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Web Browser Components for Java?

Posted by Cliff on from the it's-all-about-the-components dept.

coonsta queries: "Being able to embed a Web browser is critical to the success of a platform (and the browser). High Stakes, No Prisoners argues this quite eloquently. Windows has an embeddable IE (and Mozilla to boot); Linux has Mozilla; wxWindows has wxHTML; etc. But what does Java have? I can forsake cross-platform support and embed IE, but that won't interact well with Swing; I can embed Mozilla, if Webclient is ever released in a usable form (and what about OS X?); I can use a JTextPane, and forget about nice-looking pages or script; I can Runtime.exec the browser and forget about being able to control it or interact with it; I can use CalPane and forget about JavaScript; or I can buy a component from Company X-dot-com, and subsequently price the software out of the market. Do any developers know if I can have my cake and eat it to? That is, does anybody know of a cheap, cross-platform Web browser component for Java with a reasonably modern feature set?"

21 comments

  1. Swing by ScroP · · Score: 1
    All the swing components support some version of the HTML standard. There isn't a full browser though.

    I think all that Swing is missing is a Javascript interpreter and CSS support. The CSS, and other similar web-feautres, can be added by creatnig a set of UI components that render CSS correctly (just like how the swing components now support plain HTML)

    i'm sure there is some pure java, java script interfepreter somewhere - but I don't think you'll find a way to have cross-platform plugins (like for flash, etc).

    --
    -- Eric
    1. Re:Swing by gnovos · · Score: 3, Insightful

      YUCK! Do NOT try and use Sun's HTML rendering swing components unless you don't need any more sophistication than can be provided in a slashdot comment. Once you go past bold, italics and font colors, you start seeing serious glitches in the rendering code. Like try putting INPUT tags inside of a TABLE... OUCH! IT will start placing ing INPUT tags randomly all over the screen.

      It was a nice idea, adding the HTML to the swing components, but unless they are going to actually do it right then it's useless.

      --
      "Your superior intellect is no match for our puny weapons!"
  2. Hot Java by ignatzMouse · · Score: 1

    Sun has been totally retarded in how they've handled their HotJava HTML Component. Guess they're worried about loosing browser marketshare to M$.

    --
    No artist tolerates reality. -- Nietzsche
  3. One of the great lost opportunities by fm6 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Sun made many mistakes during its big Java push. One of the biggest was their failure to implement a decent HTML viewer in Java. Instead they gave us HotJava. A classic Java app. Trivial to port to a new OS, but utterly useless once you got it there.

  4. I forgot by ScroP · · Score: 1

    There was a jazilla project a couple years ago. But it hasn't been active (at least not to my knowledge) for a while. And the people at javalobby were working on a whole java desktop project a while ago. They had a bunch of useful apps planned (object diagram tools, editors, etc) and I think a browser may have been one of them.

    --
    -- Eric
  5. Various Browser Components by jdevons · · Score: 2, Interesting

    You could use Sun's BasicHTML or IceSoft or many others...

    --
    I do everything the voices in my head tell me to...
  6. netbeans by flipper28 · · Score: 1

    Netbeans (Sun's open source java ide) uses the icebrowser and for the most part it's pretty good.

  7. here are some others... by flipper28 · · Score: 2, Informative

    Clue Browser
    HTMLArea Component

    1. Re:here are some others... by splante · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I just downloaded Clue from you link above, and now I'm posting this comment using Clue. The rendering actually looks pretty good, although there aren't a whole lot of functions on the menu bar.

    2. Re:here are some others... by CyberDong · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I think this page qualifies the Clue Browser as another Company X-dot-com product. If you're willing to go that route, then you can't ignore Espial's escape browser either...

  8. You already nailed it by The+Mayor · · Score: 2

    The best one I have found (really the only viable one...HotJava simply sucks) is the one from IceSoft. But you included a link to that in your message.

    It's got CSS, HTML v4.0, etc etc. It seems pretty decent, but truth be told I've only used it on a little pilot project I did a while back. I never actually purchased it--just used their demo license. It seemed reasonably OK.

    --
    --Be human.
    1. Re:You already nailed it by forgottengentleman · · Score: 1

      Does anyone know the pricing of the IceSoft browser? They seem determined to turn away business.

  9. Bridge2Java by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    IBM - AlphaWorks has provided a package that allows Windows COMM objects to be embeded into a java canvas object. Meaning you can map IE onto your canvas and interact with it. Yea, it's a Windows only solution, but supporting 90% of the systems in the world is better than supporting none.

  10. Rhino by atomray · · Score: 2, Informative

    There is a Java JavaScript interpreter. Netscape began the project and it is still available:

    http://www.mozilla.org/rhino/

    I have experimented with it, it works well. Enjoy

    --
    take your sig and shove it
  11. Java Web Start by splante · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    Java Web Start is a technology that combines the advantages of applets and applications. Web Start applications can be started via a browser, but do not run in the browser and can be run independently. It provides several services that allow the security of an applet with the power of an application.

    One service (the BasicService) provides access to the user's default browser.

    This is not exactly an "embedded browser" but it may be what you need.

  12. Write your own? by mini+me · · Score: 1

    You have a programming language there at your disposal!

    If you stick to the latest HTML specs it wouldn't be that difficult of a task. You could probably even use Java's XML parser to do a lot of the work. You can have a look at Konqueror and Mozilla for some ideas on how to handle things if you are unsure of what to do.

    Of course there is always Jazilla (Mozilla written in Java). I don't know how far along it is, but you could use it as a starting block at least.

  13. Applet? by MrBlack · · Score: 2

    Why not create an applet? that way you already have a web browser...

  14. Rhino Javascript API by David99 · · Score: 1

    Rhino contains a Javascript API for Java.

    --
    -- Welcome to nowhere fast / nothing here ever lasts.
  15. Two HTML components I found by SashaM · · Score: 1

    Here are 2 I tried, I liked WebWindow a bit more, but IceSoft's supports more features.

  16. Qt Alternatives by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There are java bindings for KDE which allow you to use KDE's widgets in java, and that should include konqueror. There are java bindings for Qt (look for qtawt on sourceforge) which allow you to use Qt's widgets, and there is an HTML widget in there somewhere.

    good luck