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How to set the WebBrowser object in the .NET Framework to use whatever highest version of IE is installed on the users system

So the title says it all, I would like C# code (so please, PLEASE make sure it isn't Visual Basic code). And that is all I want to ask. I have tried the web browser built in to the .NET framework, but it looks like some old version of IE (if I am right or not). And if you answered, well thanks I guess! I need this for a small project where a bot would just log on to a website (its a base for future projects).

By default it's IE7. You can bang a registry entry in to make it later:
public static void EnsureBrowserEmulationEnabled(string exename = "YourAppName.exe", bool uninstall = false)
{
try
{
using (
var rk = Registry.CurrentUser.OpenSubKey(
#"SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl\FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION", true)
)
{
if (!uninstall)
{
dynamic value = rk.GetValue(exename);
if (value == null)
rk.SetValue(exename, (uint)11001, RegistryValueKind.DWord);
}
else
rk.DeleteValue(exename);
}
}
catch
{
}
}
Code courtesy of this blog
The values you can use in place of 11001 can be found in MSDN
Alternatively; can you do what you want by using WebClient/HttpWebRequest rather than poking at a web browser control to navigate around? Or can you find some web service/api version of the site that will respond with JSON rather than trying to manipulate html?
I was mildly curious why you'd care what a page looks like if it's a bot that is using it, but perhaps you're hitting a "your IE is too old" from the server..

In coded ui how do you correctly retrieve a browser window that contains an embedded Adobe PDF reader in browser

I'am running across this issue when I'm debugging or running my coded UI automation project, where i get the exception labeled "{"COM object that has been separated from its underlying RCW cannot be used." System.Exception {System.Runtime.InteropServices.InvalidComObjectException}" everytime i come from a browser window that contains a pdf reader embedded in it. This happens every time I retrieve the window and try to click back. It barfs when i perform the back method on it. I've tried different things but none has worked including the playback wait.
var hereIsmypdf = ReturnPDFDoc();
public BrowserWindow ReturnPDFDoc()
{
Playback.Wait(1000);
var myPdFdoc = GlobalVariables.Browser;
return myPdFdoc;
}
hereIsmypdf.Back();

The only way i was able to get around this issue was not to use the BrowserWindow class. I ended up using the WinWindow class and just getting the tab of the window from it. The BrowserWindow class seemed to trigger the exception "COM object that has been separated from its underlying RCW cannot be used." System.Exception {System.Runtime.InteropServices.InvalidComObjectException}" everytime i tried to retrieve it. I hope this helps someone one or maybe someone has a better way to handle this issue.
For the people that voted my question down, i really did try to figure it out. Sorry i wasnt clear about what i was asking the community or couldn't properly articulate what this pain was. I'm sure someone probably is going through the same pain i did and having a hard time articulating whats going on.
Here is my code on what i ended up doing
public WinTabPage ReturnPDFDoc()
{
WinWindow Wnd = new WinWindow();
Wnd.SearchProperties[BrowserWindow.PropertyNames.ClassName] = "IEFrame";
WinTabList tabRoWlist = new WinTabList(Wnd);
tabRoWlist.SearchProperties[WinTabPage.PropertyNames.Name] = "Tab Row";
WinTabPage myTab = new WinTabPage(tabRoWlist);
myTab.SearchConfigurations.Add(SearchConfiguration.AlwaysSearch);
myTab.SearchProperties[WinTabPage.PropertyNames.Name] = "something";
//UITestControlCollection windows = newWin.FindMatchingControls();
return myTab;
}

Automated tests using MessageBox with MessageBoxButtons.YesNoCancel

I'm using the TestStack.White framework for a WinForms .Net 2.0 C# application's coded automated regression tests. I have no problem handling OK/Cancel message boxes (MessageBox.Show(...)) but I'm having trouble handling the Yes/No buttons when using MessageBoxButtons.YesNoCancel. Thing is, I do not know what the button names are.
These work in my test jigs:
public ButtonTestJig OkButton
{
get { return new ButtonTestJig(Window, "okButton"); }
}
public ButtonTestJig CancelButton
{
get { return new ButtonTestJig(Window, "cancelButton"); }
}
Does anybody know the equivalent "cancelButton" for the NO button and the equivalent "okButton" for the YES button? Or perhaps even better, how to find them. My googling failed me.
Thanks

You can use http://uiautomationverify.codeplex.com/releases/view/11366 or inspect.exe (which comes in the windows SDK to see what the automation Id's for those controls are.

