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HTMLTextBox

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4.77/5 (30 votes)
24 Jan 20072 min read 212.5K   3.5K   109   48
Provides a user control that allows the user to edit HTML page.

HTMLTextBox Control

Introduction

This Rich Text Editor-style control comes from a reference of the "Body Editor" in "New Message" dialog of Outlook Express. As we know, although a RichTextBox control is already provided within .NET Framework by Microsoft to display rich text for users, it still lacks in some real Rich Editing works which are extremely desirable. As a consequence, this control is right for the real editing work.

Inside HTMLTextBox

As a subclass of UserControl, HTMLTextBox mainly consists of two parts: one ToolBar and one WebBrowser control.

How to enable the WebBrowser to be editable?

The WebBrowser will enter "Edit Mode" after performing the following code.

C#
webBrowserBody.Document.ExecCommand("EditMode", false, null);

How to overstrike your font

Perform the following code to enable the BOLD font on the selected characters.

C#
webBrowserBody.Document.ExecCommand("Bold", false, null);

All the operations in this control are executed by invoking the function ExecCommand of WebBrowser.Document. For detailed info about ExecCommand, please refer to Microsoft MSDN.

PS: As announced by Microsoft in Command Identifiers, some of the Commands are mentioned to be no more applicable, however, they still work well. Please do not rely it 100 percent, just give a shot!

About Optional Fonts

C#
foreach (FontFamily family in FontFamily.Families)
{
    toolStripComboBoxName.Items.Add(family.Name);
}

All the optional fonts in this control are retrieved by means of the code above.

About Font Size

In HTML page, seven types of font size are applicable (from 1 to 7). And the relationship between the HTML font size and the common font size is summarized in the following table:

HTML Font SizeCommon Font Size
18
210
312
414
518
624
736

To avoid confusion, the Common Font Size will display for users instead of the HTML Font Size.

How to use HTMLTextBox

As a UserControl, HTMLTextBox is very convenient for your use. And I do not override or expose too many properties or methods. By far, it just has two public properties": Text and Images. If you want more, you are free to add them by yourself for any purpose.

Text: to set or get more meaningful text, it is overridden.

  • get: return the entire HTML content including <html> and <body> etc.
  • set: set any text value and display them in this control, meanwhile, the "/r/n" will be automatically translated into <br>.

Images: to get the unique directories of all the attached images

NOTE: the COM object "Microsoft HTML Object Library" will be referenced by HTMLTextBox.

About Sample

Email Sender Example

HTMLTextBox Control

Before running Sample, the following code needs to be changed accordingly.

In lines 23 - 26 in MailSender.cs

C#
string host = "192.168.22.12";
int port = 25;
string userid = "jay.liu";
string password = "1111";

Loathsome BUG

The image inserted into the edit body cannot be resized, and no exception will be thrown. For now, I have no idea about the reason or solution.

History

First Version (1/22/2007).

License

This article has no explicit license attached to it but may contain usage terms in the article text or the download files themselves. If in doubt please contact the author via the discussion board below.

A list of licenses authors might use can be found here


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Comments and Discussions

 
QuestionEditing the text Pin
Helio Cabral24-Oct-17 1:39
Helio Cabral24-Oct-17 1:39 
QuestionMissing File Pin
Member 117418844-Jun-15 8:32
Member 117418844-Jun-15 8:32 
Question在安装了IE9的机器上无法输入。 Pin
Member 791014027-Nov-12 20:07
Member 791014027-Nov-12 20:07 
GeneralMy vote of 5 Pin
pcs041418-Oct-12 4:27
pcs041418-Oct-12 4:27 
QuestionTyping does not replace selection Pin
Member 16966206-Jun-12 2:17
Member 16966206-Jun-12 2:17 
AnswerRe: Typing does not replace selection Pin
Member 16966206-Jun-12 6:24
Member 16966206-Jun-12 6:24 
Generalprevent line spacing!! Pin
ai_mueller2-Oct-10 9:56
ai_mueller2-Oct-10 9:56 
GeneralSaving / Loading contents of Webbrowser box... Pin
M i s t e r L i s t e r20-Jul-09 19:13
M i s t e r L i s t e r20-Jul-09 19:13 
GeneralRe: Saving / Loading contents of Webbrowser box... Pin
Jeason Zhao12-Aug-09 16:09
Jeason Zhao12-Aug-09 16:09 
GeneralTesting if content of edit box has been modified or not Pin
M i s t e r L i s t e r18-Jul-09 6:14
M i s t e r L i s t e r18-Jul-09 6:14 
GeneralRe: Testing if content of edit box has been modified or not Pin
Jeason Zhao12-Aug-09 16:11
Jeason Zhao12-Aug-09 16:11 
GeneralInsert Table Pin
garudalinks2-Jan-09 9:24
garudalinks2-Jan-09 9:24 
GeneralRe: Insert Table Pin
Victor Lezhepekov24-Feb-09 21:36
Victor Lezhepekov24-Feb-09 21:36 
GeneralRe: Insert Table Pin
Jeason Zhao12-Aug-09 16:05
Jeason Zhao12-Aug-09 16:05 
AnswerRe: Insert Table Pin
Ankit___29-May-10 0:38
professionalAnkit___29-May-10 0:38 
QuestionHow to do it like this Pin
recole7-Nov-08 0:50
recole7-Nov-08 0:50 
AnswerRe: How to do it like this Pin
Jeason Zhao12-Aug-09 16:14
Jeason Zhao12-Aug-09 16:14 
GeneralThank You Pin
dotNET.MC7-May-08 1:36
dotNET.MC7-May-08 1:36 
QuestionMcDull.Windows.Forms.dll Pin
Paglia27-Nov-07 8:38
Paglia27-Nov-07 8:38 
AnswerRe: McDull.Windows.Forms.dll Pin
Member 132129122-Mar-21 4:32
Member 132129122-Mar-21 4:32 
GeneralInserting text to the web browser control. Pin
M. J. Jaya Chitra19-Oct-07 0:06
M. J. Jaya Chitra19-Oct-07 0:06 
GeneralRe: Inserting text to the web browser control. Pin
bashaalex@mail.ru5-Nov-07 4:51
bashaalex@mail.ru5-Nov-07 4:51 
GeneralRe: Inserting text to the web browser control. Pin
M. J. Jaya Chitra5-Nov-07 17:16
M. J. Jaya Chitra5-Nov-07 17:16 
GeneralRe: Inserting text to the web browser control. Pin
M. J. Jaya Chitra5-Nov-07 18:25
M. J. Jaya Chitra5-Nov-07 18:25 
Generalshortcutrs override Pin
urza2321-Sep-07 12:25
urza2321-Sep-07 12:25 

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