WebBrowser Control for Visual Basic 6.0 Users
The WebBrowser control in Visual Basic 6.0 is replaced by the Windows Forms WebBrowser control in Visual Basic 2008. The names of some properties, methods, events, and constants are different, and in some cases there are differences in behavior.
Conceptual Differences
The Visual Basic 6.0 WebBrowser control, also known as the Microsoft Internet Controls or Shdocvw.dll, is an ActiveX control that allows you to host Internet Explorer inside your application.
The Visual Basic 2008 WebBrowser control provides a managed wrapper for the WebBrowser ActiveX control. This lets you display Web pages in your Windows Forms client applications. You can use the WebBrowser control to duplicate Internet Explorer Web browsing functionality in your application, or you can disable default Internet Explorer functionality and use the control as a simple HTML document viewer. You can also use the control to add DHTML-based user-interface elements to your form and hide the fact that they are hosted in the WebBrowser control. This approach lets you seamlessly combine Web controls with Windows Forms controls in a single application.
Internet Explorer Object
The Visual Basic 6.0 Microsoft Internet Controls consist of two components: the WebBrowser control and an Internet Explorer object that allows you to control an instance of Internet Explorer through OLE Automation.
There is no equivalent for the Internet Explorer object in Visual Basic 2008, and its related properties, methods, and events no longer exist. OLE Automation is no longer supported; you can control an external instance of Internet Explorer using a scripting language such as VBScript.
Document Property
In Visual Basic 6.0, the Document property returns a string containing the name of an HTML document; in Visual Basic 2008, it returns the HTML document itself.
Refresh, Refresh2 Methods
The Visual Basic 6.0 Refresh2 method takes a parameter specifying the refresh level; the Visual Basic 2008 Refresh method has an optional parameter that can be used to specify the refresh level.
WebBrowser Control Property, Method, and Event Equivalencies
The following tables list Visual Basic 6.0 properties, methods, and events, along with their Visual Basic 2008 equivalents. Those properties, methods, and events that have the same name and behavior are not listed. All Visual Basic 2008 enumerations map to the System.Windows.Forms namespace unless otherwise noted.
This table provides links to topics explaining behavior differences. Where there is no direct equivalent in Visual Basic 2008, links are provided to topics that present alternatives.
Properties
Visual Basic 6.0 |
Visual Basic 2005 Equivalent |
|---|---|
AddressBar |
New implementation. This was a property of the Internet Explorer object. |
Application |
New implementation. This was a property of the Internet Explorer object. |
Busy |
|
Container |
|
Document |
.gif "Note") Note:
In Visual Basic 6.0, the Document property returns a string containing the name of an HTML document; in Visual Basic 2008, it returns the HTML document itself.
|
DragIcon DragMode |
New implementation. For more information, see Drag and Drop for Visual Basic 6.0 Users. |
FullName |
New implementation. This was a property of the Internet Explorer object. |
Height |
Note:
Coordinates are handled differently in Visual Basic 2008. For more information, see Coordinate System for Visual Basic 6.0 Users.
|
HelpContextID |
New implementation. For more information, see Help Support for Visual Basic 6.0 Users. |
HWnd |
|
Index |
New implementation. For more information, see Control Arrays for Visual Basic 6.0 Users. |
Left |
Note:
Coordinates are handled differently in Visual Basic 2008. For more information, see Coordinate System for Visual Basic 6.0 Users.
|
LocationName LocationURL |
New implementation. This was a property of the Internet Explorer object. |
MenuBar |
New implementation. This was a property of the Internet Explorer object. |
Offline |
|
Parent |
FindForm method |
Path |
New implementation. This was a property of the Internet Explorer object. |
RegisterAsBrowser |
New implementation. This was a property of the Internet Explorer object. |
RegisterAsDropTarget |
|
Resizable |
New implementation. This was a property of the Internet Explorer object. |
Silent |
|
StatusBar StatusText |
New implementation. This was a property of the Internet Explorer object. |
TheaterMode |
New implementation. This was a property of the Internet Explorer object. |
ToolBar |
New implementation. This was a property of the Internet Explorer object. |
ToolTipText |
ToolTip component. For more information, see ToolTip Support for Visual Basic 6.0 Users. |
Top |
Note:
Coordinates are handled differently in Visual Basic 2008. For more information, see Coordinate System for Visual Basic 6.0 Users.