How to get selected text from an active application, without using a clipboard

What am I doing:
My main intent is to enable user friendly text to speech for personal use on Win 7. Approach should work in Google Chrome, VS and Eclipse.
Code example:
Following code creates global keyboard hook for ctrl + alt + space, called hookEvent. If event fires, it starts/stops speaking clipboard contents ( that can be updated with ctrl + c ).
/// <summary>
/// KeyboardHook from: http://www.liensberger.it/web/blog/?p=207
/// </summary>
private readonly KeyboardHook hook = new KeyboardHook();
private readonly SpeechSynthesizer speaker = //
new SpeechSynthesizer { Rate = 3, Volume = 100 };
private void doSpeaking(string text)
{
// starts / stops speaking, while not blocking UI
if (speaker.State != SynthesizerState.Speaking)
speaker.SpeakAsync(text);
else
speaker.SpeakAsyncCancelAll();
}
private void hookEvent(object sender, KeyPressedEventArgs e)
{
this.doSpeaking(Convert.ToString(Clipboard.GetText()));
}
public Form1()
{
InitializeComponent();
hook.KeyPressed += new EventHandler<KeyPressedEventArgs>(hookEvent);
hook.RegisterHotKey(ModifierKeysx.Control|ModifierKeysx.Alt, Keys.Space);
}
Question:
I would prefer not using the clipboard. Or at least, restoring the value after, something like:
[MethodImpl(MethodImplOptions.Synchronized)]
private string getSelectedTextHACK()
{
object restorePoint = Clipboard.GetData(DataFormats.UnicodeText);
SendKeys.SendWait("^c");
string result = Convert.ToString(Clipboard.GetText());
Clipboard.SetData(DataFormats.UnicodeText, restorePoint);
return result;
}
What are my options?
Edit:
To my surprise, I found that my clipboard reader is the best way to go. I created a notification area app, that responds to left click (speaking clipboard) and right click (menu opens up). In menu the user can chance speed, speak or create a audio file.

MS provide accessibility tools that do cover what you're trying to do. If you take a look at documents about screen scraping. In short, every component is accessible in some manner, if you use some of the windows debugging tools you can get to see the component names/structures within. You can then use that, however, its complicated as most times you would need to be very specific for each application you intend to scrape from.
If you manage to scrape you dont need to use the clipboard, as you can access the text property of the apps direct. Its not something I've had to do, hence, Ive no code to offer off the top of my head, but the term "screen scraping" should point you in the right direction.

If to expand a little on what Bugfinder said, Microsoft provider a UI Automation Framework to solve problems like the one you mentioned:
In particular you can use the TextSelectionChangedEvent of TextPattern:
The problem with this solution is that it only works on supported operating systems and applications - and not all support this.
Your clipboard solution is acceptable for applications that do not provide a good automation interface.
But for many applications the UI Automation Framework will work well and will provide you with a far better solution.

Is it possible to open a PDF inside a c# application with Acrobat.dll?

I know that I can display a PDF file in my c# executable (not web app) with:
private AxAcroPDFLib.AxAcroPDF axAcroPDF1;
axAcroPDF1.LoadFile(#"somefile.pdf");
axAcroPDF1.Show();
But that is the regular pdf viewer like in the browser. I don't want that. I want full Adobe Standard or Professional functionality in my C# application using the Adobe controls. For example, if I use the code above, it loads in the C# app and I can see the adobe toolbar (print, save, etc.) But it is useless to me because I need things like save which cannot be done with the activex viewer above. Specifically, you cannot save, just as you cannot within the broswer.
So, I referenced the acrobat.dll and am trying to use:
Acrobat.AcroAVDocClass _acroDoc = new Acrobat.AcroAVDocClass();
Acrobat.AcroApp _myAdobe = new Acrobat.AcroApp();
Acrobat.AcroPDDoc _pdDoc = null;
_acroDoc.Open(myPath, "test");
pdDoc = (Acrobat.AcroPDDoc)(_acroDoc.GetPDDoc());
_acroDoc.SetViewMode(2);
_myAdobe.Show();
It opens adobe acrobat but it opens it outside of my c# application. I need it to open in my c# application like the activex library does. Can it be done with these libraries?
If I cannot open it in my c# application I would like to be able to "hold" my c# app tied to it so the c# app knows when I close the adobe app. At least that way I'd have some measure of control. This means I would hit open, the adobe app opens. I close the adobe app, my C# app is aware of this and loads the newly changed doc with the activex library (because I don't need change ability anymore, just displaying.)
I have the full versions of adobe acrobat installed on my computer. It is not the reader.
Thank you for any help.
edit:
There is an example in vb in the adobe acrobat sdk. I believe it is called activeview.

you can check out ABCpdf. I dont know if it has this capability but we have used it for several of our apps

Using a webbrowser control would be an option to display the content.

IText# may help you out.
You can create PDF's and I believe you can use it to read and modify them.
As for displaying in the app..... I am not sure how to display them with iText or if it is possible (have not tried this yet), sorry. iText does let you convert to RTF which may be one approach.

Best option is to write a listener which tells your calling code when Adobe.exe is no longer running. Something like the following (with tweaks for your uses) should work:
public void Open(string myPath)
{
Acrobat.AcroAVDocClass _acroDoc = new Acrobat.AcroAVDocClass();
Acrobat.AcroApp _myAdobe = new Acrobat.AcroApp();
Acrobat.AcroPDDoc _pdDoc = null;
_acroDoc.Open(myPath, "test");
_pdDoc = (Acrobat.AcroPDDoc) (_acroDoc.GetPDDoc());
_acroDoc.SetViewMode(2);
_myAdobe.Show();
NotifyAdobeClosed += new EventHandler(Monitor_NotifyAdobeClosed);
MonitorAdobe();
}
private void Monitor_NotifyAdobeClosed(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
NotifyAdobeClosed -= Monitor_NotifyAdobeClosed;
//Do whatever it is you want to do when adobe is closed.
}
private void MonitorAdobe()
{
while(true)
{
var adcount = (from p in Process.GetProcesses()
where p.ProcessName.ToLower() == "acrobat"
select p).Count();
if (adcount == 0)
{
OnNotifyAdobeClosed();
break;
}
}
}
public event EventHandler NotifyAdobeClosed;
public void OnNotifyAdobeClosed()
{
if (NotifyAdobeClosed != null)
NotifyAdobeClosed(this, null);
}