Chromium Embedded Framework

The Chromium Embedded Framework (CEF) is an open-source software framework for embedding a Chromium web browser within another application. This enables developers to add web browsing functionality to their application, as well as the ability to use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create the application's user interface (or just portions of it).

Chromium Embedded Framework
Developer(s)Marshall Greenblatt
Initial releaseJune 1, 2009 (2009-06-01)
Stable release
78.3.9+gc7345f2+chromium-78.0.3904.108[1] / November 27, 2019 (2019-11-27)
Repository
Written inC++
Operating system
TypeFramework, Web browser
LicenseBSD
Websitebitbucket.org/chromiumembedded/cef

CEF runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows. It has many language bindings including C, C++, C#, Go, Java, and Python.

Overview

There are two versions of Chromium Embedded Framework: CEF 1 and CEF 3.[2] Development of CEF 2 was abandoned after the appearance of the Chromium Content API.[3]

CEF 1 is a single-process implementation based on the Chromium WebKit API. It is no longer actively developed or supported.[4]

CEF 3 is a multi-process implementation based on the Chromium Content API and has performance similar to Google Chrome.[5] It uses asynchronous messaging to communicate between the main application process and one or more render processes (Blink + V8 JavaScript engine). It supports PPAPI plugins and extensions, both internal (PDF viewer) or externally loadable. The single-process run mode is not supported, but still present; currently is being used for debugging purposes only.[6]

On March 16, 2019, the CEF version numbering changed with the release of CEF 73.1.3+g46cf800+chromium-73.0.3683.75. The previous release on March 14, 2019 was CEF 3.3683.1920.g9f41a27. Both of these releases were based on Chromium 73.0.3683.75, however the new version numbering has the major number the same as the Chromium major version number it is based on.

CEF comes with a sample application called CefClient that is written in C++ using WinAPI, Cocoa, or GTK (depending on the platform) and contains demos of various features.[7][8] Newer versions include a sample application called CefSimple that, along with an accompanying tutorial, show how to create a simple application using CEF 3.[9]

Documentation can be found in the header files located in the "include" directory[10][11] and on wiki pages.[12]

Spotify maintains development and stable branches builds for Linux, Mac and Windows in 32- and 64-bit forms.

Supported languages

The base CEF framework includes support for the C and C++ programming languages, but there are external projects that provide bindings for other languages:

  • Delphi (CEF1) – DCEF 1[13]
  • Delphi (CEF3) – DCEF 3[14]
  • Delphi (CEF3) – CEF4Delphi[15]
  • Delphi (CEF3) – WebKitX CEF3 ActiveX
  • Dyalog APL (CEF3) – HTMLRenderer[16]
  • Free Pascal (CEF3) - fpCEF3[17]
  • Go (CEF3) – CEF2go[18]
  • Java (CEF3) – Java Chromium Embedded[19]
  • .NET (CEF1, CEF3) – CefSharp[20]
  • .NET (CEF1) – CefGlue[21]
  • .NET/Mono (CEF3) – Xilium.CefGlue[22]
  • .NET (CEF3) – ChromiumFX[23]
  • .NET (CEF3) – WebKitX CEF3 ActiveX
  • Python (CEF1, CEF3) – CEF Python[24]
  • Swift (CEF3) – CEF.swift[25]
  • Visual Basic 6 (CEF3) – WebKitX CEF3 ActiveX[26]
  • Visual FoxPro (CEF3) – WebKitX CEF3 ActiveX
  • PowerBuilder (CEF3) – WebKitX CEF3 ActiveX
  • Ruby (via the 'win32ole' library) (CEF3) – WebKitX CEF3 ActiveX
  • Visual Basic for Applications 2003/2007/2010/2015/2016 (VBA, Access, Excel) (CEF3) – WebKitX CEF3 ActiveX
  • Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2010/2015/2017 (VB.Net, C#, C++, 32-bit and 64-bit) (CEF3) – WebKitX CEF3 ActiveX
  • Xojo (for Windows apps, 32-bit and 64-bit) (CEF3) – WebKitX CEF3 ActiveX
  • Qt (any Windows version, only for 32-bit) (CEF3) – WebKitX CEF3 ActiveX
  • CodeTyphon Studio -package pl_CEF
  • Embarcadero RAD Studio (VCL C++) (CEF3) - WebKitX CEF3 ActiveX
  • Broadcom CA PLEX (VBScript / C++) (CEF3) - WebKitX CEF3 ActiveX

Applications using CEF

gollark: Potatos is totally useful software!
gollark: I should remove it on my end.
gollark: How do you plan to do them
gollark: ||abc||
gollark: Relaying.

See also

References
  1. "CEF3 WIKI Current Releases Supported".
  2. "Versions – Overview of the CEF architecture".
  3. "Content API – The Chromium Projects".
  4. "CEF1 Retirement Plan".
  5. "CEF 3 Architecture – CEF wiki pages".
  6. "Single process – Process Models- The Chromium Projects".
  7. "CEF Git: 1364/cef1/tests/cefclient/".
  8. "CEF Git: master/tests/cefclient/".
  9. "CefSimple Tutorial".
  10. "CEF Git: /1364/cef1/include/".
  11. "CEF Git: /master/include/".
  12. "CEF Wiki Pages".
  13. "delphichromiumembedded – Delphi Chromium Embedded – Google Project Hosting". Retrieved 2012-12-26.
  14. "dcef3 – Delphi Chromium Embedded 3 – Google Project Hosting". Retrieved 2012-12-26.
  15. "GitHub - salvadordf/CEF4Delphi: CEF4Delphi is an open source project to embed Chromium-based browsers in applications made with Delphi". github.com. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  16. "HTMLRenderer User Guide" (PDF). dyalog.com. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  17. "Chromium Embedded Framework for Free Pascal". Retrieved 2017-01-31.
  18. "HTML 5 based GUI toolkit for the Go language". Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  19. "javachromiumembedded – Java Wrapper for the Chromium Embedded Framework (CEF)".
  20. "chillitom/CefSharp · GitHub". Github.com. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
  21. "fddima / CefGlue / wiki / Home — Bitbucket". Bitbucket.org. 2012-08-21. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
  22. "xilium / Xilium.CefGlue / wiki / Home — Bitbucket". Bitbucket.org. 2012-10-10. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
  23. "ChromiumFX – .NET bindings for the Chromium Embedded Framework (CEF)".
  24. "cefpython – Python bindings for Chrome / Chromium Embedded Framework (CEF) – Google Project Hosting". Retrieved 2012-12-26.
  25. "CEF.swift – Swift bindings for the Chromium Embedded Framework (CEF)".
  26. "WebKitX CEF3 ActiveX – Visual Studio 2015 C++11 MFC/ATL ActiveX for VB6".
  27. "CEF integration in Dreamweaver".
  28. "64bit Version". Battle.net Forums. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  29. "Bitdefender Total Security".
  30. "Coconut2D".
  31. "Eve Launcher – Evelopedia". Archived from the original on 28 May 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  32. "The Architecture of the League Client Update". Riot Games Engineering. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  33. "How To Add a Web Browser to Your App". LiveCode. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  34. "Help us test the new Minecraft launcher! Check the comments for instructions. • /r/Minecraft". reddit. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
  35. "Microsoft PowerBI". Microsoft. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  36. "Quobuz Desktop". Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  37. "Second Life 4.0.0.305703 Release Notes". Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  38. "Sling TV – Watch Live TV Programming Anytime and Anywhere". Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  39. "Open Source @ Spotify". Retrieved 2 March 2016.
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