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How to add web browser capabilities to a Windows Forms application

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With the WebBrowser control, you can add Web browser functionality to your application. The control works like a Web browser by default. After you load an initial URL by setting the Url property, you can navigate by clicking hyperlinks or by using keyboard shortcuts to move backward and forward through navigation history. By default, you can access additional browser functionality through the right-click shortcut menu. You can also open new documents by dropping them onto the control. The WebBrowser control also has several properties, methods, and events that you can use to implement user interface features similar to those found in Internet Explorer.

The following code example implements an address bar, typical browser buttons, a File menu, a status bar, and a title bar that displays the current page title.

Example

using System;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.Security.Permissions;

public class Form1 : Form
{
    public Form1()
    {
        // Create the form layout. If you are using Visual Studio,
        // you can replace this code with code generated by the designer.
        InitializeForm();

        // The following events are not visible in the designer, so
        // you must associate them with their event-handlers in code.
        webBrowser1.CanGoBackChanged +=
            new EventHandler(webBrowser1_CanGoBackChanged);
        webBrowser1.CanGoForwardChanged +=
            new EventHandler(webBrowser1_CanGoForwardChanged);
        webBrowser1.DocumentTitleChanged +=
            new EventHandler(webBrowser1_DocumentTitleChanged);
        webBrowser1.StatusTextChanged +=
            new EventHandler(webBrowser1_StatusTextChanged);

        // Load the user's home page.
        webBrowser1.GoHome();
    }

    // Displays the Save dialog box.
    private void saveAsToolStripMenuItem_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        webBrowser1.ShowSaveAsDialog();
    }

    // Displays the Page Setup dialog box.
    private void pageSetupToolStripMenuItem_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        webBrowser1.ShowPageSetupDialog();
    }

    // Displays the Print dialog box.
    private void printToolStripMenuItem_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        webBrowser1.ShowPrintDialog();
    }

    // Displays the Print Preview dialog box.
    private void printPreviewToolStripMenuItem_Click(
        object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        webBrowser1.ShowPrintPreviewDialog();
    }

    // Displays the Properties dialog box.
    private void propertiesToolStripMenuItem_Click(
        object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        webBrowser1.ShowPropertiesDialog();
    }

    // Selects all the text in the text box when the user clicks it.
    private void toolStripTextBox1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        toolStripTextBox1.SelectAll();
    }

    // Navigates to the URL in the address box when
    // the ENTER key is pressed while the ToolStripTextBox has focus.
    private void toolStripTextBox1_KeyDown(object sender, KeyEventArgs e)
    {
        if (e.KeyCode == Keys.Enter)
        {
            Navigate(toolStripTextBox1.Text);
        }
    }

    // Navigates to the URL in the address box when
    // the Go button is clicked.
    private void goButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        Navigate(toolStripTextBox1.Text);
    }

    // Navigates to the given URL if it is valid.
    private void Navigate(String address)
    {
        if (String.IsNullOrEmpty(address)) return;
        if (address.Equals("about:blank")) return;
        if (!address.StartsWith("http://") &&
            !address.StartsWith("https://"))
        {
            address = "http://" + address;
        }
        try
        {
            webBrowser1.Navigate(new Uri(address));
        }
        catch (System.UriFormatException)
        {
            return;
        }
    }

    // Updates the URL in TextBoxAddress upon navigation.
    private void webBrowser1_Navigated(object sender,
        WebBrowserNavigatedEventArgs e)
    {
        toolStripTextBox1.Text = webBrowser1.Url.ToString();
    }

    // Navigates webBrowser1 to the previous page in the history.
    private void backButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        webBrowser1.GoBack();
    }

    // Disables the Back button at the beginning of the navigation history.
    private void webBrowser1_CanGoBackChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        backButton.Enabled = webBrowser1.CanGoBack;
    }

    // Navigates webBrowser1 to the next page in history.
    private void forwardButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        webBrowser1.GoForward();
    }

    // Disables the Forward button at the end of navigation history.
    private void webBrowser1_CanGoForwardChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        forwardButton.Enabled = webBrowser1.CanGoForward;
    }

    // Halts the current navigation and any sounds or animations on
    // the page.
    private void stopButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        webBrowser1.Stop();
    }

    // Reloads the current page.
    private void refreshButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        // Skip refresh if about:blank is loaded to avoid removing
        // content specified by the DocumentText property.
        if (!webBrowser1.Url.Equals("about:blank"))
        {
            webBrowser1.Refresh();
        }
    }

    // Navigates webBrowser1 to the home page of the current user.
    private void homeButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        webBrowser1.GoHome();
    }

    // Navigates webBrowser1 to the search page of the current user.
    private void searchButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        webBrowser1.GoSearch();
    }

    // Prints the current document using the current print settings.
    private void printButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        webBrowser1.Print();
    }

    // Updates the status bar with the current browser status text.
    private void webBrowser1_StatusTextChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        toolStripStatusLabel1.Text = webBrowser1.StatusText;
    }

    // Updates the title bar with the current document title.
    private void webBrowser1_DocumentTitleChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        this.Text = webBrowser1.DocumentTitle;
    }

    // Exits the application.
    private void exitToolStripMenuItem_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        Application.Exit();
    }

    // The remaining code in this file provides basic form initialization and
    // includes a Main method. If you use the Visual Studio designer to create
    // your form, you can use the designer generated code instead of this code,
    // but be sure to use the names shown in the variable declarations here,
    // and be sure to attach the event handlers to the associated events.

