InAppBrowser

The InAppBrowser is a web browser view that displays when calling [window.open](window.open.html)(), or when opening a link formed as <a target="_blank">.

var ref = window.open('http://apache.org', '_blank', 'location=yes');

NOTE: The InAppBrowser window behaves like a standard web browser, and cannot access Cordova APIs.

Description

The object returned from a call to [window.open](window.open.html).

Methods

  • addEventListener
  • removeEventListener
  • close
  • show
  • executeScript
  • insertCSS

Accessing the Feature

As of version 3.0, Cordova implements device-level APIs as plugins. Use the CLI's plugin command, described in The Command-line Interface, to add or remove this feature for a project:

    $ cordova plugin add org.apache.cordova.inappbrowser
    $ cordova plugin ls
    [ 'org.apache.cordova.inappbrowser' ]
    $ cordova plugin rm org.apache.cordova.inappbrowser

These commands apply to all targeted platforms, but modify the platform-specific configuration settings described below:

  • Android (in app/res/xml/config.xml)

      <feature name="InAppBrowser">
      <param name="android-package" value="org.apache.cordova.inappbrowser.InAppBrowser" />
  </feature>

  • iOS (in config.xml)

      <feature name="InAppBrowser">
      <param name="ios-package" value="CDVInAppBrowser" />
  </feature>

  • Windows Phone 7 and 8 (in config.xml)

      <feature name="InAppBrowser" />

Some platforms may support this feature without requiring any special configuration. See Platform Support in the Overview section.

addEventListener

Adds a listener for an event from the InAppBrowser.

ref.addEventListener(eventname, callback);

  • ref: reference to the InAppBrowser window (InAppBrowser)

  • eventname: the event to listen for (String)

    • loadstart: event fires when the InAppBrowser starts to load a URL.
    • loadstop: event fires when the InAppBrowser finishes loading a URL.
    • loaderror: event fires when the InAppBrowser encounters an error when loading a URL.
    • exit: event fires when the InAppBrowser window is closed.

  • callback: the function that executes when the event fires. The function is passed an InAppBrowserEvent object as a parameter.

Supported Platforms

  • Android
  • BlackBerry
  • iOS
  • Windows Phone 7 and 8

Quick Example

var ref = window.open('http://apache.org', '_blank', 'location=yes');
ref.addEventListener('loadstart', function() { alert(event.url); });

Full Example

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
    <title>InAppBrowser.addEventListener Example</title>

    <script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="cordova.js"></script>
    <script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8">

    // Wait for device API libraries to load
    //
    document.addEventListener("deviceready", onDeviceReady, false);

    // device APIs are available
    //
    function onDeviceReady() {
         var ref = window.open('http://apache.org', '_blank', 'location=yes');
         ref.addEventListener('loadstart', function(event) { alert('start: ' + event.url); });
         ref.addEventListener('loadstop', function(event) { alert('stop: ' + event.url); });
         ref.addEventListener('loaderror', function(event) { alert('error: ' + event.message); });
         ref.addEventListener('exit', function(event) { alert(event.type); });
    }

    </script>
  </head>
  <body>
  </body>
</html>

removeEventListener

Removes a listener for an event from the InAppBrowser.

ref.removeEventListener(eventname, callback);

  • ref: reference to the InAppBrowser window. (InAppBrowser)

  • eventname: the event to stop listening for. (String)

    • loadstart: event fires when the InAppBrowser starts to load a URL.
    • loadstop: event fires when the InAppBrowser finishes loading a URL.
    • loaderror: event fires when the InAppBrowser encounters an error loading a URL.
    • exit: event fires when the InAppBrowser window is closed.

  • callback: the function to execute when the event fires. The function is passed an InAppBrowserEvent object.

Supported Platforms

  • Android
  • BlackBerry
  • iOS
  • Windows Phone 7 and 8

Quick Example

var ref = window.open('http://apache.org', '_blank', 'location=yes');
var myCallback = function() { alert(event.url); }
ref.addEventListener('loadstart', myCallback);
ref.removeEventListener('loadstart', myCallback);

Full Example

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
    <title>InAppBrowser.removeEventListener Example</title>

    <script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="cordova.js"></script>
    <script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8">

    // Wait for device API libraries to load
    //
    document.addEventListener("deviceready", onDeviceReady, false);

    // Global InAppBrowser reference
    var iabRef = null;

    function iabLoadStart(event) {
        alert(event.type + ' - ' + event.url);
    }

    function iabLoadStop(event) {
        alert(event.type + ' - ' + event.url);
    }

    function iabLoadError(event) {
        alert(event.type + ' - ' + event.message);
    }

    function iabClose(event) {
         alert(event.type);
         iabRef.removeEventListener('loadstart', iabLoadStart);
         iabRef.removeEventListener('loadstop', iabLoadStop);
         iabRef.removeEventListener('loaderror', iabLoadError);
         iabRef.removeEventListener('exit', iabClose);
    }

    // device APIs are available
    //
    function onDeviceReady() {
         iabRef = window.open('http://apache.org', '_blank', 'location=yes');
         iabRef.addEventListener('loadstart', iabLoadStart);
         iabRef.addEventListener('loadstop', iabLoadStop);
         iabRef.addEventListener('loaderror', iabLoadError);
         iabRef.addEventListener('exit', iabClose);
    }

    </script>
  </head>
  <body>
  </body>
</html>

close

Closes the InAppBrowser window.

ref.close();
  • ref: reference to the InAppBrowser window (InAppBrowser)

