diff --git a/microsoft-edge/develop-web-microsoft-edge.md b/microsoft-edge/develop-web-microsoft-edge.md index 1f8c8d2e5e..81a818f0e4 100644 --- a/microsoft-edge/develop-web-microsoft-edge.md +++ b/microsoft-edge/develop-web-microsoft-edge.md @@ -177,9 +177,9 @@ The following sections are tips for using the Microsoft Learn website. ## View end-user docs about Microsoft Edge -Microsoft Edge Developer docs are at the Microsoft Learn website. Microsoft Edge end-user docs are at the following, other websites: +Microsoft Edge Developer docs are at the present, Microsoft Learn website (learn.microsoft.com). Microsoft Edge end-user docs are at the following, other websites: -* [Microsoft Edge help & learning](https://support.microsoft.com/microsoft-edge) - Support.microsoft.com. +* [Microsoft Edge help & learning](https://support.microsoft.com/microsoft-edge) - support.microsoft.com. * [Do More with Edge](https://www.microsoft.com/edge/learning-center/) - Learning center at Microsoft.com. See also: diff --git a/microsoft-edge/webview2/concepts/webview-features-flags.md b/microsoft-edge/webview2/concepts/webview-features-flags.md index d3769f0bb8..e29bffecff 100644 --- a/microsoft-edge/webview2/concepts/webview-features-flags.md +++ b/microsoft-edge/webview2/concepts/webview-features-flags.md @@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ ms.author: msedgedevrel ms.topic: article ms.service: microsoft-edge ms.subservice: webview -ms.date: 02/02/2026 +ms.date: 05/21/2026 --- # WebView2 browser flags | `msAbydos` | Enables the "handwriting-to-text" experience. | | `msAbydosGestureSupport` | Allows users to use gestures (such as the scratchout gesture) to delete text by using a pen. Valid only if the `msAbydos` flag is enabled. | | `msAbydosHandwritingAttr` | Whether the "handwriting-to-text" experience is enabled for input elements at the DOM level. Valid only if the `msAbydos` flag is enabled. | +| `msAbydosForWindowlessWV2` | Enables ShellHandwriting (Windows Shell Handwriting) functionality in Window to Visual hosting mode. Valid only if the `msAbydos` flag is enabled. See also [Windowed vs. Visual hosting of WebView2](./windowed-vs-visual-hosting.md). | | `msAllowAmbientAuthInPrivateWebView2` | This flag is to be used along with the `msSingleSignOnForInPrivateWebView2` browser flag, to enable single sign-on (SSO) with default credential flow or ambient authentication flow. | | `msEdgeDesignerDriverFix` | Enables getting content and automatically showing the Designer feature. The Designer feature is not supported in WebView2. | | `msEdgeDesignerUI` | Enables the Designer Shoreline App. The Designer Shoreline App is not supported in WebView2. | diff --git a/microsoft-edge/webview2/concepts/windowed-vs-visual-hosting.md b/microsoft-edge/webview2/concepts/windowed-vs-visual-hosting.md index 428960a4f3..c9b8986773 100644 --- a/microsoft-edge/webview2/concepts/windowed-vs-visual-hosting.md +++ b/microsoft-edge/webview2/concepts/windowed-vs-visual-hosting.md @@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ The different approaches for hosting the WebView2 control in your app are simila | Approach | Description | Optimized for | |---|---|---| | Windowed hosting | The WebView2 control takes input from the operating system (OS). The OS sends the input to the WebView2. | Displaying web content quickly and easily, without having to include features for inputs, outputs, and accessibility. | -| Window to Visual hosting | A combination of Windowed and Visual hosting. Similar to Windowed hosting except that WebView2 content is output to a Visual that is hosted in a window rather having content output to the window directly. | A developer experience nearly identical to Windowed hosting, but with improved DPI/scaling handling and the caveat that the Windows Shell Handwriting experience is unsupported. | +| Window to Visual hosting | A combination of Windowed and Visual hosting. Similar to Windowed hosting except that WebView2 content is output to a Visual that is hosted in a window rather having content output to the window directly. | A developer experience nearly identical to Windowed hosting, but with improved DPI/scaling handling. | | Visual hosting | Your host app takes spatial input (such as mouse or touch input) from the user. Your app sends this input to the WebView2 control. | More granular control over control composition. The app needs to do specific handling of window management and rendering APIs. | These approaches have different requirements, constraints, and benefits. @@ -72,21 +72,21 @@ For a list of APIs