Specifying the Default Web Browser

You can configure the IDE to use either the internal Swing HTML web browser or external web browser. Both types of browsers enable you to view external and local web pages, including online help and Javadoc documentation. The Swing HTML browser provides the highest level of integration with the IDE--you can embed an internal browser into another IDE window or an MDI frame.

The preferred browser for use with the IDE is an external browser, which provides more functionality than an internal browser and does not close when you shut down the IDE. A disadvantage of using an external browser is that you cannot embed it in an IDE window. Three implementations of the external browser are available for use with the IDE:

At startup, the default browser is the Microsoft Windows or UNIX external browser, depending on your platform. By default, the IDE uses the same browser for displaying HTML pages and JSPs, unless you explicitly set the JSP browser.

To change the default browser for HTML pages:

  1. From the main menu, choose Tools and choose Setup Wizard.
  2. In the Setup wizard, select a browser type from the Web Browser combo box.

To change the default browser for JSPs and servlets:

  1. From the main menu, choose Tools and choose Options.
  2. In the Options window, expand the Building node and select the JSP & Servlets node.
  3. Click the value for the Web browser property and select a browser type from the combo box.
See also
External Browser
Swing HTML Browser

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