INFO: Properties Not Applicable to the WebBrowser Control

This articles describes those properties, methods, and events that appear on the IWebBrowser2 interface when hosting the WebBrowser control and that are not applicable when hosting the control.

The following properties, methods, and events appear on the IWebBrowser2 interface when hosting the WebBrowser control but are not applicable. Setting these properties and calling these methods results in inconsistent results. Similarly, the events listed are not raised.

Properties That Are Not Applicable

• AddressBar
• FullScreen
• MenuBar
• Resizble
• StatusBar
• StatusText
• TheaterMode
• ToolBar

Methods That Are Not Applicable

• ClientToWindow
• ShowBrowserBar
• GetProperty
• PutProperty
• Quit

Events That Are Not Applicable

• OnQuit
• OnFullScreen
• OnMenuBar
• OnTheaterMode
• OnStatusBar
• OnToolBar
• PropertyChange

The reason that these are not applicable is that they are designed to be used only when you are automating Internet Explorer. When your application is hosting the WebBrowser control, the above do not apply. But since the WebBrowser control and Automation share the same interface, IWebBrowser2, these properties appear for both.

For example, consider the Toolbar property, which applies only when Internet Explorer is running as a separate window and the toolbar is displayed. When automating Internet Explorer, you can use this property to display or hide the toolbar. There is no toolbar with the WebBrowser control. Your application, which is hosting the WebBrowser control, is responsible for creating its own toolbar. Therefore, the Toolbar property is ignored by the WebBrowser control.

The same is true for the FullScreen property. The WebBrowser control cannot appear in FullScreen mode. You can size the WebBrowser control to occupy the entire screen yourself, but you cannot use the FullScreen property.

The Quit method also does not apply to the WebBrowser control. You need to provide this functionality in your own application.

All of the above properties, methods, and events are available when you are automating Internet Explorer. Automation means that there is a separate instance of the Internet Explorer window open which is being controlled by your application. The WebBrowser control is actually hosted within a window of your own application.