WKWebView via Interface Builder, runs in Xcode ... |Apple Developer Forums

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Latest reply on May 1, 2019 8:42 AM by john daniel

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ethur Apr 27, 2019 10:16 AM

I've been attempting to make a simple, test macOS app using WKWebView. I've seen lots of samples and basic tutorials, and this rudimentary sample code works when tested directly in the XCode environment:

import Cocoa
import WebKit

class ViewController: NSViewController {

    @IBOutlet weak var webView: WKWebView!
   
    override func viewDidLoad() {
        super.viewDidLoad()
       
        var myURL: URL!
        myURL = URL(string: "https://developer.apple.com/")
        let myRequest = URLRequest(url: myURL!)
        webView.load(myRequest)

    }

}

When it runs, I see an app window with an embedded WKWebView frame, and the specified URL loads within that frame as expected.

However, when I attempt to run the built app file directly on my iMac, all I get is an empty window. I don't even see the frame for the WKWebView object.

The WKWebView was placed in the main.storyboard and the outlet was linked through the standard ctrl-drag operation. The entitlements for App Sandboxing and Network Outgoing Connections are set (otherwise, the URL won't load in Xcode, either).

So, my question is -- should this work? I've seen comments around the web that one cannot implement WKWebView via Interface Builder in older versions of Xcode/macOS, but my tests show it currently works within Xcode 10.2 on macOS 10.14.4. Why would it work in Xcode but not in the built app itself? Am I missing something?

Re: WKWebView via Interface Builder, runs in Xcode but not in built macOS app

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Claude31 Apr 27, 2019 11:34 AM (in response to ethur)
I've just tested and it works, both in XCode and when option-dragging the app outside.

Conf: XCode 10.1ß3
Storyboard, no sandbowing
OSX 10.13.6

But I did not use an IBOutlet for webView, which causes an error
Swift : error: Class Unavailable: WKWebView before macOS 10.12 (NSCoding support was broken in previous versions)
see:
// https://stackoverflow.com/questions/46221577/xcode-9-gm-wkwebview-nscoding-support-was-broken-in-previous-versions

So, that should work with 10.13, but visibly, it does not…

So, my running code is:
import Cocoa import WebKit class WebViewController: NSViewController, WKUIDelegate { var webView: WKWebView! override func loadView() { super.loadView() let webConfiguration = WKWebViewConfiguration() webView = WKWebView(frame: CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: 400, height: 400), configuration: webConfiguration) webView.uiDelegate = self view = webView } override func viewDidLoad() { super.viewDidLoad() var myURL: URL! myURL = URL(string: "https://developer.apple.com/") let myRequest = URLRequest(url: myURL!) webView.load(myRequest) } }

UPDATE

Just tested (same environment) with sandbox activated. DOES work also.

So, my guess:

don't define webView in IB, but directly in code as shown above.
May be there are some remains of the previous bug…
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- Re: WKWebView via Interface Builder, runs in Xcode but not in built macOS app
  
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  ethur Apr 27, 2019 11:55 AM (in response to Claude31)
  
  Indeed, I've also tested the same code for creating the WKWebView programmatically. That method works for me both within Xcode and the built app as well.
  
  However, my reason for wanting to use Interface Builder is to:
  easily define the size and resizing of the WKWebView within the window -- I don't want it to fill the entire window
  add additional controls and buttons above the WKWebView
  
  So, while the programmatic method works, it takes up the whole window, and I'm struggling to get it to position and resize the way I need via code. It also negates the benefit of using Interface Builder to create the storyboard visually, which is what Apple recommends for adding the layout constraints.
  
  Note that in Xcode 10.12.1 and building for a macOS 10.14 target, the NSCoding error doesn't occur. That's what has me wondering if the IBOutlet approach:
  should work, but I've missed some step, entitlement, or other configuration to prevent the built app from working
  should work, but there's a bug in Xcode
  shouldn't work, but for some reason there is no error report within Xcode
  
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  - Re: WKWebView via Interface Builder, runs in Xcode but not in built macOS app
    
    Level 8 (8,105 points)
    Claude31 Apr 27, 2019 12:30 PM (in response to ethur)
    
    You should file a bug report. I guess (but can only guess here) there are still some problems with WKView created in IB.
    
    At least you may get informed feedback.
    
    Good luck.
    
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    - Re: WKWebView via Interface Builder, runs in Xcode but not in built macOS app
      
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      ethur Apr 30, 2019 3:47 PM (in response to Claude31)
      
      Thanks, I've filed a bug report. [ EDIT: it's number 50272736 ]
      
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      - Re: WKWebView via Interface Builder, runs in Xcode but not in built macOS app
        
        Level 8 (8,105 points)
        Claude31 Apr 30, 2019 3:53 AM (in response to ethur)
        
        Just for completeness, could you post the bug number ? And don't forget to close the thread.
        
