is it possible to set the outerHTML in csharp?

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Hi,
Below is the c# code i use to alter the html displayed in IE. However it always throws exception - Could not set the outerHTML property. Invalid target element for this operation. Is it not possible to set the outerHTML?

C#

protected void AlterContent(ref HTMLDocument docInput, HTMLDocument docAlteredOutPut)
{
    try
    {
        if (docInput.body.tagName.ToLower() == "body" && docAlteredOutPut.body.innerHTML != null)
        {
            docInput.documentElement.outerHTML = docAlteredOutPut.documentElement.outerHTML;
        }
    }
    catch (Exception ex)
    {
    }
}

Thanks, Arun

Posted 8-May-11 1:55am

Arun Chembilath

Updated 8-May-11 1:59am

Ed Nutting

v2

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Ed Nutting 8-May-11 8:00am

Edit: Only put your code in a pre (code) block, not your question as well. Also, try not to use slang such as 'Aint'. Thanks, Ed :)

Keith Barrow 8-May-11 8:53am

HtmlDocument doesn't have a documentElement property.
Are you using a 3rd party class? I notice you are using HTMLDocument (is the capitialisation a typo?)

Arun Chembilath 8-May-11 9:04am

Its not a typo. The interface mshtml.HTMLDocument. It has the documentElement property.

Keith Barrow 8-May-11 9:57am

Ah, that explains it, never had to use mshtml, possibly a good thing given the lack of resources!

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Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov · Answer 1 · 2011-05-08T04:58:00

Solution 1

Yes, it is possible, but look at what you're trying to do.
You pick the document Element, which is already the most "outer" in the document. Your can only take or write a whole different document.

[EDIT]

In this case you can only to create a document from scratch and start over. The class System.Windows.Forms.HtmlDocument does not have constructors or other means of explicit instantiating. You can obtain empty document via its instance of System.Windows.Forms.WebBrowser. Navigate to (Uri)null and you will get clean document when the event System.Windows.Forms.WebBrowser.Navigated is handled (important!). The property System.Windows.Forms.WebBrowser.Document will return empty document which you can populate.

Example:

C#

bool startFromScratch = false;

//...

startFromScratchButton.Click += (sender, eventArgs) => {
   startFromScratch = true;
   webBrowser.Navigate((Uri)null); //navigate to empty   
} //startFromScratchButton.Click

webBrowser.Navigated += (sender, eventArgs) => {
   if (startFromScratch) {
      var document = webBrowser.Document;
      var body = document.Body;
      document.Body.InnerHtml = "<p>some paragraph content</p>";
   } //if
}; //webBrowser.Navigated

I tested it.

—SA

Posted 8-May-11 4:58am

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov

Updated 11-May-11 11:44am

v4

Comments

Arun Chembilath 8-May-11 11:34am

I'm sorry.. I'm pretty new to this so could you please explain?

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 8-May-11 12:01pm

I don't know what else to explain...
I can only repeat: "outer" is not applicable to all elements. If the element is already outermost (is it more clear?), what is its "outer"? Nothing.
--SA

Arun Chembilath 8-May-11 12:03pm

Okie I did get that but again its not possible to assign the documentElement. It is readonly

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 8-May-11 12:37pm

OK, so what's the problem? Don't assign it. What do you need to achieve?
--SA

Arun Chembilath 8-May-11 12:49pm

I need to change the HTML content of the docInput above with the HTML content in docAlteredOutPut. I could replace the innerHTMl but I want to do the whole HTMl.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 8-May-11 13:16pm

This is my point. If you need to replace ***whole*** HTML, there is nothing to assign; the whole operation does not make sense. You create a brand new object instead. Are you finally getting it? It looks like you're almost there...
--SA

Arun Chembilath 8-May-11 13:30pm

I'm sorry but I guess I'm lost. I have taken the HTML that is displayed in IE and after making some changes to it, I have to put it back in IE. The docAlteredOutPut is an empty object which though has the altered HTML in it. SO what do you suggest it the stupidity or solution here?

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 8-May-11 14:04pm

Call it whatever you like, but you don't need any special solution here. It's not that you cannot modify top (document) Element of HTML. It's that there is not situation where you ***want*** if. Look at it in this way. If you modify the document it means you don't like to have it the way it is right not, but you would like to keep part of it and change another part. You can do it. Now, if this is a document (top level) HTML Element, you may like it as it is, so you don't need to change is at all, or you may want to change it all. In the last case, you dont' need to modify anything. Create a brand new document. If you still lost, I'm out of the ways to explain it...
--SA

Arun Chembilath 9-May-11 3:39am

As I understand I need to change only the HTML content here. Everything else need to be kept as it is. Sp are you telling that I need not create a new document or are you telling I need not. I'm sorry but yes, I am kinda lost only..

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 9-May-11 3:47am

You need to create a new document to your liking. You cannot modify the old one technically; and it would not make sense, hence -- you need a new one.
--SA

Arun Chembilath 11-May-11 9:04am

Could you please explain then how I can create a new document, and assign it to Internet Explorer? Like shud't I be changing the already existing one? If so how do i do it?

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 11-May-11 17:27pm

I answered; please see the updated solution.
--SA