Launching a browser like an app

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Hi,

I have an app that launches my browser and displays as a normal webpage.
What I would like to do is to launch my app to appear as if it is an application as opposed to a webpage. i.e. launches as if it's a popup window with no menus or tabs.

I've tried to use window.open() as javascript with toolbar=no etc, but all that's happening is it's launching as a tab on a browser.

Firstly, is this achievable?
Secondly, assuming my page is Site.Master, what is the syntax to be able to launch as I have described above? Should it be launched as a script

HTML

<head>
<script language='javascript'>
NewWin=window.open('Site.Master.aspx',null,'width=' + screen.width + ', height=' + screen.height + ', top=0, left=0, resizable=yes,menubar=no,toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no');window.open('','_self','');setTimeout('self.close();',5000);
</script>
</head>

Or should it be launched from Page_Load in the c# code using

C#

ClientScript.RegisterStartupScript(Type, String, String, BOOLEAN)

If I could be pointed to a tutorial that would be great.

TIA
Tony

Posted 19-Mar-12 5:26am

maycockt

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Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 19-Mar-12 11:32am

Why? why?!
--SA

maycockt 19-Mar-12 11:48am

That's the appearance we are currently investigating to be compatible with different platforms, e.g. Win2K, WinXP, Linux, Apple OS. By being able to deploy across many platforms we are investigating using a browser app as opposed to WinForms / WPF apps.

Regards

Tony

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 19-Mar-12 12:03pm

Then develop a Web application instead of desktop application, instead of trying something weird which cannot work.
--SA

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Dylan Morley · Answer 1 · 2012-03-19T05:51:00

Not really possible using script, not with any consistent results on the client side.

For example, the behaviour you've mentioned regarding the window opening as a tab on the browser - that's a user specific browser setting. There's no way you can override this, so how your page will display will vary from user to user - not something you want

As mentioned, you could create a Winforms \ WPF app that hosts a browser control[^] inside the application. When this application launches, to could set the browser control to load your web page and display as a 'web app'.

You would have full control over this and could style it however you wanted.

After reading a couple of your other comments - just design a decent website, that's the only way you'll be truly cross-platform compatible. Forget about removing tabs, menus etc. They're part of the browser and all browsers behave differently and are customisable by the user. There's no 'one bit of javascript' that could do what you want on all os's and browsers, security wise - can you imagine the carnage that would be happening if random websites could just take over your browser and start doing things like this?!!

DominicZA · Answer 2 · 2012-03-19T05:35:00

Solution 1

Try using a web browser control in a win forms application.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa752041(v=vs.85).aspx[^]

Thats the best you gonna get!

Posted 19-Mar-12 5:35am

DominicZA

Comments

maycockt 19-Mar-12 11:46am

I'm confused,

Are you saying that I can't launch a browser without tabs and menus to appear as a popup window?

Tony

Dylan Morley 19-Mar-12 11:52am

Not consistently, no.