1. Computing and Information Technology Building a Web Browser

2. Build your own Web-browser
Basically everyone likes to navigate the Internet using commercially produced web browsers such as the Internet Explorer produced by Microsoft or those open source browsers designed by the experts such FireFox, Opera and Chrome created by Google.

3. Build your own Web-browser
However, wouldn’t it be cool to create your very own web browser and customise it to your own taste?
We can do that in Visual Basic and it’s pretty easy to do.
In this exercise, I will show you how to create a simple web browser and get it running in just a few minutes

4. Start a new Project Select the New Project option
Name the project WebBrowser (and add your initials to the end), e.g. WebBrowserJA
Click OK

5. Visual Basic Editor Properties Form Control
Set the start-up properties
Tool Box
Drag Control onto the Form

6. Form Control:
Visual Basic forms are rectangular shaped areas of the computer screen called windows on which we can add objects like buttons, text, pictures etc.
These objects can have code attached and thus develop applications
Locate the Property window, on the right side of the screen
Change Name property to FrmWebBrowser
Change the Text property to My Web Browser (Notice: That the Caption in the Blue banner at the top of the form, changes)
Change the Window State property Maximized

7. Web Browser Control
You will need to add an engine so that your web browser can connect to the Internet.
Locate the Toolbox on the left side of the screen
Drag a Web Browser control onto the form
Select the Web Browser control to view its properties
Change Name property WBWebPage
Change Anchor property to Top, Bottom, Left, Right.
Change URL property to

8. Web Browser Control
Resize the form and then make sure the web browser fills the form leaving space at the top for the next exercise

9. Save and Run your program
We are now ready to run our program for the first time.
Save Program
From the File Menu select Save all
If this is the first time you have saved your program you will be prompted to give a save location. Accept the default save options
Select OK. You program is now safe
Run Program
Now Select the RUN button at the top of the screen.
Your new browser should display the default web page Google. Well done!

10. Combo Box Control:
At the top of the WebBrowser control we will place a combo box. This will be the address bar where the user can enter the URL
Located on the Toolbox on the left side
Drag a Combo Box control onto the form
Move the Combo Box place it towards the top
Select the Combo Box control to view it properties
Change Name property cboURL

11. Label Control
Labels allow us to place text on the screen. This label will contain the word URL: and will be placed to the left of the combo box.
Locate the Toolbox on the left side
Drag a Label control onto the form
Move the Label, place it towards the left of the combo box
Select the Label control to view it properties
Change the Name property to LblURL
Change the Text property to URL:

12. Button Control
The Button Control is a button that we can attach code that allows our application to do something.
Locate the Toolbox on the left side of the screen
Drag a Button control onto the form
Move the Button control, place it towards the right hand side of the combo box
Select the Button control to view its properties
Change the Button control properties Name to BtnGo
Change thee Button control Text property to Go

13. Save and Run your program
We are now ready to run our program:
Save Program
From the File Menu select Save all
Run Program
Now Select the RUN button at the top of the screen.

14. Tweaking With a little tweaking,
your form should now look a little like this!

15. Programming or Coding
As it stands our browser can only load one web-site, therefore; we need to program our application so that we can load any URL by simply entering a web-site address, and pressing a button. To achieve this we need to code (Program) our application.

16. BtnGo Control Code Button Control Code Double click the Go Button
You should now see the code editor and the BtnGo sub routine
Public Class FrmWebBrowser
Private Sub BtnGo_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As 
End Sub
End Class
3. Between the Private Sub and End Sub tags.  Type in the following code
WebPage.Navigate(cboURL.Text)
cboURL.Items.Add(cboURL.Text)

17. Save and Run your program
We are now ready to run our program:
Save Program
From the File Menu select Save all
Run Program
Now Select the RUN button at the top of the screen.
Now enter the desired website into the combo box at the top of the screen
Click on the Go Button
The website you entered should now appear. Well done again!

18. Make you Web Browser Haunted
Now for a little fun. We can trick our friends and family by making our program appear haunted. The program will fade in and out like a ghost.
Timer Control
Locate the Toolbox, on the left hand side of the screen
Drag a Timer control onto the form
Select the Timer control to view its properties
Change Timer property Name to TimGhost
Change Timer property Intervals to 1
Change Timer property Enabled True
Double click the Button TimGhost
At the top of the page just below Public Class tags type:
Public Class FrmWebBrowser
Dim Transparency As Double

19. Make you Web Browser Haunted
9. Between the Private sub and End Sub tags type in the following code
Private SubTimghost_Tick(ByVal sender As System.Object
End Sub
If Me.Opacity = 1 Then transparency =
If Me.Opacity = 0 Then transparency =
Me.Opacity = Me.Opacity + transparency

20. Save and Run your program
We are now ready to run our program:
Save Program
From the File Menu select Save all
Run Program
Now Select the RUN button at the top of the screen.
Watch what happens!