# Microsoft Internet Explorer (MSIE) support

Microsoft Internet Explorer 9

Starting from preview 3, Internet Explorer 9 has support for canvas, including the text and shadow APIs. It also benefits from hardware acceleration, and quick rendering times.

Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 and 8

Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 and 8 are supported using ExCanvas. This is an extra Javascript file that is sent to the user if it's required. Nothing is required to be configured on the server.

- Introduction
- Getting hold of ExCanvas
- Caveats
- Google Chrome Frame
- Using a dynamically created canvas

#### Introduction

As of December 2009 OfficeExcel now works partially with Internet Explorer without Google Chrome Frame. Charts are rendered as VML. You are still recommended to use Google Chrome Frame to get the best results. The interactive features are unlikely to work correctly.

Thanks go to everyone involved with the ExCanvas project for providing the ExCanvas library.

#### Getting hold of ExCanvas

Google ExCanvas is distributed with OfficeExcel in the "excanvas" directory. There is a minified gzip compressed version, along with the original.

#### Caveats

- The interactive features of OfficeExcel are unlikely to work correctly with MSIE.
- Shadows are now available (on some chart types), albeit without blurring.
- You must reference the Javascript libraries in the documents <head>.
- You must use the window.onload event to create your chart.
- In the window.onload function, you must use the var keyword when declaring the variable.
- If your page is large, there may be a slight pause before the window.onload event fires and thus creates the chart.
- Changing the font that text is shown in is not available.

#### Google Chrome Frame

Instead of ExCanvas you can also use Google Chrome Frame. This basically turns Internet Explorer into Google Chrome, and fully supports OfficeExcel. Since it involves a plugin installation, this is a better option if you can fully influence the users PC. If you can fully influence the users PC however, a better option might be to simply use one of the browsers with native support.

#### Using a dynamically created canvas

If you're creating your canvas dynamically there is an extra step that you must perform to allow it to be recognised by ExCanvas:

    var canvas = document.createElement('CANVAS');
        canvas.id = 'cvs';
        canvas.width = 600;
        canvas.height = 250;
        canvas.style.border = '1px dashed black';
    document.body.appendChild(canvas);

    G_vmlCanvasManager.initElement(canvas);

#### Please wait...

(Nothing is going to happen, this is simply an example Close)