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Compatibility
None of the improvements in Internet Explorer 8 will matter if Web sites look bad or work poorly. Internet Explorer 8 provides a leap forward in compliance with Web standards, enabling Web sites to be created more efficiently and to operate more predictably. However, millions of Web sites have been built for Internet Explorer 7, and some of those sites might not display correctly with the new Internet Explorer 8 layout engine. Microsoft realizes that, at the same time it embraces new standards that will define the Web of the future, it also has a responsibility to maintain compatibility with existing Web sites from one browser version to the next. Internet Explorer 8 will ship with multiple layout engines, putting the decision as to whether Internet Explorer 8 should support legacy behaviors or strict standards in the hands of Web developers, who can specify which layout engine to use on a page-by-page basis. For Web pages that are designed for Internet Explorer 7 but don’t specify that, Internet Explorer 8 has a Compatibility View button that you can use to display them as they were meant to be viewed, providing an easy way to fix display problems such as out-of-place menus, images and text. When Internet Explorer 8 detects a Web site that is designed for an older version of the browser, the Compatibility View button appears next to the Refresh button on the Address Bar. Pressing the button causes Internet Explorer 8 to switch to the Internet Explorer 7 rendering engine. The state of the button is saved for that Web page, eliminating the need for you to press it again when you return to the same page at a later time. More information about all the new features and capabilities in Internet Explorer 8 can be found in the Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 Evaluators Guide.