Internet Explorer - CSS support in Internet Explorer 3
From PiRho Knowledgebase
Internet Explorer 3 (released in 1996) was Microsoft’s first attempt at supporting Cascading Style Sheets. While historically significant, its implementation was partial, inconsistent, and highly experimental.
This article documents the major missing features, known bugs, and behavioural inconsistencies in MSIE3’s CSS engine. It is intended as a reference for anyone studying early web standards, retro‑compatibility, or browser history.
Reference:
Further Reading:
Overview
Internet Explorer 3 was the first Microsoft browser to claim CSS support, but the implementation was incomplete and often diverged from the W3C specification.
Missing CSS Functionality in MSIE3
- `em` units not supported
- No user stylesheet mechanism
- `margin` shorthand unsupported; `margin-bottom` unsupported
- All padding properties unsupported
- All border properties unsupported
- Pseudo-elements unsupported (pseudo-classes supported)
Known Bugs and Behavioural Deviations
- Formatting model diverges from CSS1 spec
- Margins do not collapse; they are added instead
- `font-family` must be last in block
- Styles cannot be applied to implied BODY
- Line spacing added to final line
- Inconsistent spacing after lists
- Background inheritance bug for inline elements
- Links cause extra line spacing
Summary
MSIE3’s CSS implementation was historically important but unreliable, marking a transitional phase in web design.
