HTMLViewer : use "Edge" (Project Spartan?)

Targets Windows
1

IE 10 is shipping with a new browser http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/preview-microsoft-edge-pc

I wonder if there’s a way to have HTMLViewers use this as the rendering engine instead of defaulting to IE (Internet Explorer)?

2

[quote=190854:@Michael Diehr]IE 10 is shipping with a new browser http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/preview-microsoft-edge-pc

I wonder if there’s a way to have HTMLViewers use this as the rendering engine instead of defaulting to IE (Internet Explorer)?[/quote]

For the moment, details are still sketchy. It seems Active X will not be part of Edge http://www.techtimes.com/articles/51567/20150510/microsoft-removes-activex-in-windows-10-default-browser-edge.htm

According to most analysis, Edge still uses the same rendering engine as IE, but with a more up to date work on new technologies.

I doubt Xojo will use Edge instead of IE soon, as it will only be present in Windows 10, and even if XP is dropped soon, it will still be necessary to support 7, 8 and 8.1.

3

Xojo uses the ActiveX WebBrowser control to provide the htmlviewer.

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa752127(v=vs.85).aspx

it depends on Microsoft to either allow this control with new engine or offer a replacement.
Or Xojo someday uses Chromium only there.

4

I’ve submitted a Feature Request : <https://xojo.com/issue/39541>

5

Christian : if Microsoft does allow this but Xojo decides not to : is this something you could implement as part of MBS plugins?

6

let us wait for a Windows 10 SDK, so Xojo Inc. can check it

7

If Edge is not available as Active X, it will not be possible to implement for Xojo the way it works now.

As Christian so rightfully says, pending a true SDK for Windows 10, it is difficult to know what will be possible.

One thing, though : Edge seems to be a Modern API app. It is not an app that lives in Program Files. That may make things even more difficult.

8

Would using WebKit work for you? http://documentation.xojo.com/index.php/HTMLViewer.Renderer

9

Webkit as internal browser has one showstopper: it works in a kinda sandbox with no cookies… or do I miss something?

10

Well, technically I could add plugin methods for cookies.
e.g. to list, delete or create them.

11

It’s a good solution for many, just not for me (as it adds a big 20MB+ library to the app).

12

Have you tried to take the native renderer out of its compatibility mode ?
https://forum.xojo.com/21584-webbrowser-msie-version-setting/p1#p180142

13

[quote=191238:@Michel Bujardet]Have you tried to take the native renderer out of its compatibility mode ?
[/quote]

Yep, been doing this since 2011! http://www.realsoftwareblog.com/2011/01/changing-htmlviewer-rendering-mode-on.html

IE11 mode is pretty good in terms of behaving “normally” with HTML5/CSS/JavaScript. But I suspect that Spartan/Edge would be even more compliant.

14

[quote=191273:@Michael Diehr]Yep, been doing this since 2011! http://www.realsoftwareblog.com/2011/01/changing-htmlviewer-rendering-mode-on.html

IE11 mode is pretty good in terms of behaving “normally” with HTML5/CSS/JavaScript. But I suspect that Spartan/Edge would be even more compliant.[/quote]

From what I see, Edge is apparently better with Xojo Web apps. But it is obvious it is using the same core rendering engine. Some of the bugs I compensate from within RubberViewsWE when displayed in IE are exactly the same.