that can be used when configuring WebView2 for Windowed hosti -## Window to Visual hosting: For a similar experience as Windowed hosting, with added benefits and tradeoff +## Window to Visual hosting: For a similar experience as Windowed hosting, with added benefits -_Window-to-Visual hosting_ means that the WebView2 content is outputted to a Visual that is hosted in an HWND, rather than outputting content to a window directly or to a Visual directly. By hosting content in an HWND, Window to Visual hosting is easy to use, in the same ways as Windowed hosting. But by displaying content by using a Visual, Window-to-Visual hosting avoids some DPI and input issues that can result when using Windowed hosting. +_Window to Visual hosting_ means that the WebView2 content is outputted to a Visual that is hosted in an HWND, rather than outputting content to a window directly or to a Visual directly. By hosting content in an HWND, Window to Visual hosting is easy to use, in the same ways as Windowed hosting. But by displaying content by using a Visual, Window to Visual hosting avoids some DPI and input issues that can result when using Windowed hosting. -Window to Visual hosting doesn't require you to use the WebView2 Visual hosting APIs. - -To enable Window to Visual hosting, the environment variable `COREWEBVIEW2_FORCED_HOSTING_MODE` must be set to the value `COREWEBVIEW2_HOSTING_MODE_WINDOW_TO_VISUAL` before initializing your WebView2. - -In Window-to-Visual hosting and Visual hosting, a _Visual_ is a basic graphical unit that can be used to compose graphical experiences on Windows. The Windows graphics APIs that expose this functionality and are relevant to WebView2 are `DirectComposition` and `Windows.UI.Composition`. The "Visual" in "Visual hosting" can be any one of `IDCompositionVisual`, `IDCompositionTarget`, or `Windows.UI.Composition.Visual`, which are Visuals that are exposed through the `DirectComposition` and `Windows.UI.Composition` APIs. (Window to Visual hosting uses `IDCompositionVisual` specifically.) See: +In Window to Visual hosting and Visual hosting, a _Visual_ is a basic graphical unit that can be used to compose graphical experiences on Windows. The Windows graphics APIs that expose this functionality and are relevant to WebView2 are `DirectComposition` and `Windows.UI.Composition`. The "Visual" in "Visual hosting" can be any one of `IDCompositionVisual`, `IDCompositionTarget`, or `Windows.UI.Composition.Visual`, which are Visuals that are exposed through the `DirectComposition` and `Windows.UI.Composition` APIs. (Window to Visual hosting uses `IDCompositionVisual` specifically.) See: * [Basic concepts](/windows/win32/directcomp/basic-concepts) in the Windows App Development > DirectComposition docs. * [Composition visual](/windows/uwp/composition/composition-visual-tree) in the Windows App Development > UWP docs. +To enable Window to Visual hosting, the environment variable `COREWEBVIEW2_FORCED_HOSTING_MODE` must be set to the value `COREWEBVIEW2_HOSTING_MODE_WINDOW_TO_VISUAL` before initializing your WebView2. + -#### Advantages +#### Capabilities and benefits of Window to Visual hosting + +* Window to Visual hosting doesn't require you to use the WebView2 Visual hosting APIs. * Different apps that share a WebView2 user data folder can have different DPI awareness. @@ -96,15 +96,10 @@ In Window-to-Visual hosting and Visual hosting, a _Visual_ is a basic graphical * When hosting a WebView2 in a VSTO Add-in, changing monitor scale won't potentially cause the app to hang. See [VSTO Add-ins](/visualstudio/vsto/office-solutions-development-overview-vsto#vsto-add-ins) in _Office solutions development overview (VSTO)_. - - -#### Disadvantages - -Enabling Window to Visual hosting mode removes support for Windows Shell Handwriting within the WebView2. - -See also: -* [Ink input](/windows/win32/input_ink/input-ink-portal) - Windows App Development > User Interaction. -* [shellhandwriting.h header](/windows/win32/api/shellhandwriting/) - Win32 API. +* Window to Visual hosting mode supports Windows Shell Handwriting within the WebView2, by setting the `msAbydosForWindowlessWV2` flag. See also: + * [WebView2 browser flags](./webview-features-flags.md) + * [Ink input](/windows/win32/input_ink/input-ink-portal) - Windows App Development > User Interaction. + * [shellhandwriting.h header](/windows/win32/api/shellhandwriting/) - Win32 API. @@ -181,6 +176,7 @@ See also: * [Overview of WebView2 APIs](./overview-features-apis.md) +* [WebView2 browser flags](./webview-features-flags.md) - covers `msAbydosForWindowlessWV2`.