Grismar's EVE Wiki : IngameBrowser

The In-game Browser

Or IGB as most players call it, is the internal (in-game) webbrowser of EveOnline. This wiki will often call the IGB IngameBrowser since that is a valid WikiName. EveOnline is one of the first games to have such a fully integrated browser and contrary to the opinion of many people, it's not just a lousy imitation of a regular webbrowser. This article will explain why the IGB is great, it will give a few IGB usage tips and explain what you need to keep in mind when writing pages for it. You may also want to read about IngameBrowserBugs.

Why the IGB is Great

A lot of players complain that the IGB doesn't support Flash, javaScript or some other modern browser plugin or standard. They claim you are better off using a 'real' browser like Internet Explorer or Firefox. If you're visiting pages that have not been written with the IGB in mind: those players are right.

But if the author of a webpage sticks to a few rules (only use most of HTML 4.01 and limited CSS), visitors will be able to view the website from the IGB. Apart from the usual content, a webpage author can also add ingame graphics, link to ingame info screens and the map. A webpage author can also ask the user to trust the page and get access to some information about the pilot, to customize the content of the website. For instance, think about a page that lists all agents in the system you are currently in.

If you are viewing this page from the IGB, you should be able to click the handsome devil to the left and get some info about him, just to prove it works in these wiki pages too. From an out-of-game browser you'll just see a link named Grismar. The EVE game client also uses the IGB as an integral part of its interface, for instance in the MissionDetails window and in your CharacterBio.

Using the IGB

By default, the IGB will have the EVE news page as its homepage. It loads pretty fast, so that's ok, but what would load even faster is a small file on your harddisk with just a few lines in them, pointing to your favourite IGB sites. Of course, you could make the news one of them so you don't miss it, but it will allow the IGB to open somewhat faster. Also, some pages will reload at certain times, so closing the IGB window once you are done with it will probably improve performance.

If you run into trouble with the EVE client and you delete the cache, you're also deleting the browser cache for the IGB. If you use the IGB a lot and don't want to wait for it to load all the pages and images it already had again, make sure you save the cache/browser folder. It also contains your bookmarks.

If people post URLs in chat, they don't always mention whether you should view it out-of-game (oog) or in-game (igb), so when in doubt, right-click the URL, select 'Copy URL' and paste it into your normal browser's address bar. If the site looks like it's very simple or it mentions IGB functions, it is probably IGB compatible. Also, if you post URLs in chat yourself, be a dear and mention oog or igb, saves others the bother.

Some pages ask for trust and many pilots feel weary about just trusting the page. Fact: if you trust the page, you allow it access to a lot of information about you. Fact: if you trust the page, nothing can be changed on your side, not on your account, not in your hangars, not about your ship, not in your wallet, nothing. So, the only reason not to trust a website from the IGB is if you don't want it to have some information about you.

If you want to trust a webpage after you've decided not to trust it (if you change your mind that is), you can go into the options menu and select trusted sites. Add the first part of the URL to the list and you will have trusted it. Use the same window to remove trust. The part of the URL you need is everything up to the first part that ends in .html, .asp or .php (or some other extension starting with a period).

Writing Pages for the IGB

If you want to try your hand at writing pages for the IGB, you better get in a comfortable chair and read the following pages:

• IGB Preliminary Documentation (bughunters.addix.net)
  A listing of all the commands the March (Exodus) version of the IGB supported (IGB compatible page).
• The IGB header (eve.grismar.net)
  A compact overview of getting trust and the available header variables if you get it (IGB compatible page).
• The IGB forum thread (eve-online.com)
  A long-running and active thread where you can read about and report problems with the IGB. Traveler himself frequents this thread and he's always working on the EVE GUI, including the IGB.

If at all possible, try to keep your page simple. Tables and large forms tend to slow the IGB down. And it doesn't handle frequent resizing of complex tables very well either. Although you can't use javascript or vbscript, you can of course use PHP, ASP or some other ServerSide language. Forms are supported and the IGB sends along a decent header, so you can maintain a session.

Make sure you test your website in both the IGB and an out-of-game browser. You'll notice massive differences in how the pages end up looking, so you'll probably want to select a different stylesheet if you detect the IGB. If you visit this page from both the IGB and an out-of-game browser, you'll notice I've done the same.

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Current EVE Version: 2.08.3582 (Exodus)