INFO: Advantages of Hosting WebBrowser Control Instead of MSHTML

• Microsoft Internet Explorer (Programming), versions 4.0, 4.01
• Internet Client SDK, versions 4.0, 4.01

SUMMARY

Using the Internet Client SDK, an application can take advantage of the features of Internet Explorer 4.0 by hosting either the WebBrowser control or MSHTML. Both of these provide many features. However, the WebBrowser control offers a lot more functionality and is more appropriate for the vast majority of applications, where browsing or rich content viewing are the primary objectives. The purpose of this article is to show the advantages of hosting the WebBrowser control as opposed to hosting MSHTML.

MORE INFORMATION

There is currently only one scenario where it is recommended that an application host Mshtml.dll rather than the WebBrowser control: Parsing HTML. The WalkAll sample in the Internet Client SDK demonstrates how to host MSHTML. The WalkAll sample also shows how to host MSHTML without the UI.

By hosting the WebBrowser control rather than MSHTML, you get the following functionality for free:

• Inplace Hyperlinking. If you click a hyperlink, you navigate to the new document inplace rather than launch a new instance of Internet Explorer.
• The ability to control viewing of rated sites.
• Full support for security zoning.
• Navigation. Simple Navigation methods rather than IPersist* interfaces for loading a Web document.
• Full support of the window object from Dynamic HTML scripting.

REFERENCES

"Internet Tools and Technologies" under the "Reusing the WebBrowser Control and MSHTML" section in the Internet Client SDK online help: (http://www.microsoft.com/msdn/sdk/inetsdk/help/)