HTTP::Browscap 0.02

HTTP::Browscap is a Perl module that can parse and search browscap.ini files.

SYNOPSIS

use HTTP::Browscap;

my $capable = browscap();

if( $capable->{wap} ) {
output_WAP();
}

if( $capable->{css} > 1 ) {
# Browser can handle CSS2
}

# OO interface
my $BC = HTTP::Browscap->new( browscap.ini );

$capable = $BC->match( $ENV{HTTP_USER_AGENT} );

ABSTRACT

Browscap.ini is a file, introduced with Microsofts IIS, that lists the User-Agent strings that different browsers send, and various capabilities of those browsers. This module parses browscap.ini and allows you to find the capability definitions for a given browser.

Starting with Microsofts IIS, a browscap.ini file was used to list the capabilities of various browsers. Using the User-Agent string that a browser sends in the HTTP request, the capabilities of a browser are retrieved. If an exact match of the User-Agent string isnt found, wild-card expantion is done. If all fails, a default browser definition is used.

There are limits the usefulness of browscap.ini. It only detects if a browser has a certain capability, but not if this capability has been deactivated or if its a buggy implementation. In particular, most CSS and JavaScript implementations will make you scream.