simpleBrowser -
Internet Browser for myHTPC
Requirements:
- Internet Explorer 6
- .NET Runtime version 1.1(not just 1.0) installed. Here
is the download link if you don't already have it, or just use Windows Update.
Download simpleBrowser here.
This program was developed to provide users with a browser that
can be operated by a remote control and that is integrated well with myHTPC.
It reads and uses all of the key commands that each user has specified within
myHTPC so there is no fiddling with girder or other programs to provide full
remote capability.

Remote control capability |
All of the navigation keys are read from what you have set in the myHTPC
Configure program. So there is nothing else to do for this. |
Mouse capability |
The mouse can also be used for simpleBrowser navigation. Turn on the
toolbar by clicking on the title bar at the top of the window. |
Installation:
Run the simpleBrowser.msi program and follow all the prompts to complete installation.
When it is finished installing, you will want to add a new Programs
module in the myHTPCConfigure.exe program. Here is a screenshot
with the settings needed:

Features:
- Fullscreen Internet Browser display
- Full keyboard command ability using myHTPC key mapping settings and mouse
support
- Provides the users Internet Favorites in a list for the user to navigate
to
- Enlarging of text to make browsing a pleasant experience from a distance
- Navigation of links on current page by remote
Instructions
The popup menu inside allow you to perform the following options:

Navigate links on the current page
- Selecting this option will allow you to select a link on the current
page by showing a target that you can use to move around the screen
until you see a link you wish to goto. Hit Enter and the link will be
selected and it will goto that link destination and return to the normal
scrolling mode so you can scroll around the screen with the arrow keys.
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Browse internet favorites
- Allows you to access your own internet favorites, including any special
folders you have setup, so you don't have to type internet address to
navigate to them. Just highlight the one you want to use and hit Enter
and you will be taken to that address.
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Using this selection, you have the option of typing in an address to
navigate to. All entries are kept in a history so you can navigate any
past entries here by moving over to the two little arrows to the right
of the text box and hitting them to scroll through all of your previous
selections.

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Click the top of the title bar for the toolbar to appear. Once it appears
you can select the different options there. All options have tooltips
available.

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Command Line Parameters:
/url= Use this parameter
to set the internet address that simpleBrowser goes to on startup. For example
to use www.myhtpc.net as the startup address, then use this as the parameter:
/url=www.myhtpc.net
/desktop= Use this parameter
to specify which desktop in Windows to display this browser on. Use the number
from the Windows->Control Panel->Display Settings dialog box. For example
to set it to use your second monitor use this as the parameter: /desktop=2
Remote Key capabilities (these are the keys that you
programmed into myHTPC):
Play - Will refresh the current page
Channel Down -Will scroll down the page
Channel Up - Will scroll up the page
FFW - Will go forward in the browser history
REW - Will go backward in the browser history
Back - Will bring up a menu that allows you to navigate onscreen
links, access your internet favorites, and exit out of the program.
Arrow keys - Allow navigation around menus and scrolling around
on the page. If you are in the 'Navigate onscreen links' mode, the
arrow keys will move around the link selection target allowing you to select
any link on the page quickly and easily. Otherwise the arrow keys will scroll
up, down, left, and right around the page.
Enter - Will select the currently highlighted link on screen
if in 'Navigate onscreen links' mode.
Changing program settings:
By clicking on the title bar, it will turn on the toolbar. Click the 'Settings'
button and you can change the following settings:
- Size of page text - This setting will resize all text to fit the TV better.
Choose values from 1(small) to 7(very large). The default is 3.
- Scroll speed for scrollbars - This setting will set the amount the scrollbars
will go with each arrow key press. Choose values from 10(slower) to 100(fast).
The default is 30.
- Navigation cursor speed - This setting will change the # of pixels it will
move with each press of the arrow keys when it is using the target to navigate
links on the current page. Choose settings between 1(very slow) to 20(fast)
navigation. The default is 8.
History:
- 1.3
- Fixed mouse wheel scrolling so it works anywhere on the page now.
- Added Alt-F4 to close the program and also uses the Exit key in myHTPC
(by default F12).
- Improved onscreen keyboard: uses a regular QWERTY style keyboard with
all 'normal' keys now available. Also navigating when at the edge of the
keyboard will scroll to opposite side to help for quicker key input.
- 1.2
- Added the ability to use the onscreen keyboard (picture above) to enter
text into text boxes on a web page. It is a little elementary since I have
to catch each keypress to send to the web page's text area. For example,
right now you can't highlight a section of text to delete or use arrows
to insert into a particular part of a text box. Also if use a regular keyboard,
a lot of keys I don't process right now. Basically I only process the keys
that are on my on-screen keyboard.
- Added some more characters and a few common strings(.com, www., and .net)
to the on-screen keyboard for entering text on a web page.
- Can scroll the mouse wheel now, but only if the mouse pointer is above
the title bar at the top of the page. It is a problem I am having with the
Web object taking control.
- The Channel Up/Down buttons now do Page Up/Down in browser instead of
normal scrolling.
- Fixed all keypress issues in the URL drop down box if using a regular
keyboard.
- Fixed the issue with Refreshing not resizing the text again.
- 1.1.1 (Maintenance release)
- Fixed the problem if you specified a url the popup menu
wouldn't come up
- Fixed the problem with the Url entry from the toolbar.
You should now be able to use it for entry of new addresses.
- Fixed the refresh button problem.
- 1.1
- Added a new parameter to specify which desktop to display this browser
on.
- Added a new parameter to specify an internet address to goto on startup.
- Made the toolbar bigger and now clicking the title bar toggles the toolbar
on/off.
- Menu's now use anti-aliased fonts and should look better for low-res displays
- Fixed the problem with anchors not working on the same page. It still
has a problem with not going Back from a named anchor to the top of the
page. It seems to want to go to the last page you were at
instead.
- 1.0
Enjoy,
Kenny