Precise text selection within floats very difficult or impossible to perform in Internet Explorer 8 beta 2

This is a left-floating paragraph (first in source). This is a left-floating paragraph (first in source). This is a left-floating paragraph (first in source).

This is a right-floating paragraph (second in source).

This is anonymous text within the containing DIV. At least the first 25 words (or more) should appear in the upper right area of the blue bordered container, above the right-floated div and at the right side of the left floated div. It does not in MSIE 7. The floating elements within this DIV should not go beyond the left or right inner edge of this DIV, which means that the borders of the floating elements should not overlap the top or side borders of the DIV in any way. In addition, they should not overlap each other in any way, nor should the floated elements be overwritten by the DIV text. In addition, the floated elements should not be side-by-side, but instead the first should be floated left, and the second floated to the right below the first.

Firefox 3.0.1, Opera 9.60, Safari 3.1.2, Konqueror 4.1, Hv3 TKHTML alpha 16, Seamonkey 2.x, NS 7.2, K-meleon 1.x all pass the A test; Firefox 3.0.1 passes A & B tests.

Update: This bug has been FIXED in Internet Explorer 8 RC1 (build 6001.18372) released on January 26th 2009. Otherwise, Internet Explorer 8 RC1 PASSES this specific and particular testcase.

Precise text selection within floats very difficult or impossible to perform in Internet Explorer 8 beta 2

Steps to reproduce

A) click the left mouse button into one of the 2 green bordered blocks (with a light gray background color) and then try to text-select/highlight a few words by dragging the left mouse button (from top to bottom or from bottom to top) while being depressed, down

Actual results in Internet Explorer 8 beta 2

A) Impossible to achieve.

B) Impossible to position blinking caret within the targeted float with a left mouse button click of the mouse. Possible to achieve only by manoeuvering the `left arrow` key. After numerous attempts and reasonable efforts, normal users will most likely conclude that it is not possible to achieve.

Expected results: precise text selection/highlighting with mouse dragging or caret browsing should be easy, considerably much easier to do.

Precise text selection within floats very difficult or impossible to perform in Internet Explorer 8 beta 2

Steps to reproduce

A) click the left mouse button into one of the 2 green bordered blocks (with a light gray background color) and then try to text-select/highlight a few words by dragging the left mouse button (from top to bottom or from bottom to top) while being depressed, down

Actual results in Internet Explorer 8 beta 2

A) Impossible to achieve.

B) Impossible to position blinking caret within the targeted float with a left mouse button click of the mouse. Possible to achieve only by manoeuvering the left arrow key. After numerous attempts and reasonable efforts, normal users will most likely conclude that it is not possible to achieve.

Expected results: precise text selection/highlighting with mouse dragging or caret browsing should be easy, considerably much easier to do.

B) Impossible to position blinking caret within the targeted float with a left mouse button click of the mouse. Possible to achieve only by manoeuvering the `left arrow` key. After numerous attempts and reasonable efforts, normal users will most likely conclude that it is not possible to achieve.