IWebBrowser2 interface

Article
05/02/2017

Exposes methods that are implemented by the WebBrowser control (Microsoft ActiveX control) or implemented by an instance of the InternetExplorer application (OLE Automation). For the Microsoft .NET Framework version of this control, see WebBrowser Control (Windows Forms).

Members

The IWebBrowser2 interface inherits from the IDispatch interface. IWebBrowser2 also has these types of members:

Methods
Properties

Methods

The IWebBrowser2 interface has these methods.

Method	Description
IWebBrowser2::ClientToWindow	Computes the full size of the browser window when given the specified width and height of the content area.
IWebBrowser2::ExecWB	Executes a command and returns the status of the command execution using the IOleCommandTarget interface.
IWebBrowser2::GetProperty	Gets the value associated with a user-defined property name.
IWebBrowser2::GoBack	Navigates backward one item in the history list.
IWebBrowser2::GoForward	Navigates forward one item in the history list.
IWebBrowser2::GoHome	Navigates to the current home or start page.
IWebBrowser2::GoSearch	Navigates to the current search page.
IWebBrowser2::Navigate	Navigates to a resource identified by a URL or to a file identified by a full path.
IWebBrowser2::Navigate2	Navigates the browser to a location that might not be expressed as a URL, such as a PIDL for an entity in the Windows Shell namespace.
IWebBrowser2::PutProperty	Associates a user-defined name/value pair with the object.
IWebBrowser2::QueryStatusWB	Queries the object for the status of commands using the IOleCommandTarget::QueryStatus method.
IWebBrowser2::Quit	Closes the object.
IWebBrowser2::Refresh	Reloads the file that is currently displayed in the object.
IWebBrowser2::Refresh2	Reloads the file that is currently displayed with the specified refresh level.
IWebBrowser2::ShowBrowserBar	Shows or hides a specified browser bar.
IWebBrowser2::Stop	Cancels a pending navigation or download, and stops dynamic page elements, such as background sounds and animations.

Properties

The IWebBrowser2 interface has these properties.

Property	Access type	Description
IWebBrowser2::AddressBar	Read/write	Sets or gets a value that indicates whether the address bar of the object is visible or hidden.
IWebBrowser2::FullScreen	Read/write	Sets or gets a value that indicates whether Internet Explorer is in full-screen mode or normal window mode.
IWebBrowser2::get_Application	Read-only	Gets the automation object for the application that is hosting the WebBrowser Control.
IWebBrowser2::get_Busy	Read-only	Gets a value that indicates whether the object is engaged in a navigation or downloading operation.
IWebBrowser2::get_Container	Read-only	Gets an object reference to a container.
IWebBrowser2::get_Document	Read-only	Gets the automation object of the active document, if any.
IWebBrowser2::get_FullName	Read-only	Retrieves the fully qualified path of the Internet Explorer executable.
IWebBrowser2::get_LocationName	Read-only	Retrieves the path or title of the resource that is currently displayed.
IWebBrowser2::get_LocationURL	Read-only	Gets the URL of the resource that is currently displayed.
IWebBrowser2::get_Name	Read-only	Retrieves the frame name or application name of the object.
IWebBrowser2::get_Parent	Read-only	Gets the parent of the object.
IWebBrowser2::get_Path	Read-only	Retrieves the system folder of the Internet Explorer executable.
IWebBrowser2::get_ReadyState	Read-only	Gets the ready state of the object.
IWebBrowser2::get_RegisterAsBrowser	Read/write	Sets or gets a value that indicates whether the object is registered as a top-level browser window.
IWebBrowser2::get_TopLevelContainer	Read-only	Gets a value that indicates whether the object is a top-level container.
IWebBrowser2::get_Type	Read-only	Gets the user type name of the contained document object.
IWebBrowser2::Height	Read/write	Sets or gets the height of the object.
IWebBrowser2::HWND	Read-only	Gets the handle of the Internet Explorer main window.
IWebBrowser2::Left	Read/write	Sets or gets the coordinate of the left edge of the object.
IWebBrowser2::MenuBar	Read/write	Sets or gets a value that indicates whether the Internet Explorer menu bar is visible.
IWebBrowser2::Offline	Read/write	Sets or gets a value that indicates whether the object is operating in offline mode.
IWebBrowser2::RegisterAsDropTarget	Read/write	Sets or gets a value that indicates whether the object is registered as a drop target for navigation.
IWebBrowser2::Resizable	Read/write	Sets or gets a value that indicates whether the object can be resized.
IWebBrowser2::Silent	Read/write	Sets or gets a value that indicates whether the object can display dialog boxes.
IWebBrowser2::StatusBar	Read/write	Sets or gets a value that indicates whether the status bar for the object is visible.
IWebBrowser2::StatusText	Read/write	Sets or gets the text in the status bar for the object.
IWebBrowser2::TheaterMode	Read/write	Sets or gets whether the object is in theater mode.
IWebBrowser2::ToolBar	Read/write	Sets or gets whether toolbars for the object are visible.
IWebBrowser2::Top	Read/write	Sets or gets the coordinate of the top edge of the object.
IWebBrowser2::Visible	Read/write	Sets or gets a value that indicates whether the object is visible or hidden.
IWebBrowser2::Width	Read/write	Sets or gets the width of the object.

