jQuery in IE: onClick Vs. onChange (aka: Another one o' those "things")

You ever see the movie "Pushing Tin" where the air-traffic-controllers get into "things"?

"Things" (maybe "near misses" would be a better term?) happen due to neglect and/or ignorance on the part of the air traffic controller. Like, maybe he or she isn't paying close enough attention to their screen and a couple of planes get too close to each other. That's a "thing". And they aren't good.

I'm not an air traffic controller though and that's a good thing as today was my first dedicated foray into browser testing on Vmware Server. I've used it before but not out of necessity since we have the obligatory "Windows Box" for that. (Seems our "Windows Box" decided to magically excorcise itself of IE Dev Toolbar, however...and still to this minute, I have no idea why it isn't working. I tried this and something else that I don't remember but decided to stop the insanity and move to vmware). For the record, the insanity didn't exactly end. Just change. So let's get to it:

Issue 1
• There's no decent way to disconnect oneself from a full screen RDPV5 tsclient connection. (And I like a full screen. Yeah, I said it).
  1. I tried the key-commands.....f8, ctrl+f8, the arrow key stuff, even killed X a couple of times doing it. 
  2. Huge bummer.

Actually, I decided the easiest way was to use the "Start" button (I think it was a series of "Start">"Disconnect", and finally, "Yes" to disconnect) in Windows Explorer but that involved more clicks than I'd like to use. And a guys wrist only has so many clicks in it.

Seriously, though, is there a better way? Because the 64 Bit Bomb was not having it! And this never really got solved....Boy was I glad for that "Start Button Workaround" though. Yippee. [Aaron's wrist makes loud, painful-sounding click. Bird crashes into window]

Actually, come to think of it........speaking of the 64 Bit Bomb.....what's the deal with Firefox and Firebug's display:block "toggler"? I can kill Firefox every time by toggling "display:block" on and off. Something about that event mangles the layout of every page so bad that I have to restart the whole profile. Some sort of javascript "seizure", I guess. And, yes, I'm willing to bet it's an offending add-on too.....just never took the time to test it. Probably should.

Anyway, so while using Windows XP on vmware (where there was still a working IE Dev Toolbar), I was off and running. That was until, of course, I realized that my IE page-views seemed to be being cached. (Not very helpful for testing). So, imagine this process:

1. Look at the page in IE/vmware on Mazama (aka the 64 Bit Bomb).
2. Sign off using the Start>Disconnect>"yes, I'd like to disconnect"-routine (remember, there is no decent way out of a full-screen, tsclient connection).
3. Tweak some css on Mazama.
4. Fire up tsclient again (while still on Mazama....you get the point).
5. Sign on to vmware server again.
6. Load the page in IE.
7. ....and finally decide to tweak some more css(which meant going thru the whole Start>Disconnect>"yes,I'd like to disconnect"-routine to get back to Mazama again), only to then realize that the page wasn't changing!

And yes, I can hear you now. Anyone in their right mind would say, "Yeah, that's because you don't have the browser set to reload every time you visit the page, genius!!!".

I was knee-deep in a "thing" though. I think that the above process had robbed me of any sort of rational thinking for the moment. Thankfully John heard me swearing from across the street and promptly pointed out my foolish ways. Really though, my wrist must've been 1000 degrees at this point.

Ok, so issue 2......

Issue 2 (and you're free to read this in a Andy Rooney voice:)
• What's the deal with jquery's change() function and radio buttons in IE7?
  1. You gotta use click()?
  2. But that's not what I want to use!
  3. I want the function to fire only on change! Not on click!
  4. Why am I putting this in a list?
  5. Because I like lists, that's why.

Again, in walks co-worker/all-around smart guy, Jason who helped me do some quick detective work to nail down someone with the exact same problem. First listing too. (Although with all of these IE "eccentricities" it seems pretty common, fortunately......or unfortunately, I suppose, depending on how you look at it).

But ok. Enough geek-rant.

There's a difference between click and change though.

Just sayin.