I would like to incorporate a frame that loads data from a webpage (Windows platform), but don't want to go into writing a web browser widget. If one doesn't exist, any ideas on what it would take to create one?

You appear to be asking for a Tk widget that renders HTML?

If so, what your are asking for is a Tk Web Browser.

With all the complexities of interpreting multiple standards of HTML(1,2,3,4,5), XHTML, XML, css (1, 2, 3), Javascript (of various flavours), Plug-ins (of a multitude of flavours); not to mention handling Bad HTML, XML, css etc.

In a nutshell, the answer to "what it would take to create one?" is: $millions.

There is an MS Web Browser control, that can be embedded within other application (C, C++, C#', VB), and theoretically could be embedded within a Perl application via Win32::API and/or Win32::OLE. But trust me, as someone who wasted many tens of hours trying to do useful things with this, it is a hell of a lot of work for very little reward, due to the significant limitations of both the interface and IE. The control is essentially IE-in-a-window-via-OLE. And that's before you try and integrate it with Tk, which is a world of undocumented magic all of its own.

Here is a funny way to do it
Read more... (1458 Bytes)

I need to support JavaScript....

No one stops you from using one of the Javascript engines available at CPAN and merge them with Tk::HTML into something like Tk::HTML::JSenabled.

You could also make that a job offer ...

Alexander

--
Today I will gladly share my knowledge and experience, for there are no sweeter words than "I told you so". ;-)

If you don't mind using the Win32::GUI module instead of Tk, it has a sub package called AxWindow. This allows you to use ActiveX controls in your window, which includes a web browser.

Here is some sample code:

#!perl
use strict;
use warnings;

use Win32::GUI qw();
use Win32::GUI::AxWindow;

# Main Window
my $Window = Win32::GUI::Window->new(
    -name  => 'Window',
    -text  => 'Win32::GUI::AxWindow Web Browser',
    -pos   => [100, 100],
    -size  => [640, 480],
);

# Add a WebBrowser AxtiveX
my $Browser = Win32::GUI::AxWindow->new(
    -parent   => $Window,
    -name     => 'Browser',
    -control  => 'Shell.Explorer',
    -pos      => [0, 0],
    -size     => [640, 480],
);

# Register some event
$Browser->RegisterEvent(
    StatusTextChange => sub {
        my $self    = shift;
        my $eventid = shift;
        print 'Event : ', @_, "\n";
    }
);

# Call Method
$Browser->CallMethod('Navigate', 'http://www.perlmonks.org/');

# Event loop
$Window->Show();

Win32::GUI::Dialog();

# Main window event handler
sub Window_Resize {
    my($width, $height) = ($Window->GetClientRect)[2..3];
    $Browser->Move (0, 0);
    $Browser->Resize($width, $height);
    return 1;
}
__END__
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