qbd software:moth:qweb - Using the Web Browser component, MSHTML Editing and the DHTML Edit Component in Visual Basic


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qWeb

Using the WebBrowser, MSHTML Editing and DHTMLEdit Component

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10 Dec 2001

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Introduction

qWeb explores some of the possibilities for using HTML/DHTML in Visual Basic and looks at ways of using MSHTML Editing, the WebBrowser control and the DHTMLEdit control.

I was going to exclude information about DHTMLEdit because Microsoft are phasing it out (see below). The demand for information about using this control has lead me to change my mind and expand qWeb to include information specifically for DHTMLEdit.

MSHTML Editing / DHTMLEdit

The HTML Edit section explores the differences and issues between the DHTMLEdit control and MSHTML Editing and how to expand and use both forms of HTML Editing.

With IE4 Microsoft introduced the DHTMLEdit component (dhtmled.ocx). It allowed the developer to add a powerful and flexible WYSIWYG HTML editor to their applications. Microsoft did provide some documentation which can now be found in the MSDN Archives.

With Internet Explorer 5.5, Microsoft introduced MSHTML Editing as a replacement for the DHTMLEdit control. Microsoft no longer intend to support DHTMLEdit and say it was a wrapper class for MSHTML editing - see What Ever Happened to the DHTML Edit Control (Listed in Contents) and The DHTML Edit Control (Listed in Contents).

For more information about DHTMLEdit and MSHTML Editing, see the qWeb Editing page.

The WebBrowser Component

The obvious use for the WebBrowser control is to add web browsing capabilities to Visual Basic applications. There are many examples available in the VB community. Microsoft actively encourage reusing web browser technology not only for adding browsers to applications but also as a simple way to provide dynamic user interfaces. Microsoft Money and Outlook are two examples that Microsoft give themselves as embracing this.

The qWeb Browser control page explores reusing web technology to provide interactive web-based interfaces.