Build a Web Browser in WPF and C#

In this article we will see how we can develop a Web Browser Like Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox etc.

First of all create a new WPF project and then Drag & Drop the "Web Browser" Control into your designer from Toolbox.

See image below:

 

After that take one textbox & three buttons.

The Textbox is used for entering the user's URL and three buttons are used for Go Back, Go & Go Forward Respectively.

Xaml Code :

 <Window x:Class="WPFWebControl.MainWindow"
        xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
        xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
        Title="My Web Browser" WindowState="Normal" Loaded="Window_Loaded" WindowStyle="ThreeDBorderWindow" mc:Ignorable="d" xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008" xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006" Height="529" Width="731">
    <Grid>
        <Button Content="&lt;&lt;" Height="23" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="10,5,0,0" Name="MyBack" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="25" ToolTip="Backword" Click="MyBack_Click" />
        <WebBrowser Height="445" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="10,33,0,0" Name="MyWebBrowser" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="687" LoadCompleted="MyWebBrowser_LoadCompleted" />
        <TextBox Height="23" Margin="103,5,12,0" Name="MyTextBox" VerticalAlignment="Top" />
        <Button Content="|&gt;" Height="23" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="41,5,0,0" Name="MyGo" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="25" ToolTip="Go" Click="MyGo_Click" />
        <Button Content="&gt;&gt;" Height="23" HorizontalAlignment="Right" Margin="0,5,612,0" Name="MyForward" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="25" ToolTip="Forward" Click="MyForward_Click" />
    </Grid>
</Window>

MyWebBrowser.Source = new Uri("http://www.c-sharpcorner.com");

Using the above code, it will load the given URL into your Web Browser Control, in that I take one constructor of Uri Class & in that pass the URl.

Here I used as default page for the web browser control, so when you open this application at that time it will load this URL everytime as default.

MyWebBrowser.GoBack();

For go backward just call it's predefined function.

MyWebBrowser.GoForward();

For go forward just call it's predefined function.

MyWebBrowser.Source = new Uri("http://" + MyTextBox.Text);

Using the above line, it will open a URL which will be passed by user into the textbox.

private void MyWebBrowser_LoadCompleted(object sender, NavigationEventArgs e)
{
MessageBox.Show("Completed.");
}

When Page load is completed it will display a messagebox as I written in code..but you can write your own logic…

Main Code :

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Windows;
using System.Windows.Controls;
using System.Windows.Data;
using System.Windows.Documents;
using System.Windows.Input;
using System.Windows.Media;
using System.Windows.Media.Imaging;
using System.Windows.Navigation;
using System.Windows.Shapes;
 
namespace WPFWebControl

{    /// <summary>
    /// Interaction logic for MainWindow.xaml
    /// </summary>
    public partial class MainWindow : Window
    {
        public MainWindow()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }
 
        private void Window_Loaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
        {
            try
            {
                //If You Want to define a defualt URI then you can define like below...
                MyWebBrowser.Source = new Uri("http://www.c-sharpcorner.com");
 
                //Otherwise for blank you can set it as like below...
                //MyWebBrowser.Source = new Uri("about:blank");
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                MessageBox.Show(ex.Message);
            }
        }
 
        private void MyBack_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
        {
            try
            {
                MyWebBrowser.GoBack();
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                MessageBox.Show(ex.Message);
            }
        }
 
        private void MyForward_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
        {
            try
            {
                MyWebBrowser.GoForward();
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                MessageBox.Show(ex.Message);
            }
        }
 
        private void MyGo_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
        {
            try
            {
                MyWebBrowser.Source = new Uri("http://" + MyTextBox.Text);
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                MessageBox.Show(ex.Message);
            }
        }

        private void MyWebBrowser_LoadCompleted(object sender, NavigationEventArgs e)
        {
            MessageBox.Show("Completed.");
        }
    }
}

See Below Images As Output :

Here it will also display Context Menu like other web browser when you Right Click...
 

When the page Load has been Completel then it will display a message. You can write your own logic instead.

 

The Three main buttons which are Back, Go & Forward...