How to operate the new Popup page (ChromiumHostControl)?

[OdinTemple]

Notice that in the Cefsharp.winforms.example, there're two AddTab methods, one for popup and the other for traditional new tab(e.g. click a link with pressing Shift key ). The previous one, handled a CefSharp.WinForms.Host.ChromiumHostControl object while the other one creates new ChromiumWebBrowser(). But only the ChromiumWebBrowser object can do a lot work, so How can I get the new popup page's internal browser reference for, for instance, run scripts, get source codes, etc.? I can't use ChromiumHostControl as ChromiumWebBrowser . In the example, the popup window can't read source code or zoom due to this.

[amaitland]

How can I get the new popup page's internal browser reference for, for instance, run scripts, get source codes, etc.?

Currently you'd have to extend LifeSpanHandler and override OnAfterCreated to get a reference to the IBrowser instance. You can get access to frames, browser host etc from there.

I can't use ChromiumHostControl as ChromiumWebBrowser

Correct. The popups use ChromiumHostControl directly as it's currently a simple parent container.

I've added some changes that will be in version 96.

• 129879c
• 6e9e4a9?diff=unified

Pull request with further enhancements would be welcome.

[OdinTemple]

@amaitland I use my method: to extend LifeSpanHandler as *myHandler* and overrided OnBeforePopup

            protected override bool OnBeforePopup(IWebBrowser chromiumWebBrowser, IBrowser browser, IFrame frame, string targetUrl, string targetFrameName, WindowOpenDisposition targetDisposition, bool userGesture, IPopupFeatures popupFeatures, IWindowInfo windowInfo, IBrowserSettings browserSettings, ref bool noJavascriptAccess, out IWebBrowser newBrowser)
            {
           
            newBrowser = (ChromiumWebBrowser)chromium2;
            
            if (onPopupCreated == null)
            {
                return false;
            }

            var webBrowser = (ChromiumWebBrowser)chromium2;

            //We need to execute sync here so IWindowInfo.SetAsChild is called before we return false;
            webBrowser.InvokeSyncOnUiThreadIfRequired(new Action(() =>
            {
                var control = new ChromiumHostControl
                {
                    Dock = DockStyle.Fill
                };
                control.CreateControl();

                onPopupCreated?.Invoke(control, targetUrl);

                var rect = control.ClientRectangle;

                var windowBounds = new CefSharp.Structs.Rect(rect.X, rect.Y, rect.Width, rect.Height);

                windowInfo.SetAsChild(control.Handle, windowBounds);
            }));

            //here, I can get the reference, but it is still created by myself, not naturally
            pop = webBrowser;
            return false;
        }

This is how I initialized chromium2:

        chromium2 = new ChromiumWebBrowser("");
        chromium2.CreateControl();
        panel1.Controls.Add(chromium2);
        chromium2.Dock = DockStyle.Fill;
        chromium2.Load("about:blank");
        chromium2.Focus();

       
        var handler = new myHandler();
        handler.OnPopupCreated((ctrl, targetUrl) =>
        {
            //Don't try using ctrl.FindForm() here as
            //the control hasn't been attached to a parent yet.
            ctrl.Dock = DockStyle.Fill;
            ctrl.SuspendLayout();
            panel1.Controls.Clear();
            panel1.Controls.Add(ctrl);
            ctrl.ResumeLayout(true);
            tabControl1.SelectedIndex = 1;
        })
        .OnPopupDestroyed((ctrl, popupBrowser) =>
        {
            if (!ctrl.IsDisposed && ctrl.IsHandleCreated)
            {
                ctrl.Dispose();
            }
        });
        Global.browser.LifeSpanHandler = handler;
        Global.browser.LifeSpanHandler = new  LifeSpanHandler();
        tabPage1.Controls.Add(Global.browser);
        Global.browser.Dock = DockStyle.Fill;
        Global.browser.Load(url);`

I trid many many combinations and it seems to be the only way that I can open the popup in the second tabpage and can refer to it via the ChromiumWebBrowser variable pop, but, all these seems strange..So I am not sure If I have done it correctly or not?

