Why does HtmlElementEventArgs.ToElement return null?

Question

I am trying to detect a certain element when it's clicked in a web browser.

Here's my code:

try
{
   htmlElement.MouseDown -= new 
   HtmlElementEventHandler(webBrowser1_MouseDown);
}
catch (Exception)
{
}
htmlElement.MouseDown += new HtmlElementEventHandler(webBrowser1_MouseDown);

This code is called on webBrowser1.GotFocus & webBrowser1.LostFocus.

Here is the code for MouseDown.

    public void webBrowser1_MouseDown(object sender, HtmlElementEventArgs e)
    {
        HtmlElement element = e.ToElement;
        Console.WriteLine(element);
    }

For some reason whenever I click on the item. element is equal to null?

but if I do

try
{
    Console.WriteLine(htmlElement.Name); // works
    htmlElement.MouseDown -= new 
    HtmlElementEventHandler(webBrowser1_MouseDown);
}
catch (Exception)
{
}
htmlElement.MouseDown += new HtmlElementEventHandler(webBrowser1_MouseDown);

What you receive in `e` is `HtmlElementEventArgs` not any element. I would suggest you to use `sender` object to get the element. — Gaurang Dave, May 07 '18 at 03:48
I just realized this before you commented this, it made me mad so much that i spent 30 minutes trying to figure this out. Sorry I'm quite new to System.Web. — Voided, May 07 '18 at 03:53
Please don't put things like 'SOLVED' in your title, even when it's solved. Just accept the answer and the normal SO indicators will show it's solved — paxdiablo, May 07 '18 at 05:13
@paxdiablo thanks and noted. Just wanted to confirmed whether it helped or not. — Gaurang Dave, May 07 '18 at 05:27
@Voided I put the same as answer below. Kindly mark as answer/upvote if it is helpful to you. — Gaurang Dave, May 07 '18 at 05:28

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered May 07 '18 at 03:58

Two things I noticed in code you shared, you can fix them very easily.

htmlElement - you declared this on Page and registered MouseDown event with it. You can access it anywhere in the page. There is no need of another HtmlElement object in the event.
What you receive in e is HtmlElementEventArgs not any element. I would suggest you to use sender object to get the element.

Why does HtmlElementEventArgs.ToElement return null?

1 Answers1