Remarks

Many of these methods apply only to the InternetExplorer application, such as the ClientToWindow method and the ShowBrowserBar method. The WebBrowser control either returns an error for those methods that it does not implement, or stores the input value but otherwise ignores it.

The IWebBrowser2 interface derives from IDispatch indirectly; that is, IWebBrowser2 derives from IWebBrowserApp, which in turn derives from IWebBrowser, which finally derives from IDispatch.

Note The IWebBrowser and IWebBrowserApp interfaces are deprecated.

The following code demonstrates how to launch Internet Explorer from within a host application. When the InternetExplorer object is first created, the application window is hidden. You must set IWebBrowser2::Visible to VARIANT_TRUE to display the application. Also, because the OLE Automation server launches Internet Explorer as a separate application, the host must call the IWebBrowser2::Quit method to close Internet Explorer, if necessary. In this example, the browser continues running after the function exits if the navigation is successful.

if (SUCCEEDED(OleInitialize(NULL)))
{
   IWebBrowser2*    pBrowser2;

   CoCreateInstance(CLSID_InternetExplorer, NULL, CLSCTX_LOCAL_SERVER, 
                       IID_IWebBrowser2, (void**)&pBrowser2);
   if (pBrowser2)
   {
       VARIANT vEmpty;
       VariantInit(&vEmpty);

       BSTR bstrURL = SysAllocString(L"https://microsoft.com");

       HRESULT hr = pBrowser2->Navigate(bstrURL, &vEmpty, &vEmpty, &vEmpty, &vEmpty);
       if (SUCCEEDED(hr))
       {
           pBrowser2->put_Visible(VARIANT_TRUE);
       }
       else
       {
           pBrowser2->Quit();
       }

       SysFreeString(bstrURL);
       pBrowser2->Release();
   }

   OleUninitialize();
}

Alternatively, the Internet Explorer application can create a new window (similar to window.open) by passing the navOpenInNewWindow flag. In this case, it is necessary to call IWebBrowser2::Quit to properly close the hidden browser window. This method allows you to open several browser windows at one time; however, because no interface reference is returned, there is no immediate way to further navigate or control the new instances of Internet Explorer.

CoCreateInstance(CLSID_InternetExplorer, NULL, CLSCTX_LOCAL_SERVER, 
                   IID_IWebBrowser2, (void**)&pBrowser2);
if (pBrowser2)
{
    VARIANT vEmpty;
    VariantInit(&vEmpty);

    VARIANT vFlags;
    V_VT(&vFlags) = VT_I4;
    V_I4(&vFlags) = navOpenInNewWindow;
    
    BSTR bstrURL = SysAllocString(L"https://microsoft.com");

    pBrowser2->Navigate(bstrURL, &vFlags, &vEmpty, &vEmpty, &vEmpty);
    pBrowser2->Quit();

    SysFreeString(bstrURL);
    pBrowser2->Release();
}

Note Windows Internet Explorer 7 and later. It is not possible to use CoCreateInstance to open an instance of Internet Explorer as a new tab in an existing window. In general, the ShellExecute function is the preferred way to open links because it respects the user preferences both with regard to default browser and expected tab behavior.

Requirements

Minimum supported client	Windows XP
Minimum supported server	Windows 2000 Server
Header	Exdisp.h
DLL	Shdocvw.dll

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