Web browser and custom Context menu strip -problems

Question

4.00/5 (2 votes)

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In a webControl, when the mouse cursor is "Hand" (usually over links,images), I want a custom contextMenu to be on or off. I tried to make something but is not working [the ContextMenuStrip is always showing,when I right click]. Why is this happening?
here is the code:

C#

public Form1()
{
    InitializeComponent();
    //I already set this in properties - showing here for clarity
    webBrowser1.IsWebBrowserContextMenuEnabled = false;
    webBrowser1.ContextMenuStrip = contextMenuStrip1;
}
private void webBrowser1_DocumentCompleted(object sender, WebBrowserDocumentCompletedEventArgs e)
{
    if (this.Cursor == Cursors.Hand) contextMenuStrip1.Visible = true;
    else contextMenuStrip1.Visible = false;
}

I suppose I must create a new event for Cursor...but is not working either. I don't really know how to do it right. Im not expert in making events. I don't understand them fully.

C#

public Form1()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
            CursorChanged += new EventHandler(Form1_CursorChanged);
        }
void Form1_CursorChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
       {
            if (this.Cursor == Cursors.Hand) contextMenuStrip1.Visible = true;
            else contextMenuStrip1.Visible = false;
       }

---------------------
I see.At least can you write me what can I do?
Write a pseudocode or just describe what to do if its lot to do.
Thanks

Posted 6-Feb-12 23:43pm

_Q12_

Updated 7-Feb-12 10:37am

v13

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Comments

_Q12_ 7-Feb-12 6:26am

Thanks Slacker007 for reformulating. Much better now. ;) i have no idea that is possible, but I dont mind.

LanFanNinja 7-Feb-12 14:06pm

Check my solution.

LanFanNinja 7-Feb-12 14:17pm

If you have checked my solution before reading this comment check it again as I have made a small modification.

_Q12_ 7-Feb-12 14:26pm

the "webBrowser1.ContextMenuStrip = contextMenuStrip1;" was set in properties...Is working with both variants.

LanFanNinja 7-Feb-12 19:41pm

I have posted a new method(/// METHOD 2 ///) of doing this in my solution.

It is much simpler and does not seem to have the problems with Google search that the other method(/// METHOD 1 ///) has. However it has a problem! It does not work for images that are also links. :( And so far I have not found another solution that does.

Anyway I thought I would post it and maybe it will be of some use to you.

P.S. If I come up with a solution that does work for images that are also links I will post it.

LanFanNinja 8-Feb-12 13:29pm

I have posted my last and final method(/// METHOD 3 ///) of doing this for you in my solution below.

I feel like I have tried most everything and this is the only way I could get it to work with Google instant predictions, Images, etc.

With the little testing I have done it seems to work very well!

Let me know how it works out.

2 solutions

Solution 1

I think you'll find the web browser control is not going to send an event to your form when the icon changes. Also, if you don't really understand how events work, you should do some reading on that online. What's the purpose of a web browser control with your own right click menu ? I'd be surprised if that was possible, too, given that the browser has it's own right click menu.

Posted 7-Feb-12 7:04am

Christian Graus

Comments

_Q12_ 7-Feb-12 13:33pm

hy Christian
I already specify the: [webBrowser1.IsWebBrowserContextMenuEnabled = false;] because I don't like its default menu. I think that if my mouse over a link is changing, then it must be a way to catch its changing from Form1.
It is that hard, to do this?
Then I will rethink my needs, recustomize the interface, etc.

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LanFanNinja · Accepted Answer · 2012-02-07T08:05:00

Solution 2

Check this out it will do what you are wanting to do. I cannot guarantee this code in anyway though because I have never done this before. I just came up with this messing around. :) Let me know if it works for you.

/// METHOD 3 ///
Here is my last and final method I could come up with for doing this.
For the little testing I done it seems to work for everything!
I am not sure about performance though for that I guess only time will tell.
I actually used your idea to make use of a timer.
The timer updates all of the links MouseDown events every 100 milliseconds (you can try experimenting with higher values to possibly improve performance if needed) so I am not sure how this will affect the performance of your app at least with websites that have lots of links.
Anyway like I said it seems to work fine with everything I tried (Google instant predictions as well).

