Displaying HTML

[Ketil Krumm]

Does anybody have any bright ideas on how to display HTML from PB6?

What I currently do is put the HTML as binary data (RC_DATA) in a resource file. When I need to display it I retrieve the resource, write an .HTM file in the Temp directory and use ShellExecute() to open it. While it works great I'm not quite happy with it - I'd love to have more of a controlled environment than the full default browser. Something like IE's theatre mode would be great, but that would require me to detect the browser installed and knowing the capabilities of each possible one. Ugly...

I discovered that there is an HTML resource type, and searched MSDN on how to use it. The article I found (C-related) said to use ShowHTMLDialog() to display it, but the definitions etc were way too C for me.

Anybody have any clues on how to call SHowHTMLDialog() (or another way of accomplishing the same) from PB6?

Ketil


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[Gregery D Engle]

http://www.jazzagesoft.com/
they have a product that allows you to use OCX(ActiveX) files in
PB/DLL 6.0 and you can simply use the IE Web Componet that is
available for Visual Basic and Visual C++

http://www.zapsolution.com
They offer ability to use Skin Technology within your PB/DLL
application and if you download the "Universal Browser" demo
it will demonstrate Jazzagesoft's technology by displaying
an HTML page and it was written in PB/DLL.

These are seperate products but both are very cool addition if
your wanting to make nice visual applications and use COM/ActiveX
componets within your PB/DLL app.

Hope that helps



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-Greg

[Ketil Krumm]

Gregery,

Thanks for your input! Looks like a really nice solution, except for one major catch: There are several reasons why I'm writing everything I can in PB now, and haven't touched VB for quite some time. One of them is distribution - no extra files, no dependancies (except for OS files, of course) AND NO DLL HELL!

Like most VB programmers I've had my share of the DLL issues. A lot of the programs I write now are small utility-type programs, or at least very specialized ones. My clients often put them up on web sites for their customers to download for free, and so far there hasn't been a single call for installation support for any of them! This is imperative as my clients carry the cost of developing the program (as the end user gets it for free), and they certainly don't want support calls for it! Imagine what would happen to that track record if I started using OCXs again... Not to mention the increase in download size, since all of my apps would then suddenly require an installer...

Now it's just the exe, and I'd like to keep it that way. Using standard OS files and libraries is fine, but no additional OCXs, DLLs etc. I even considered using a Rich Edit control to display rich text help, and discarded the idea for this very reason.

Is it at all possible?? If not I'd rather stick to using the default browser as I do now than create a solution that goes BLOAT! again ) After all, it's just the help files, not the app itself that needs this functionality.

Thanks,
Ketil


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[This message has been edited by Ketil Krumm (edited July 30, 2000).]

[Edwin Knoppert]

Internet = DLL hell!

There's a 'HTMLBOOK' control on the internet (somewhere)
A control wich handles HTML too.



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[email protected]

[Ketil Krumm]

Edwin,

Thanks, but then we're back into OCXs again.

I guess I'll just stick to what I'm doing now. My reason for wanting another solution is purely cosmetic, and it just isn't worth it.

Ketil

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[This message has been edited by Ketil Krumm (edited July 30, 2000).]

[Gregery D Engle]

Ketil,

I remember a long time ago there was an application that compiled
HTML files into EXE files. I can't remember the name, I'll look
it up but in that case all you would have to do is just shell
to the .EXE filename. Let me know if you want the info.

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-Greg

[Paul Noble]

Hi Ketil,


I too have been looking for such a control to use with PBDLL6, and this is what I have found to date.
All praise or criticism is of course my impressions & not necessarily fact, etc etc


Dll controls

* QHTM from http://www.gipsysoft.com ; fast, small (238KB), but currently limited. Withdrawn for the moment, and
being re-worked by the author Russ Freeman. This is currently my favourite option.

* Artemis from http://www.cicerosoft.com ; half-English/half-German samples & documentation, many
dependencies, royalties (though they're not huge). Slow control, but seems to render well. Their sibling
HTML edit control was truly dreadful - it just didn't work.


ActiveX controls

* Artemis from http://www.cicerosoft.com (wrapper for their dll control)

* FASTNET HTML control from NetMasters http://www.netmastersllc.com/home/ ; end-of-line (closed) product
they purchased from netmanage.com. Many dependencies, which appear to include the VB4 runtime (!).
I think it says on their web site that this control is being re-worked.

* Namo Web Editor ActiveX control from http://www.namo.com/. Just released ; very buggy. Still beta
quality IMHO.

* Microsoft's IE controls ; the requirement to have IE installed on the target system is in general
unacceptable to me


Delphi components

* NetMasters http://www.netmastersllc.com/home/ ; looks good, I just don't use Delphi

* http://www.pbear.com ; also sounds good


Others

* SubSystems, Inc http://www.subsystems.com/ have a dll text component which can use an
HTML add-on ; limited table display, questionable rendering.

* TX-Text control http://www.textcontrol.com can display HTML, but I found the rendering very dodgy.

* There were some moves in the Mozilla community last year to extract an HTML rendering control
from Netscape's plumbing - I don't know where that is now

* I e-mailed Opera http://www.opera.com to ask if they could/would make a rendering control
available, but no reply. Ho hum.


Paul



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[Ketil Krumm]

Gregery,

Yes, please! An HTML2EXE compiler does sound intriguing!

Paul,

Very comprehensive information. I'll take a peek at QHTM as soon as I can get my hands on it - that too is a viable solution since the DLL would be isolated from the system, just used by my app.

Thanks, both of you - much appreciated!!
Ketil


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[Gregery D Engle]

Ketil,

I think it is called Html Compiler if that helps you out at all.
I think its rather expensive, over 199.99 if I remember.

Thanks

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-Greg