|
TopLevelContainer |
New implementation. This was a property of the Internet Explorer object. |
Type |
|
WhatsThisHelpID |
New implementation. For more information, see Help Support for Visual Basic 6.0 Users. |
Width |
Note:
Coordinates are handled differently in Visual Basic 2008. For more information, see Coordinate System for Visual Basic 6.0 Users.
|
Methods
Visual Basic 6.0 |
Visual Basic 2005 Equivalent |
|---|---|
ClientToWindow |
|
Drag |
New implementation. For more information, see Drag and Drop for Visual Basic 6.0 Users. |
ExecWB |
New implementation. This was a method of the Internet Explorer object. |
GetProperty |
New implementation. This was a method of the Internet Explorer object. |
Move |
Note:
Coordinates are handled differently in Visual Basic 2008. For more information, see Coordinate System for Visual Basic 6.0 Users.
|
Navigate2 |
New implementation. This was a method of the Internet Explorer object. |
OLEDrag |
New implementation. For more information, see Drag and Drop for Visual Basic 6.0 Users. |
PutProperty |
New implementation. This was a method of the Internet Explorer object. |
QueryStatusWB |
New implementation. This was a method of the Internet Explorer object. |
Quit |
New implementation. This was a method of the Internet Explorer object. |
Refresh Refresh2 |
Note:
The Visual Basic 6.0 Refresh2 method took a parameter specifying the refresh level; the Visual Basic 2008 Refresh method has an optional parameter that can be used to specify the refresh level.
|
SetFocus |
|
ShowBrowserBar |
New implementation. This was a method of the Internet Explorer object. |
ShowWhatsThis |
New implementation. For more information, see Help Support for Visual Basic 6.0 Users. |
ZOrder |
BringToFront or SendToBack function |
Events
Visual Basic 6.0 |
Visual Basic 2005 Equivalent |
|---|---|
BeforeNavigate BeforeNavigate2 |
|
ClientToHostWindow |
New implementation. This was an event of the Internet Explorer object. |
CommandStateChanged |
|
DblClick |
|
DocumentComplete DownloadBegin DownloadComplete |
|
DragDrop DragOver |
New implementation. For more information, see Drag and Drop for Visual Basic 6.0 Users. |
GotFocus |
|
LostFocus |
|
NavigateComplete NavigateComplete2 |
|
NavigateError |
New implementation. This was an event of the Internet Explorer object. |
NewWindow NewWindow2 NewWindow3 |
|
OnFullScreen OnMenuBar OnQuit OnStatusBar OnTheaterMode OnToolBar OnVisible |
New implementation. This was an event of the Internet Explorer object. |
PrintTemplateInstantiation PrintTemplateTearDown PrivacyImpactedStateChange |
New implementation. This was an event of the Internet Explorer object. |
ProgressChange |
|
PropertyChange |
New implementation. This was an event of the Internet Explorer object. |
SetSecureLockIcon |
|
StatusTextChange |
|
TitleChange |
|
UpdatePageStatus |
New implementation. This was an event of the Internet Explorer object. |
Validate |
|
WindowClosing WindowSetHeight WindowSetLeft WindowSetResizable WindowSetTop WindowSetWidth |
New implementation. This was an event of the Internet Explorer object. |
Upgrade Notes
When a Visual Basic 6.0 application is upgraded to Visual Basic 2008, any WebBrowser controls are upgraded to Windows Forms WebBrowser controls, and properties, methods and events are upgraded to their equivalents. Where there may be differences in behavior, upgrade comments are inserted into the code.
See Also
Tasks
How to: Use the WebBrowser Control in the .NET Compact Framework