Let me know how it works for you.

C#

public partial class Form1 : Form
{
    Timer updateLinksTimer;

    public Form1()
    {
        InitializeComponent();

        updateLinksTimer = new Timer();
        // 100 = 100ms you can experiment with different values
        updateLinksTimer.Interval = 100;
        updateLinksTimer.Enabled = true;
        updateLinksTimer.Tick += new EventHandler(updateLinksTimer_Tick);

        webBrowser1.IsWebBrowserContextMenuEnabled = false;
        webBrowser1.ContextMenuStrip = contextMenuStrip_Text;

        contextMenuStrip_Links.Closed +=
            new ToolStripDropDownClosedEventHandler(contextMenuStrip_Links_Closed);

        webBrowser1.Navigate("google.com");
    }

    void contextMenuStrip_Links_Closed(object sender, ToolStripDropDownClosedEventArgs e)
    {
        webBrowser1.ContextMenuStrip = contextMenuStrip_Text;
    }

    void DocumentLink_MouseDown(object sender, HtmlElementEventArgs e)
    {
        webBrowser1.ContextMenuStrip = contextMenuStrip_Links;
    }

    private void updateLinksTimer_Tick(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        if (webBrowser1.Document != null)
        {
            for (int i = 0; i < webBrowser1.Document.Links.Count; i++)
            {
                webBrowser1.Document.Links[i].MouseDown -= DocumentLink_MouseDown;
                webBrowser1.Document.Links[i].MouseDown +=
                    new HtmlElementEventHandler(DocumentLink_MouseDown);
            }
        }
    }
}

/// METHOD 2 ///
NOTE: So far I cannot get this method to work with images that are also links! However it is much simpler and seems to not have the problems with google search that the other method has.

C#

public Form1()
{
    InitializeComponent();

    webBrowser1.IsWebBrowserContextMenuEnabled = false;
    webBrowser1.ContextMenuStrip = contextMenuStrip_Text;

    webBrowser1.DocumentCompleted += new WebBrowserDocumentCompletedEventHandler(webBrowser1_DocumentCompleted);

    webBrowser1.Navigate("http://www.google.com/");
}

void webBrowser1_DocumentCompleted(object sender, WebBrowserDocumentCompletedEventArgs e)
{
    webBrowser1.Document.MouseDown += new HtmlElementEventHandler(Document_MouseDown);
}

void Document_MouseDown(object sender, HtmlElementEventArgs e)
{
    HtmlElement elem = webBrowser1.Document.GetElementFromPoint(e.ClientMousePosition);

    for (int i = 0; i < webBrowser1.Document.Links.Count; i++)
    {
        if (elem == webBrowser1.Document.Links[i])
        {
            webBrowser1.ContextMenuStrip = contextMenuStrip_Links;
            return;
        }
    }

    webBrowser1.ContextMenuStrip = contextMenuStrip_Text;
}

/// METHOD 1 ///

C#

public partial class Form1 : Form
{
    HtmlElementCollection links = null;

    public Form1()
    {
        InitializeComponent();

        webBrowser1.Navigating += 
            new WebBrowserNavigatingEventHandler(webBrowser1_Navigating);

        webBrowser1.DocumentCompleted +=
            new WebBrowserDocumentCompletedEventHandler(webBrowser1_DocumentCompleted);

        webBrowser1.IsWebBrowserContextMenuEnabled = false;
        webBrowser1.ContextMenuStrip = contextMenuStrip2;// You're contextMenuStrip_Text

        webBrowser1.Navigate("http://www.google.com/");
    }

    private void webBrowser1_DocumentCompleted(object sender, WebBrowserDocumentCompletedEventArgs e)
    {
        links = webBrowser1.Document.Links;
        for (int i = 0; i < links.Count; i++)
        {
            links[i].MouseEnter += new HtmlElementEventHandler(link_MouseEnter);
            links[i].MouseLeave += new HtmlElementEventHandler(link_MouseLeave);
        }
    }

