We have a client that creates their own OI 9.4 client setup so that they can package other files as well as direct where specific files (like OCXs) get installed and registered. We are migrating this client to OI 10 so the client is looking to create another client setup using the OI 10 installer files. This has led to a couple questions related to the WebView installer:

1. This appears to install an older version of the WebView control. Is this an evergreen version such that if Windows updates it through a patch then OpenInsight will use the newer version or is this a static version that is only used by OpenInsight?

2. Where does OI 10 uses this control? Is it a replacement for the old IE browser control or an alternative to the Chromium control (or both)? When I run OI 10, I see multiple instances of it running under my OpenInsight process.

Don Bakke

SRP Computer Solutions, Inc.

HI Don,

1) I assume we're talking about the supplied MS WebView2Loader.dll? This has the minimum functionality needed to boot the WebView runtime (evergreen unless you specify otherwise) - it is not related to the functionality of the actual WebView runtime as such. If it becomes necessary to update this then we will, but it's been static since we integrated the control.

2) It's used in several places in the IDE:

Start Page

Help pages

O4W tools

Engine Server Console

etc…

It's intended to replace the IE WebBrowser control (because MS have abandoned that) and the .NET Chromium control (because they both use the chromium engine and we get better integration with a native Win32 interface than we do with .NET).

Regards,

Carl Pates

Hi Carl,

I don't know which DLL file was referenced, but I know that MicrosoftEdgeWebView2RuntimeInstallerX64.exe is what installs the file.

Don Bakke

SRP Computer Solutions, Inc.

Hi Don,

OK - I see there is a file in the ClientFiles folder. This should be an evergreen installer, which means that it should always install and update to the current version even if its an older file (If you try running the older file it should give you and "already installed" message).

TBH this installer file isn't actually needed these days as MS have made WebView part of the OS on Windows 10 and 11 - when we first integrated the WebView2 into OI this was not the case, so we decided to add the evergreen installer.

You can read more about how the WebView2 is distributed here:

 https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/webview2/concepts/distribution

Regards,

Carl Pates

Where does OI 10 uses this control? Is it a replacement for the old IE browser control or an alternative to the Chromium control (or both)?

The webview control is a replacement for the chromium control. It is used by the start page and the oi console.

It does not replace Shell.Explorer.2, which is what I think you mean by the old IE browser control. The chromium based Edge componenent does not support activex. From what I can find on google, Microsoft have removed the ie11 exe, but the underlying components are there.

internet-explorer-11-desktop-app-retirement-faq

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