Microsoft KB Archive/172998

Knowledge Base

How To Use WebBrowser HEADERS Param in Navigate Method

Article ID: 172998

Article Last Modified on 7/15/2004

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APPLIES TO

• Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 Learning Edition
• Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 Professional Edition
• Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 Enterprise Edition
• Microsoft Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition
• Microsoft Visual Basic 5.0 Learning Edition
• Microsoft Visual Basic 5.0 Professional Edition
• Microsoft Visual Basic 5.0 Enterprise Edition
• Microsoft Visual Basic 4.0 32-Bit Enterprise Edition
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 128-Bit Edition
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 Service Pack 2
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5
• Microsoft Internet Client Software Development Kit 4.0
• Microsoft Internet Client Software Development Kit 4.01

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This article was previously published under Q172998

SUMMARY

Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 includes a custom ActiveX control called "WebBrowser." When you use WebBrowser in combination with Microsoft Visual Basic, you can design powerful custom solutions that include Internet Web browsing features. This article illustrates how to use the WebBrowser control HEADERS parameter in the Navigate method within Microsoft Visual Basic.

MORE INFORMATION

The following example creates a mini-browser and uses the HEADERS parameter of the Navigate method. The HEADERS parameter has different options; this example uses the Authorization option. Adding this header allows you to gain access to a password protected URL without being asked for user name and password via a dialog box generated by the browser control. Note that code below applies only when Basic scheme is used. Please see HTTP Protocol specification (available at http://www.w3.org) to get more details on HTTP Authentication process.

The format for Authorization header is as follow:

   Authorization: Basic XXXXXXX
                

Where XXXXXX is Base64 encoded string: "UserName:UserPassword." Base64 is described in RFC1113 and some public domain utilities for Base64 decoding/encoding are available.

Step-by-Step Example

1. Create a new Standard .exe project in Microsoft Visual Basic 5.0. Form1 is created by default.
2. From the Project menu, click Components.
3. Select the Microsoft Internet Controls component. Click OK.

4. Add the following controls to Form1:

      Control           Name
      --------------    ---------
      Command Button    Command1
      WebBrowser        WebBrowser1
                       

5. In Form1's code window, add the following code:

   Option Explicit
   
   Private Sub Command1_Click()
   
      WebBrowser1.Navigate  URL:= "http://www.microsoft.com" _
         ,Headers:= "Authorization: Basic XXXXXX" & chr$(13) & chr$(10)
      ' Note: All headers must be terminated with a
      ' carriage return linefeed pair.
   
      If WebBrowser1.Visible = False Then
         WebBrowser1.Visible = True
      End If
   End Sub
                       

6. From the File menu, click Save Project1.
7. From the Run menu, click Start. Note that when you click Command1, the WebBrowser appears and automatically loads the URL specified in the URL parameter of Navigate.

REFERENCES

For additional information, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

155969 How To Distribute the WebBrowser Control

162719 How To Use the WebBrowser Control from Visual Basic 5.0

Keywords: kbhowto KB172998

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