And, one more question, I read the sourceCode, I still can't find the connection between chromium2 and ChromiumHostControl?

[amaitland]

You can test out the latest 96-pre release see #3902 (comment)

ChromiumWebBrowser variable pop, but, all these seems strange..So I am not sure If I have done it correctly or not?

This option is experimental and should only be used in WPF.

You don't need a ChromiumWebBrowser instance for your popup, you just need to get the IBrowser instance which is accessible in 96-pre. See 6e9e4a9?diff=unified#diff-5ce832ad0887b4ba2a2fb5a8d34fe775f48b4ccd137d6031f3dcde9cb5e7339b

And, one more question, I read the sourceCode, I still can't find the connection between chromium2 and ChromiumHostControl?

What do you mean?

[OdinTemple]

you just need to get the IBrowser instance which is accessible in 96-pre

but IBrowser is not usable for any operation, isn't it?Which IWebBrowser does. Actually I don't even know what I can do with IBrowser. IBrowser only has some properties like isPopup/canGoBack..it doesn't have methods. Did you change it?
I am sorry that I don't know how to build the pre-version and I don't know how to develop WPF for now, I only know install it via nuget so I guess I couldn't test it for now..

And, one more question, I read the sourceCode, I still can't find the connection between chromium2 and ChromiumHostControl?

I meant, for instance, there is a ChromiumWebBrowser object and a ChromiumHostControl object connected, and I don't know what does this ChromiumHostControl is connected to the brwoser, like, if there's a private field of the ChromiumHostControl that refers to a chromium webBrowser or IWebBrowser. As you see this method:

            webBrowser.InvokeSyncOnUiThreadIfRequired(new Action(() =>
            {
            var control = new ChromiumHostControl
            {
                Dock = DockStyle.Fill
            };
            control.CreateControl();

            onPopupCreated?.Invoke(control, targetUrl);

            var rect = control.ClientRectangle;

            var windowBounds = new CefSharp.Structs.Rect(rect.X, rect.Y, rect.Width, rect.Height);

            windowInfo.SetAsChild(control.Handle, windowBounds);
        }));

It looks like that I created a solitary ChromiumHostControl object and it just suddenly related to the webBrowser.

[amaitland]

but IBrowser is not usable for any operation, isn't it?

Pretty much everything is just an extension method based on IBrowser. View source, execute javascript, they're all done using IBrowser interface. Lots of common actions are actually extension methods see https://github.com/cefsharp/CefSharp/blob/cefsharp/96/CefSharp/WebBrowserExtensions.cs

I am sorry that I don't know how to build the pre-version

If you looked a littler closer at #3902 (comment) you'd see the -pre release is available on Nuget.org

like, if there's a private field of the ChromiumHostControl that refers to a chromium webBrowser or IWebBrowser

Doesn't really work that way.

In 96.0.142 I've made some additional improvements in commit a152b2e

ChromiumHostControl now shares a base interface with ChromiumWebBrowser called IChromiumWebBrowserBase which allows you to perform common operations. The WinForms example has also been updated so opening a popup in a tab will register basic events see https://github.com/cefsharp/CefSharp/blob/cefsharp/96/CefSharp.WinForms.Example/BrowserTabUserControl.cs#L35

[MeDeliog]

Hello, is there a way for the newly created ChromiumHostControl to have a corresponding JavascriptObjectRepository.ResolveObject ?
I'm using a new Windows Form with a ChromiumHostControl as a popup (not as a tab).

[amaitland]

is there a way for the newly created ChromiumHostControl to have a corresponding JavascriptObjectRepository.ResolveObject ?

Not currently. Popups should still call JavascriptObjectRepository.ResolveObject for the parent ChromiumWebBrowser. You would need to use unique key for each object.