annoyed in varying degrees is not the best thing to do…

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True. However, the ERROR MESSAGE issued by some websites when the problem is that Java is absent or is an unrecognized version refers to JAVASCRIPT. Just one example: “The Future Shop Online Flyer requires JavaScript in your browser to be enabled and working. Our site has detected that Javascript in your browser is either disabled or not working correctly. Please take the necessary corrective actions and return to our flyer site. Thank you for being a customer of Future Shop.” JavaScript was just fine; the problem was that Java was not installed.

I found that error message in a post dated 2005!

http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=340700

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Surely it depends on whether the page source references one or more Java applets or one or more Javascript scripts… or both?

(Or am I being a complete Alexander?)

(For anyone who has never seen the film “The Shawshank Redemption”, one of the characters mis-pronounced the surname of Alexandre Dumas – a famous author – as that of a popular epithet… hence the subsequent colloquial use of ‘You Alexander’. Many people don’t know the correct spelling of his name.).

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Surely it depends on whether the page source references one or more Java applets or one or more Javascript scripts… or both?

(Or am I being a complete Alexander?)

(For anyone who has never seen the film “The Shawshank Redemption”, one of the characters mis-pronounced the surname of Alexandre Dumas – a famous author – as that of a popular epithet… hence the subsequent colloquial use of ‘You Alexander’. Many people don’t know the correct spelling of his name.).

I use a site that requires Java and it mentions Java when Java is not installed or enabled. It makes no mention of Javascript, which is the correct behavior.

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Surely it depends on whether the page source references one or more Java applets or one or more Javascript scripts… or both?

Apologies… I meant: If the source references a JS script (i.e. written in Javascript) and Javascript isn’t enabled in the browser then the webpage will display a Javascript error but if the webpage references a Java applet and Java isn’t installed then the webpage will show a Java error. Hopefully this makes it clearer.

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There’s only one site I recall visiting recently that requires Java and that is http://www.pingtest.net/

It quite correctly tells me that I I don’t have Java installed.

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