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  - Re: WKWebView via Interface Builder, runs in Xcode but not in built macOS app
    
    Level 8 (8,105 points)
    Claude31 Apr 30, 2019 11:05 AM (in response to ethur)
    
    If you change
    
    webView = WKWebView(frame: CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: 400, height: 400), configuration: webConfiguration)
    
    to something like
    
    let width = // window.width - 40 let height = // window.height - 80 webView = WKWebView(frame: CGRect(x: 20, y: 20, width: width, height: height), configuration: webConfiguration)
    
    Then, it should not use the full window but leave a 20 margin on left and right and top and 60 at bottom.
    
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    - Re: WKWebView via Interface Builder, runs in Xcode but not in built macOS app
      
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      ethur Apr 30, 2019 9:04 PM (in response to Claude31)
      
      That doesn't seem to work. Even just setting x: 20, y: 20, there is no gap from the corner; it still fills the window.
      
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    - Re: WKWebView via Interface Builder, runs in Xcode but not in built macOS app
      
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      ethur Apr 30, 2019 10:26 PM (in response to Claude31)
      
      Eureka! I found the solution.
      
      In order to make WKWebView resizable, I needed to added it as a subview. This test code is effectively what I was after:
      
      import Cocoa import WebKit class ViewController: NSViewController, WKUIDelegate { var webView: WKWebView! override func viewDidLoad() { super.viewDidLoad() let wvHeight = self.view.frame.height - 40 self.webView = WKWebView(frame: CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: self.view.frame.width, height: wvHeight)) self.webView.autoresizingMask = [.width, .height] self.view.addSubview(self.webView) let myURL = URL(string:"https://developer.apple.com") let myRequest = URLRequest(url: myURL!) webView.load(myRequest) } }
      
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Re: WKWebView via Interface Builder, runs in Xcode but not in built macOS app

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john daniel Apr 30, 2019 7:49 AM (in response to ethur)

This appears to be a well-known problem since at least 2015: www.openradar.me/23699297
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- Re: WKWebView via Interface Builder, runs in Xcode but not in built macOS app
  
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  ethur Apr 30, 2019 3:53 PM (in response to john daniel)
  
  It just seems odd that it's working within Xcode without any error messages. If it didn't work at all, then it would make more sense.
  
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  - Re: WKWebView via Interface Builder, runs in Xcode but not in built macOS app
    
    Level 4 (580 points)
    john daniel Apr 30, 2019 5:07 PM (in response to ethur)
    
    I tried it but I was unable to get an IB WKWebView to work in any context. In my app, I can creating web views as needed and expanding them to fill their container.
    
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    - Re: WKWebView via Interface Builder, runs in Xcode but not in built macOS app
      
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      ethur Apr 30, 2019 9:13 PM (in response to john daniel)
      
      Any tips on setting the sizing? So far I can only get the WKWebView to fill the entire window, no matter what CGRect values I use. I need to push the top of the view down to make room for some controls, then it should otherwise fill and resize with the rest of the window on the left, right and bottom.
      
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      - Re: WKWebView via Interface Builder, runs in Xcode but not in built macOS app
        
        Level 4 (580 points)
        john daniel May 1, 2019 8:42 AM (in response to ethur)
        
        I put this method in an NSView cateory:
        
        // Expand this view to fit its superview. - (void) expandToFit { NSLayoutConstraint * leading = [NSLayoutConstraint constraintWithItem: self attribute: NSLayoutAttributeLeading relatedBy: NSLayoutRelationEqual toItem: self.superview attribute: NSLayoutAttributeLeading multiplier: 1.0 constant: 0.0]; NSLayoutConstraint * trailing = [NSLayoutConstraint constraintWithItem: self attribute: NSLayoutAttributeTrailing relatedBy: NSLayoutRelationEqual toItem: self.superview attribute: NSLayoutAttributeTrailing multiplier: 1.0 constant: 0.0]; NSLayoutConstraint * top = [NSLayoutConstraint constraintWithItem: self attribute: NSLayoutAttributeTop relatedBy: NSLayoutRelationEqual toItem: self.superview attribute: NSLayoutAttributeTop multiplier: 1.0 constant: 0.0]; NSLayoutConstraint * bottom = [NSLayoutConstraint constraintWithItem: self attribute: NSLayoutAttributeBottom relatedBy: NSLayoutRelationEqual toItem: self.superview attribute: NSLayoutAttributeBottom multiplier: 1.0 constant: 0.0]; [self.superview addConstraint: leading]; [self.superview addConstraint: trailing]; [self.superview addConstraint: top]; [self.superview addConstraint: bottom]; }
        
        It's Objective-C, but should be trivial to convert to Swift. I just add the WKWebView. I set an onLoad completion handler and then start the view loading. When the loading completes, I add the web view to a superview with animation and call expandToFit. I position the superview in IB like normal. Make sure to call setTranslatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints: NO after creating the web view.
        
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