Choosing The Rendering Engine

HTML Executable offers HTML Executable offers two rendering engines for your ebooks and publications: the Chromium Embedded Framework (CEF) and WebView2. Each engine has unique advantages and disadvantages. Understanding the differences between these two engines can help you select the one that's most suitable for your needs. Both offer full support for HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, media files, and so on.

  HTML Executable lets you change the rendering engine whenever you like. We made the different resources used by the software compatible between the two engines.

Some Hints

CEF can be a preferable choice for older Windows versions, such as Windows 7, where the WebView2 runtime might not be installed by default. WebView2 is perfectly suited for Windows 11. Furthermore, if your website or ebook contains MP4 videos with certain proprietary codecs, WebView2 is likely a more reliable choice. You should test your website with HTML Executable to determine which engine works best for you.

Chromium Embedded Framework (CEF)

CEF is a simple framework for embedding Chromium-based browsers in other applications. It's the same rendering engine used in Google Chrome, which means that it offers high performance and compatibility with modern web technologies.

Advantages of CEF

ØExcellent performance and compatibility with modern web technologies.

ØDoes not rely on system updates or external dependencies for its core rendering.

ØCreates self-contained ebooks and applications (self-contained, requiring no additional downloads).

ØA single EXE file for your application allows for easy distribution.

Disadvantages of CEF

ØThe CEF engine can result in larger application EXE file sizes, leading to ebooks or publications that are several tens of megabytes in size.

ØDoes not include proprietary media codecs (MP4 videos won't be played unless you use the dedicated CEF build that offers MP4 support but requires specific licensing).

WebView2

WebView2 is a free component from Microsoft that uses the same Chromium-based engine found in the Edge browser. It's a part of Windows 11 and is also available for previous versions of Windows through Windows Update or a stand-alone installer available for free.

Advantages of WebView2

ØExcellent performance and compatibility with modern web technologies.

ØAs a component often pre-installed with Windows or easily updatable, it simplifies deployment as you don't need to bundle Chromium dependencies.

ØIt can result in smaller EXE file sizes compared to CEF, as the entire framework is not bundled with your application.

ØRegularly updated by Microsoft to incorporate new HTML5 features.

ØA single EXE file for your application allows for easy distribution.

Disadvantages of WebView2

ØIt relies on system updates and might not be available on all systems, especially older ones, or may require users to install/update it.

ØIf WebView2 is not present, HTML Executable will prompt end users to install the component and provide instructions.

Changing the Rendering Engine

To select the rendering engine in HTML Executable:

1.Navigate to Application Settings / Rendering Engine.

2.Choose your preferred engine from the "Selected Engine" dropdown list.

In this page, you can also configure various properties for the selected engine. For example, in both cases, you can enable the Developer Tools by ticking the "DeveloperTools" option. This will allow users to access the Developer Tools within the ebook by right-clicking on the webpage they wish to inspect.

💡 Choosing the right rendering engine for your project depends on your specific needs and the nature of your ebook or publication. Consider the trade-offs between file size and system dependencies when making your decision.