    void link_MouseEnter(object sender, HtmlElementEventArgs e)
    {
        // show custom context menu strip for links
        webBrowser1.ContextMenuStrip = contextMenuStrip1;// You're contextMenuStrip_Links
    }

    void link_MouseLeave(object sender, HtmlElementEventArgs e)
    {
        // show custom context menu strip for everything else
        webBrowser1.ContextMenuStrip = contextMenuStrip2;// You're contextMenuStrip_Text
    }

    private void webBrowser1_Navigating(object sender, WebBrowserNavigatingEventArgs e)
    {
        if (links != null)
        {
            for (int i = 0; i < links.Count; i++)
            {
                links[i].MouseEnter -= link_MouseEnter;
                links[i].MouseLeave -= link_MouseLeave;
            }
        }
    }
}

Posted 7-Feb-12 8:05am

LanFanNinja

Updated 8-Feb-12 7:25am

v12

Comments

_Q12_ 7-Feb-12 14:22pm

---50% Bingo---
Now it shows both menus
1.when over the link is show the customized one.
2.when normal, it show the default menu(IE). --- I want a custom #2 menu appear here.
Can you suggest one variant?
In principle you did the hard work I've asked so +5. :)
thanks.

LanFanNinja 7-Feb-12 14:24pm

See let me get this straight you want one custom menu for links and another custom menu for everything else? Let me know and I will update my solution for you.

_Q12_ 7-Feb-12 14:26pm

Yes.

LanFanNinja 7-Feb-12 14:31pm

Recheck my solution. This code should do what you want.

_Q12_ 7-Feb-12 14:40pm

YEEES. THANK YOU.
You are the king.
In 1000 years I not come with a beautiful solution than you provided here.
----
As a final request(optional), can you point me some nice and fun links to learn these damn events? I want to settle with them once and for all.
Thank you very much.

LanFanNinja 7-Feb-12 14:44pm

Well I don't really know of any off the top of my head but this should help you some.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/awbftdfh.aspx

LanFanNinja 7-Feb-12 15:08pm

Please recheck my solution as I have made some modifications to the code to unsubscribe from the link_MouseEnter and link_MouseLeave events before the browser navigates to a new document.

I am thinking if this is not done it will create a resource leak.

_Q12_ 7-Feb-12 15:25pm

Check @ http://q12x.com/ - this one have NO Links what so ever.
The "if (links != null)" is not necessary because there are no errors. I tested.
Is not easier to just reset "links[i].MouseEnter = 0"? (instead of -=)

LanFanNinja 7-Feb-12 15:34pm

"links[i].MouseEnter = 0" will not work the code will not compile.
The code I have posted is the proper way to unsubscribe from events.

LanFanNinja 7-Feb-12 15:47pm

Forget what I said in the second half of my first comment about
"if (links != null)".

If you are not getting a NullReferenceException in the webBrowser1_Navigating event handler without this if statement make sure the event is indeed being fired (I think it is not) by setting a break point.

Because links is set to null when the application starts and the Navigating event fires before the DocumentComplete event there will be an exception here at least for the first page load because links will be set to null.

Hope this makes sense.

LanFanNinja 7-Feb-12 15:53pm

Make sure the webBrowser1.Navigating event is hooked up to the webBrowser1_Navigating event handler.

NOTE this line is the Form1 constructor:
webBrowser1.Navigating +=
new WebBrowserNavigatingEventHandler(webBrowser1_Navigating);

did you add this line?

If not you will need to do this or hook up the event inside the designer.

LanFanNinja 7-Feb-12 15:58pm

I also noticed with the URL you provided because there are no links there will be no context menu set to display! So you may want to add this line to the Form1 constructor as well.

// show custom context menu strip for everything else
webBrowser1.ContextMenuStrip = contextMenuStrip2;

To set the WebBrowser controls initial ContextMenuStrip.

