🪟️ Frames Browser

Frames Browser is an iFrame-based HTML5 browser made for fun and development. Use the above menu to operate the app.

You can also visit, or go back to, my home page (OctoSpacc Hub): hub.octt.eu.org!

Usage and Help

This app exists because I needed an efficient interface for visualizing specific websites, HTML data in general, especially via copypaste of data URIs, and allow for even novice users to handle data shared this way.
Being itself a webapp, unfortunately it isn't a replacement for any web browser, but that isn't its goal. This is instead made to be a tool as cross-platform, lightweight, flexible and immediate to use as possible for my scope. A webpage working with iFrames, that can even function offline, has revealed itself to be the best possible option.
In the past I planned to introduce some fancy features like split tabs, but for now I don't really know yet... stay tuned!!
You can read the changelog below, or follow occasional project updates and stories on my development blog.

Some tips:

• The above menu bar takes minimal vertical space and as much horizontal space as possible. On smaller displays, items get moved outside the screen and can be reached simply via scrolling.
• You can open as many new tabs as you want, pointing to whatever URL or uploaded file content, but keep in mind that your browser may limit the amount of storable data.
• You can go back to this info page at any moment by clicking "[ Root Window ]" in the "🪟 Tabs" menu.
• Clicking "📐️ Tools" will open or close the Eruda console as desired. (Note that Eruda is currently only injected in the root window and not inside any iFrame.)

Changelog

2024-09-14

• Fix mobile browsers' UI shifting in place, causing part of the bottom of the iFrame to be hidden.
• Handle code injection in frames efficiently, by externally loading library dependencies.
• Always show modal with screenshot preview after taking one, show download button instead of automatically downloading.

2024-09-13

• Better normalized the action buttons' width.
• Allow resizing frames (and then resetting the size), by hand or by inputting numbers.
• Add "🖨️ Print" and (experimental, thanks to html2canvas) "🖼️ Screenshot" features for any current frame. (Note: this requires code injection and will not work 100%.)

2024-03-19

• Remove info button from toolbar for now.
• Update info page also adding Usage and Help section with tips.
• Fixed interference between frame zoom and menu hiding features.
• Slight improvements to the UI (buttons and margins).
• Optimize storage by automatically removing a saved URL once no open tab points to it.

2024-03-18

• First implementation of handling of URL hash parameters (reduced or "quick" format).
• Open a specific URI or raw HTML data via URL hash (click the links to try!).
• Add "fullscreen" (hide the main app bar) option to GUI (persistent) and quick URL hash flags.
• Fixed some issues with handling UTF8 data URIs.
• Make frame zoom option persistent.

2024-03-17

• Improve internal app state data handling (breaking previous version).
• Add data dump and reset options appearing on boot to users with pre-update database.
• Add link back to my hub in this README.

2024-03-15

• Improve some crusty code.
• Add this default/sample HTML text into the app, visible via the otherwise useless Root Window.
• Add symbol for indicating current zoom level on zoom button.
• Add counter for open frames (goes up to 99 before becoming generic).
• Better handling of devtools, removed floating button and always use dedicated button.

2023-09-23 and before

• MVP version of the app with finished UI and basic features.
• Eruda DevTools.
• In-frame page zoom with 3 levels.
• Creating, deleting, and switching to different frames, inputting URL.
• Persistent app state saving frames and their URLs.
• Excise frame content into another native browser tab (via opening the same URL)
• Import file into data URI from local file.