What does <meta http-equiv=“X-UA-Compatible” content=“IE=edge”> do?

Question

What\'s the difference if one web page starts with

Answer 1

This is LITERALLY 1 google query away, but here goes:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj676915(v=vs.85).aspx

Understanding legacy document modes

Use the following value to display the webpage in edge mode, which is the highest standards mode supported by Internet Explorer, from Internet Explorer 6 through IE11.

Note that this is functionally equivalent to using the HTML5 doctype. It places Internet Explorer into the highest supported document mode. Edge most is most useful for regularly maintained websites that are routinely tested for interoperability between multiple browsers, including Internet Explorer.

Note Starting with IE11, edge mode is considered the preferred document mode. (In earlier versions, it was considered experimental.) To learn more, see Document modes are deprecated. Starting with Windows Internet Explorer 8, some web developers used the edge mode meta element to hide the Compatibility View button on the address bar. As of IE11, this is no longer necessary as the button has been removed from the address bar. Because it forces all pages to be opened in standards mode, regardless of the version of Internet Explorer, you might be tempted to use edge mode for all pages viewed with Internet Explorer. Don't do this, as the X-UA-Compatible header is only supported starting with Internet Explorer 8.

Tip If you want all supported versions of Internet Explorer to open your pages in standards mode, use the HTML5 document type declaration, as shown in the earlier example.

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