_Q12_ 7-Feb-12 16:07pm

I did everything you said.
I have a weird bug, there.
When I am in the google page, the #1-links menu appear everywhere, and only when I click over a link, then on normal text the #2-text menu appear finally. Then, when I search in google, in the page that is loaded, only the #2-text menu appear everywhere.
Because I used the links there.

Solution: All is normal after I refresh the page. :)

LanFanNinja 7-Feb-12 16:23pm

"When I am in the google page, the #1-links menu appear everywhere, and only when I click over a link, then on normal text the #2-text menu appear finally"

This should not be happening and does not happen to me with the code exactly as it appears in my solution. Check over your code something is being done or not being done that should or shouldn't be.

"Then, when I search in google, in the page that is loaded, only the #2-text menu appear everywhere."

I was afraid of this! I believe it has to do with Google Instant predictions. The way they are loading the page (probably using AJAX) caused the DocumentComplete event to not fire for so many seconds after the page loads but then for me at least everything is fine at least if you don't press enter or click the search button after typing. I really don't know a way to fix this. :(

If you keep having problems maybe you could post your code and I will take a look.

LanFanNinja 7-Feb-12 16:31pm

The fact is that what you are trying to do is unique! In fact you may be the first person to ever do something like this.

Expect problems!

_Q12_ 7-Feb-12 16:32pm

//In properties, webBrowser1.ContextMenuStrip is set to none.
//webBrowser1's events: DocumentCompleted and Navigating are set.
public Form1()
{
InitializeComponent();
webBrowser1.Navigating += new WebBrowserNavigatingEventHandler(webBrowser1_Navigating);
webBrowser1.DocumentCompleted += new WebBrowserDocumentCompletedEventHandler(webBrowser1_DocumentCompleted);
}

//RightClicks Menu (ContextMenuStrip's)
HtmlElementCollection links;
private void webBrowser1_DocumentCompleted(object sender, WebBrowserDocumentCompletedEventArgs e)
{
links = webBrowser1.Document.Links;
for (int i = 0; i < links.Count; i++)
{
links[i].MouseEnter += new HtmlElementEventHandler(link_MouseEnter);
links[i].MouseLeave += new HtmlElementEventHandler(link_MouseLeave);
}
label1.Text = links.Count.ToString();//to see how many are there
}
void link_MouseEnter(object sender, HtmlElementEventArgs e)
{
// show custom context menu strip for links
webBrowser1.ContextMenuStrip = contextMenuStrip_Links;
}
void link_MouseLeave(object sender, HtmlElementEventArgs e)
{
// show custom context menu strip for everything else
webBrowser1.ContextMenuStrip = contextMenuStrip_Text;
}
private void webBrowser1_Navigating(object sender, WebBrowserNavigatingEventArgs e)
{
if (links != null)
{
for (int i = 0; i < links.Count; i++)
{
links[i].MouseEnter -= link_MouseEnter;
links[i].MouseLeave -= link_MouseLeave;
}
}
}

LanFanNinja 7-Feb-12 16:58pm

Sorry I am not having the same problems you are describing with this code (besides the problems with Google search that I don't know how to fix).

Like I said I have never done anything like this so I really don't know what I am doing either. :)

Just keep experimenting and searching google there may even be other/better ways to do this.

LanFanNinja 7-Feb-12 16:58pm

If I come up with a better way to do this I will post the solution here for you.

_Q12_ 7-Feb-12 17:01pm

ok, thank you very much for your effort.
I will reload the page if something running not as it should. :)

LanFanNinja 7-Feb-12 17:04pm

One other suggestion I can make that might fix your first problem is as I said in another comment set the WebBrowser controls ContextMenuStrip to your contextMenuStrip_Text in the Form1 Constructor after this line
webBrowser1.IsWebBrowserContextMenuEnabled = false;

Example:
webBrowser1.IsWebBrowserContextMenuEnabled = false;
webBrowser1.ContextMenuStrip = contextMenuStrip_Text;

LanFanNinja 7-Feb-12 17:05pm

You're welcome.

