Get Popup Information With WebBrowser

Question

I am using the System.Windows.Forms.WebBrowser control to visit URLs. Certain URLs trigger popups which open in IE rather than in the WebBrowser. I don't care much where they open. But somehow finding out the URLs of the popups is the most important goal. I keep seeing references to "NewWindow2" event on the web. I'm not sure how related it is, but I don't know how to use it/where to find it, since WebBrowser does not have a NewWindow2 event, only a NewWindow event.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

EDIT

The Web_V1.NewWindow event works only to a degree. Not all popups are being detected. And some URLs only come up as "about:blank". Ex. Use it on http://www.thedailybeast.com/. (Anybody know any other sites with notorious amounts of popups?)

Does anybody know a catch-all way to detect the resulting page of a WebBrowser popup?

Answer 1

A good popup tester is http://www.popuptest.com.

The WebBrowser NewWindow event is in fact hooked on the underlying NewWindow2 event. NewWindow works fine, but it does not give you the url where the new window is heading.

Since IE6, there is a NewWindow3 available, but this one is not exposed by the WebBrowser. However, here is a sample code that shows how to use it. In the NewWindow3 event handler, you will see all popups and the corresponding url.

    // test code
    private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        _events = new WebBrowserEvents(_wb); // register event sink, make sure ActiveXInsance is not null here

        _wb.Navigate("http://www.popuptest.com/");
    }

// this event sink declares the NewWindow3 event
public class WebBrowserEvents : StandardOleMarshalObject, DWebBrowserEvents2, IDisposable
{
    private AxHost.ConnectionPointCookie _cookie;

    public WebBrowserEvents(WebBrowser wb)
    {
        _cookie = new AxHost.ConnectionPointCookie(wb.ActiveXInstance, this, typeof(DWebBrowserEvents2));
    }

    void DWebBrowserEvents2.StatusTextChange(string text)
    {
        Trace.WriteLine("StatusTextChange text:" + text);
    }

    void DWebBrowserEvents2.ProgressChange(int progress, int progressMax)
    {
        Trace.WriteLine("ProgressChange progress:" + progress + " progress:" + progressMax);
    }

    void DWebBrowserEvents2.CommandStateChange(int command, bool enable)
    {
        Trace.WriteLine("CommandStateChange command:" + command + " enable:" + enable);
    }

    void DWebBrowserEvents2.DownloadBegin()
    {
        Trace.WriteLine("DownloadBegin");
    }

    void DWebBrowserEvents2.DownloadComplete()
    {
        Trace.WriteLine("DownloadComplete");
    }

    void DWebBrowserEvents2.TitleChange(string text)
    {
        Trace.WriteLine("TitleChange text:" + text);
    }

    void DWebBrowserEvents2.PropertyChange(string szProperty)
    {
        Trace.WriteLine("PropertyChange szProperty:" + szProperty);
    }

    void DWebBrowserEvents2.BeforeNavigate2(object pDisp, ref object URL, ref object flags, ref object targetFrameName, ref object postData, ref object headers, ref bool cancel)
    {
        Trace.WriteLine("BeforeNavigate2 URL:" + URL);
    }

    void DWebBrowserEvents2.NewWindow2(ref object pDisp, ref bool cancel)
    {
        Trace.WriteLine("NewWindow2");
    }

    void DWebBrowserEvents2.NavigateComplete2(object pDisp, ref object URL)
    {
        Trace.WriteLine("NavigateComplete2 URL:" + URL);
    }

    void DWebBrowserEvents2.DocumentComplete(object pDisp, ref object URL)
    {
        Trace.WriteLine("DocumentComplete URL:" + URL);
    }

    void DWebBrowserEvents2.OnQuit()
    {
        Trace.WriteLine("OnQuit");
    }

    void DWebBrowserEvents2.OnVisible(bool visible)
    {
        Trace.WriteLine("OnVisible visible:" + visible);
    }