Supported Platforms

  • Android
  • BlackBerry
  • iOS
  • Windows Phone 7 and 8

Quick Example

var ref = window.open('http://apache.org', '_blank', 'location=yes');
ref.close();

Full Example

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
    <title>InAppBrowser.close Example</title>

    <script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="cordova.js"></script>
    <script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8">

    // Wait for device API libraries to load
    //
    document.addEventListener("deviceready", onDeviceReady, false);

    // device APIs are available
    //
    function onDeviceReady() {
         var ref = window.open('http://apache.org', '_blank', 'location=yes');
         // close InAppBrowser after 5 seconds
         setTimeout(function() {
             ref.close();
         }, 5000);
    }

    </script>
  </head>
  <body>
  </body>
</html>

show

Displays an InAppBrowser window that was opened hidden. Calling this has no effect if the InAppBrowser was already visible.

ref.show();
  • ref: reference to the InAppBrowser window (InAppBrowser)

Supported Platforms

  • Android
  • BlackBerry
  • iOS

Quick Example

var ref = window.open('http://apache.org', '_blank', 'hidden=yes');
ref.show();

Full Example

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
    <title>InAppBrowser.show Example</title>

    <script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="cordova.js"></script>
    <script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8">

    // Wait for Cordova to load
    //
    document.addEventListener("deviceready", onDeviceReady, false);

    // Cordova is ready
    //
    function onDeviceReady() {
         var ref = window.open('http://apache.org', '_blank', 'hidden=yes');
         ref.addEventListener('loadstop', function(event) {
             alert('background window loaded'); 
         });
         // close InAppBrowser after 5 seconds
         setTimeout(function() {
             ref.close();
         }, 5000);
    }

    </script>
  </head>
  <body>
  </body>
</html>

executeScript

Injects JavaScript code into the InAppBrowser window

ref.executeScript(details, callback);

  • ref: reference to the InAppBrowser window. (InAppBrowser)

  • injectDetails: details of the script to run, specifying either a file or code key. (Object)
    • file: URL of the script to inject.
    • code: Text of the script to inject.
  • callback: the function that executes after the JavaScript code is injected.
    • If the injected script is of type code, the callback executes with a single parameter, which is the return value of the script, wrapped in an Array. For multi-line scripts, this is the return value of the last statement, or the last expression evaluated.

Supported Platforms

  • Android
  • BlackBerry
  • iOS

Quick Example

var ref = window.open('http://apache.org', '_blank', 'location=yes');
ref.addEventListener('loadstop', function() {
    ref.executeSript({file: "myscript.js"});
});

Full Example

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
    <title>InAppBrowser.executeScript Example</title>

    <script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="cordova.js"></script>
    <script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8">

    // Wait for device API libraries to load
    //
    document.addEventListener("deviceready", onDeviceReady, false);

    // Global InAppBrowser reference
    var iabRef = null;

    // Inject our custom JavaScript into the InAppBrowser window
    //
    function replaceHeaderImage() {
        iabRef.executeScript({
            code: "var img=document.querySelector('#header img'); img.src='http://cordova.apache.org/images/cordova_bot.png';"
        }, function() {
            alert("Image Element Successfully Hijacked");
        });
    }

    function iabClose(event) {
         iabRef.removeEventListener('loadstop', replaceHeaderImage);
         iabRef.removeEventListener('exit', iabClose);
    }

    // device APIs are available
    //
    function onDeviceReady() {
         iabRef = window.open('http://apache.org', '_blank', 'location=yes');
         iabRef.addEventListener('loadstop', replaceHeaderImage);
         iabRef.addEventListener('exit', iabClose);
    }

    </script>
  </head>
  <body>
  </body>
</html>

insertCSS

Injects CSS into the InAppBrowser window.

ref.insertCSS(details, callback);

  • ref: reference to the InAppBrowser window (InAppBrowser)

  • injectDetails: details of the script to run, specifying either a file or code key. (Object)
    • file: URL of the stylesheet to inject.
    • code: Text of the stylesheet to inject.
  • callback: the function that executes after the CSS is injected.

Supported Platforms

  • Android
  • BlackBerry
  • iOS

Quick Example

var ref = window.open('http://apache.org', '_blank', 'location=yes');
ref.addEventListener('loadstop', function() {
    ref.insertCSS({file: "mystyles.css"});
});

Full Example

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
    <title>InAppBrowser.insertCSS Example</title>

    <script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="cordova.js"></script>
    <script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8">

    // Wait for device API libraries to load
    //
    document.addEventListener("deviceready", onDeviceReady, false);

    // Global InAppBrowser reference
    var iabRef = null;

    // Inject our custom CSS into the InAppBrowser window
    //
    function changeBackgroundColor() {
        iabRef.insertCSS({
            code: "body { background: #ffff00; }"
        }, function() {
            alert("Styles Altered");
        });
    }

    function iabClose(event) {
         iabRef.removeEventListener('loadstop', changeBackgroundColor);
         iabRef.removeEventListener('exit', iabClose);
    }

    // device APIs are available
    //
    function onDeviceReady() {
         iabRef = window.open('http://apache.org', '_blank', 'location=yes');
         iabRef.addEventListener('loadstop', changeBackgroundColor);
         iabRef.addEventListener('exit', iabClose);
    }

    </script>
  </head>
  <body>
  </body>
</html>

InAppBrowserEvent

The object that is passed to the callback function from an addEventListener call on an InAppBrowser object.

Properties

  • type: the eventname, either loadstart, loadstop, loaderror, or exit. (String)

  • url: the URL that was loaded. (String)

  • code: the error code, only in the case of loaderror. (Number)

  • message: the error message, only in the case of loaderror. (String)