_Q12_ 7-Feb-12 17:22pm

Yes, on the first page load, all is as it should(after putting the last lines you suggested), but after loading another page, the #2-text menu is showing(on right click) until I refresh the page. its a bug, and in time i will solve it(I hope). I am thinking that i should insert a timer to wait a little and then throw the event creations... but its a supposition... But overall I'm good with it. Thanks 1000 times. ;)

LanFanNinja 7-Feb-12 17:24pm

Hmmm... well I am not sure but I am investigating a different way to this but I am not sure it will work out. If it does work out I will post it here for you but no promises.

_Q12_ 7-Feb-12 20:12pm

Wonderful, your /// METHOD 2 /// works like a dream.
I tested it and is doing what it should. :)
...the images are important as links... but you did a great job until this point.
I am angry by myself because i am a spectator right now, and I can't intervene with something useful. But I am happy that I overcome this step from this project.

LanFanNinja 7-Feb-12 20:16pm

Great!! Hopefully I will be able to come up with a solution that works for the images as well.

_Q12_ 7-Feb-12 21:43pm

(optional)
I added this lines to your code from /// METHOD 2 ///:
....
void Document_MouseDown(object sender, HtmlElementEventArgs e)
{
HtmlElement elem = webBrowser1.Document.GetElementFromPoint(e.ClientMousePosition);
for (int i = 0; i < webBrowser1.Document.Links.Count; i++)
{
if (elem == webBrowser1.Document.Links[i])
{
label1.Text = elem.GetAttribute("href").ToString();//in my tryings to see what is going on behind. I was looking for images but in the same time some pages were opening in "new windows", not in the same page.

webBrowser1.ContextMenuStrip = contextMenuStrip_Links;
webBrowser1.Document.Links[i].Click += new HtmlElementEventHandler(Form1_Click);
return;
}
}
webBrowser1.ContextMenuStrip = contextMenuStrip_Text;
}
void Form1_Click(object sender, HtmlElementEventArgs e)
{
webBrowser1.Navigate(label1.Text, false);//this method is not open the page in the same window as it should.
}
If its too far from the original subject, will drop it.

LanFanNinja 7-Feb-12 22:12pm

If you are talking about web page links that open up in a new window this code should do the trick.

public Form1()
{
InitializeComponent();

webBrowser1.NewWindow += new CancelEventHandler(webBrowser1_NewWindow);
}

void webBrowser1_NewWindow(object sender, CancelEventArgs e)
{
e.Cancel = true;

string url = webBrowser1.Document.ActiveElement.GetAttribute("href");
if (url != String.Empty)
{
webBrowser1.Navigate(url);
}
}

_Q12_ 7-Feb-12 22:25pm

YES...its working-perfectly. Thanks.

LanFanNinja 7-Feb-12 22:26pm

You're welcome.

_Q12_ 8-Feb-12 14:07pm

LanFanNinja, i am speechless. It work wonderfully.
Wow, you are amazing.
It work for text-links, images, movies. Some ads(I suppose flash??/gif??-not sure) who are links, did not comply but in GENERAL and A LOT in PARTICULAR is working GREAT! Thank you and I am proud of what you accomplished here. Just wonderful. Thank you again and put this into a snippet, you don't know when you will need something similar.

LanFanNinja 8-Feb-12 14:12pm

You're welcome.
I tried my best and came up with a lot of different ways to do this but in the end this was the only way to make it work with Google instant predictions.

Best of luck -- Ninja

_Q12_ 8-Feb-12 14:25pm

ok.

LanFanNinja 8-Feb-12 14:27pm

I trust you enough. :) And thanks for trusting me.
I have downloaded the file so you can delete the link now.

LanFanNinja 8-Feb-12 14:35pm

Very Nice!!! Thank you for showing me this.

_Q12_ 8-Feb-12 14:39pm

ok,I am glad. I put a lot of time and work into that... and I learn a lot making it. All that I wish is to finish it and to make use of it.
All the best.

LanFanNinja 8-Feb-12 14:41pm

It is also very nice to know just exactly what I wrote all that code for. :)
I really do like it! It is a very cool idea.

"All that I wish is to finish it and to make use of it."
I am certain you will succeed.