    void DWebBrowserEvents2.OnToolBar(bool toolBar)
    {
        Trace.WriteLine("OnToolBar toolBar:" + toolBar);
    }

    void DWebBrowserEvents2.OnMenuBar(bool menuBar)
    {
        Trace.WriteLine("OnMenuBar menuBar:" + menuBar);
    }

    void DWebBrowserEvents2.OnStatusBar(bool statusBar)
    {
        Trace.WriteLine("OnStatusBar statusBar:" + statusBar);
    }

    void DWebBrowserEvents2.OnFullScreen(bool fullScreen)
    {
        Trace.WriteLine("OnFullScreen fullScreen:" + fullScreen);
    }

    void DWebBrowserEvents2.OnTheaterMode(bool theaterMode)
    {
        Trace.WriteLine("OnTheaterMode theaterMode:" + theaterMode);
    }

    void DWebBrowserEvents2.WindowSetResizable(bool resizable)
    {
        Trace.WriteLine("WindowSetResizable resizable:" + resizable);
    }

    void DWebBrowserEvents2.WindowSetLeft(int left)
    {
        Trace.WriteLine("WindowSetLeft left:" + left);
    }

    void DWebBrowserEvents2.WindowSetTop(int top)
    {
        Trace.WriteLine("WindowSetTop top:" + top);
    }

    void DWebBrowserEvents2.WindowSetWidth(int width)
    {
        Trace.WriteLine("WindowSetWidth width:" + width);
    }

    void DWebBrowserEvents2.WindowSetHeight(int height)
    {
        Trace.WriteLine("WindowSetHeight height:" + height);
    }

    void DWebBrowserEvents2.WindowClosing(bool isChildWindow, ref bool cancel)
    {
        Trace.WriteLine("WindowClosing isChildWindow:" + isChildWindow);
    }

    void DWebBrowserEvents2.ClientToHostWindow(ref int cx, ref int cy)
    {
        Trace.WriteLine("ClientToHostWindow cx:" + cx + " cy:" + cy);
    }

    void DWebBrowserEvents2.SetSecureLockIcon(int secureLockIcon)
    {
        Trace.WriteLine("SetSecureLockIcon secureLockIcon:" + secureLockIcon);
    }

    void DWebBrowserEvents2.FileDownload(ref bool cancel)
    {
        Trace.WriteLine("FileDownload");
    }

    void DWebBrowserEvents2.NavigateError(object pDisp, ref object URL, ref object frame, ref object statusCode, ref bool cancel)
    {
        Trace.WriteLine("NavigateError url:" + URL);
    }

    void DWebBrowserEvents2.PrintTemplateInstantiation(object pDisp)
    {
        Trace.WriteLine("PrintTemplateInstantiation");
    }

    void DWebBrowserEvents2.PrintTemplateTeardown(object pDisp)
    {
        Trace.WriteLine("PrintTemplateTeardown");
    }

    void DWebBrowserEvents2.UpdatePageStatus(object pDisp, ref object nPage, ref object fDone)
    {
        Trace.WriteLine("UpdatePageStatus");
    }

    void DWebBrowserEvents2.PrivacyImpactedStateChange(bool bImpacted)
    {
        Trace.WriteLine("PrivacyImpactedStateChange bImpacted:" + bImpacted);
    }

    void DWebBrowserEvents2.NewWindow3(ref object pDisp, ref bool cancel, int dwFlags, ref object bstrUrlContext, ref object bstrUrl)
    {
        Trace.WriteLine("NewWindow3 bstrUrlContext:" + bstrUrlContext + " bstrUrl:" + bstrUrl);
    }

    public void Dispose()
    {
        if (_cookie != null)
        {
            _cookie.Disconnect();
            _cookie = null;
        }
    }
}

