Evergreen Webview2 ((free)) ★ Secure & Premium
A crucial nuance of the Evergreen distribution mode is how applications interact with updates. Although the runtime updates are downloaded and installed automatically by Microsoft, an already-running WebView2 application will continue to use its current loaded version of the runtime binaries until the application is restarted. This can lead to a situation where a newly installed security patch is not active until a user manually closes and reopens the application.
: Runtimes can be "chained" into application installers using tools like WiX Burn Bundle or Visual Studio Installer Projects. Key Advantages
Do you need an example of for the bootstrapper? evergreen webview2
using Microsoft.Web.WebView2.Core; public async void InitializeWebView() try // Passing null defaults the architecture to the Evergreen Runtime installed on the OS CoreWebView2Environment environment = await CoreWebView2Environment.CreateAsync(null, null, null); // Ensure the visual control is ready await webViewControl.EnsureCoreWebView2Async(environment); // Navigate to your application interface webViewControl.Source = new Uri("https://localhost:8080/app"); catch (WebView2RuntimeNotFoundException) // Fallback logic if the runtime is missing MessageBox.Show("The WebView2 Evergreen Runtime is required. Please install it to proceed."); Use code with caution. Summary: Future-Proofing Desktop Applications
The represents a modern, robust, and developer-friendly approach to embedding web content in Windows applications. By leveraging the widespread availability of the runtime on Windows 10 and Windows 11, the system-wide sharing of binaries, and automatic updates, the Evergreen mode frees developers from the heavy burden of managing runtime distribution and updates. A crucial nuance of the Evergreen distribution mode
Understanding Evergreen WebView2: The Future of Windows Desktop Apps
| Feature | Evergreen | Fixed Version | |------------------------|------------------------------------|----------------------------------| | | Automatic (via Microsoft) | Manual (developer-controlled) | | App size overhead | None (shared runtime) | Large (runtime embedded) | | Security patches | Immediate (OS-level) | Developer must redistribute | | Chromium version | Latest stable (rolling) | Pinned at development time | | Network deployment | Simple (check for runtime presence)| Complex (include binaries) | : Runtimes can be "chained" into application installers
Microsoft WebView2 is a control that lets you embed web technologies into native desktop applications. It uses Microsoft Edge as its rendering engine. This means your desktop app can display complex web pages, run web apps, and utilize modern browser features.