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I'm currently developing a solution with webview2. Initially i was thinking about packaging the contents of the .cab file as part of the webview2 runtime from Microsoft site https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/webview2/

But, I'm thinking about the Webview2 Runtime that will be present in MS 365 version 2101. Is there a way to use this runtime itself rather than deploying it with application?

Thoughts/suggestions ?

SyncMasterKK
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1 Answers1

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You need to deploy the WebView2 runtime with your application, see Get started with WebView2 in Windows Forms for more information. The component is available as a NuGet package for .net applications. Here is what MS states for deployments:

The WebView2 Runtime is a redistributable runtime and serves as the backing web platform for WebView2 apps. The concept is similar to Visual C++ or the .NET Runtime for C++/.NET apps. The Runtime contains modified Microsoft Edge (Chromium) binaries that are fine-tuned and tested for apps. The Runtime does not appear as a user-visible browser upon installation. For example, a user does not have a browser desktop shortcut or start menu entry.

During development and testing, you may use either as the backing web platform.

  • The WebView2 Runtime
  • Any Insider (non-stable) Microsoft Edge (Chromium) browser channel In production environments, you must ensure the Runtime is present on user devices before the app starts. The Microsoft Edge Stable channel is unavailable for WebView2 usage. The decision prevents apps from taking a dependency on the browser in production.

Do not take a dependency on the browser because:

  • Microsoft Edge (Chromium) is not guaranteed to be present on all user devices. For example, devices disconnected from Windows Update or not managed by Microsoft directly (a large portion of the Enterprise and EDU market) may not have the browser. Allowing you to distribute the WebView2 Runtime avoids taking a dependency on the browser as a pre-requisite for apps.
  • Browsers and apps have different use cases, and so taking a dependency on a browser may have unintended side-effects on your apps. For example, IT admins may version-control the browser for internal website compatibility. The WebView2 Runtime allows apps to stay evergreen while browser updates are being actively managed.
  • As opposed to the browser, the Runtime is developed and tested for app scenarios and in some cases may include bug fixes not yet available in the browser.

In the future, the Evergreen WebView2 Runtime plans to ship with future releases of Windows. Deploy the Runtime with your production app until the Runtime becomes more universally available.

Read more about that in the Distribution of apps using WebView2 article.

Eugene Astafiev
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