[ComImport, Guid("34A715A0-6587-11D0-924A-0020AFC7AC4D"), InterfaceType(ComInterfaceType.InterfaceIsIDispatch)]
internal interface DWebBrowserEvents2
{
    [DispId(0x66)]
    void StatusTextChange([In] string text);
    [DispId(0x6c)]
    void ProgressChange([In] int progress, [In] int progressMax);
    [DispId(0x69)]
    void CommandStateChange([In] int command, [In] bool enable);
    [DispId(0x6a)]
    void DownloadBegin();
    [DispId(0x68)]
    void DownloadComplete();
    [DispId(0x71)]
    void TitleChange([In] string text);
    [DispId(0x70)]
    void PropertyChange([In] string szProperty);
    [DispId(250)]
    void BeforeNavigate2([In, MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.IDispatch)] object pDisp, [In] ref object URL, [In] ref object flags, [In] ref object targetFrameName, [In] ref object postData, [In] ref object headers, [In, Out] ref bool cancel);
    [DispId(0xfb)]
    void NewWindow2([In, Out, MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.IDispatch)] ref object pDisp, [In, Out] ref bool cancel);
    [DispId(0xfc)]
    void NavigateComplete2([In, MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.IDispatch)] object pDisp, [In] ref object URL);
    [DispId(0x103)]
    void DocumentComplete([In, MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.IDispatch)] object pDisp, [In] ref object URL);
    [DispId(0xfd)]
    void OnQuit();
    [DispId(0xfe)]
    void OnVisible([In] bool visible);
    [DispId(0xff)]
    void OnToolBar([In] bool toolBar);
    [DispId(0x100)]
    void OnMenuBar([In] bool menuBar);
    [DispId(0x101)]
    void OnStatusBar([In] bool statusBar);
    [DispId(0x102)]
    void OnFullScreen([In] bool fullScreen);
    [DispId(260)]
    void OnTheaterMode([In] bool theaterMode);
    [DispId(0x106)]
    void WindowSetResizable([In] bool resizable);
    [DispId(0x108)]
    void WindowSetLeft([In] int left);
    [DispId(0x109)]
    void WindowSetTop([In] int top);
    [DispId(0x10a)]
    void WindowSetWidth([In] int width);
    [DispId(0x10b)]
    void WindowSetHeight([In] int height);
    [DispId(0x107)]
    void WindowClosing([In] bool isChildWindow, [In, Out] ref bool cancel);
    [DispId(0x10c)]
    void ClientToHostWindow([In, Out] ref int cx, [In, Out] ref int cy);
    [DispId(0x10d)]
    void SetSecureLockIcon([In] int secureLockIcon);
    [DispId(270)]
    void FileDownload([In, Out] ref bool cancel);
    [DispId(0x10f)]
    void NavigateError([In, MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.IDispatch)] object pDisp, [In] ref object URL, [In] ref object frame, [In] ref object statusCode, [In, Out] ref bool cancel);
    [DispId(0xe1)]
    void PrintTemplateInstantiation([In, MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.IDispatch)] object pDisp);
    [DispId(0xe2)]
    void PrintTemplateTeardown([In, MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.IDispatch)] object pDisp);
    [DispId(0xe3)]
    void UpdatePageStatus([In, MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.IDispatch)] object pDisp, [In] ref object nPage, [In] ref object fDone);
    [DispId(0x110)]
    void PrivacyImpactedStateChange([In] bool bImpacted);
    [DispId(0x111)]
    void NewWindow3([In, Out, MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.IDispatch)] ref object pDisp, [In, Out] ref bool cancel, [In] int dwFlags, [In] ref object bstrUrlContext, [In] ref object bstrUrl);
}

Answer 2

Here is a previously answered question that I believe will give you the solution. (Scroll down the code window for the C# version).

System.Windows.Forms.WebBrowser open links in same window or new window with same session

Perhaps this project will help you with your goals to handle popups: http://www.codeproject.com/KB/cpp/ExtendedWebBrowser.aspx#GoalBlock

Answer 3

webBrowser1.Navigating += (sndr, ee) =>
{
    MessageBox.Show(ee.Url.DnsSafeHost + "\n" + ee.Url.ToString());
};

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