    private WebBrowser webBrowser1;

    private MenuStrip menuStrip1;
    private ToolStripMenuItem fileToolStripMenuItem,
        saveAsToolStripMenuItem, printToolStripMenuItem,
        printPreviewToolStripMenuItem, exitToolStripMenuItem,
        pageSetupToolStripMenuItem, propertiesToolStripMenuItem;
    private ToolStripSeparator toolStripSeparator1, toolStripSeparator2;

    private ToolStrip toolStrip1, toolStrip2;
    private ToolStripTextBox toolStripTextBox1;
    private ToolStripButton goButton, backButton,
        forwardButton, stopButton, refreshButton,
        homeButton, searchButton, printButton;

    private StatusStrip statusStrip1;
    private ToolStripStatusLabel toolStripStatusLabel1;

    private void InitializeForm()
    {
        webBrowser1 = new WebBrowser();

        menuStrip1 = new MenuStrip();
        fileToolStripMenuItem = new ToolStripMenuItem();
        saveAsToolStripMenuItem = new ToolStripMenuItem();
        toolStripSeparator1 = new ToolStripSeparator();
        printToolStripMenuItem = new ToolStripMenuItem();
        printPreviewToolStripMenuItem = new ToolStripMenuItem();
        toolStripSeparator2 = new ToolStripSeparator();
        exitToolStripMenuItem = new ToolStripMenuItem();
        pageSetupToolStripMenuItem = new ToolStripMenuItem();
        propertiesToolStripMenuItem = new ToolStripMenuItem();

        toolStrip1 = new ToolStrip();
        goButton = new ToolStripButton();
        backButton = new ToolStripButton();
        forwardButton = new ToolStripButton();
        stopButton = new ToolStripButton();
        refreshButton = new ToolStripButton();
        homeButton = new ToolStripButton();
        searchButton = new ToolStripButton();
        printButton = new ToolStripButton();

        toolStrip2 = new ToolStrip();
        toolStripTextBox1 = new ToolStripTextBox();

        statusStrip1 = new StatusStrip();
        toolStripStatusLabel1 = new ToolStripStatusLabel();

        menuStrip1.Items.Add(fileToolStripMenuItem);

        fileToolStripMenuItem.DropDownItems.AddRange(
            new ToolStripItem[] {
                saveAsToolStripMenuItem, toolStripSeparator1,
                pageSetupToolStripMenuItem, printToolStripMenuItem,
                printPreviewToolStripMenuItem, toolStripSeparator2,
                propertiesToolStripMenuItem, exitToolStripMenuItem
            });

        fileToolStripMenuItem.Text = "&File";
        saveAsToolStripMenuItem.Text = "Save &As...";
        pageSetupToolStripMenuItem.Text = "Page Set&up...";
        printToolStripMenuItem.Text = "&Print...";
        printPreviewToolStripMenuItem.Text = "Print Pre&view...";
        propertiesToolStripMenuItem.Text = "Properties";
        exitToolStripMenuItem.Text = "E&xit";

        printToolStripMenuItem.ShortcutKeys = Keys.Control | Keys.P;

        saveAsToolStripMenuItem.Click +=
            new System.EventHandler(saveAsToolStripMenuItem_Click);
        pageSetupToolStripMenuItem.Click +=
            new System.EventHandler(pageSetupToolStripMenuItem_Click);
        printToolStripMenuItem.Click +=
            new System.EventHandler(printToolStripMenuItem_Click);
        printPreviewToolStripMenuItem.Click +=
            new System.EventHandler(printPreviewToolStripMenuItem_Click);
        propertiesToolStripMenuItem.Click +=
            new System.EventHandler(propertiesToolStripMenuItem_Click);
        exitToolStripMenuItem.Click +=
            new System.EventHandler(exitToolStripMenuItem_Click);

        toolStrip1.Items.AddRange(new ToolStripItem[] {
            goButton, backButton, forwardButton, stopButton,
            refreshButton, homeButton, searchButton, printButton});

        goButton.Text = "Go";
        backButton.Text = "Back";
        forwardButton.Text = "Forward";
        stopButton.Text = "Stop";
        refreshButton.Text = "Refresh";
        homeButton.Text = "Home";
        searchButton.Text = "Search";
        printButton.Text = "Print";

        backButton.Enabled = false;
        forwardButton.Enabled = false;

        goButton.Click += new System.EventHandler(goButton_Click);
        backButton.Click += new System.EventHandler(backButton_Click);
        forwardButton.Click += new System.EventHandler(forwardButton_Click);
        stopButton.Click += new System.EventHandler(stopButton_Click);
        refreshButton.Click += new System.EventHandler(refreshButton_Click);
        homeButton.Click += new System.EventHandler(homeButton_Click);
        searchButton.Click += new System.EventHandler(searchButton_Click);
        printButton.Click += new System.EventHandler(printButton_Click);

        toolStrip2.Items.Add(toolStripTextBox1);
        toolStripTextBox1.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(250, 25);
        toolStripTextBox1.KeyDown +=
            new KeyEventHandler(toolStripTextBox1_KeyDown);
        toolStripTextBox1.Click +=
            new System.EventHandler(toolStripTextBox1_Click);

        statusStrip1.Items.Add(toolStripStatusLabel1);

        webBrowser1.Dock = DockStyle.Fill;
        webBrowser1.Navigated +=
            new WebBrowserNavigatedEventHandler(webBrowser1_Navigated);

        Controls.AddRange(new Control[] {
            webBrowser1, toolStrip2, toolStrip1,
            menuStrip1, statusStrip1, menuStrip1 });
    }

    [STAThread]
    static void Main()
    {
        Application.EnableVisualStyles();
        Application.Run(new Form1());
    }
}

Compile the code

This example requires:

  • References to the System, System.Drawing, and System.Windows.Forms assemblies.

See also