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Overview

There are two versions of Chromium Embedded Framework: CEF 1 and CEF 3.¹ Development of CEF 2 was abandoned after the appearance of the Chromium Content API.²

CEF 1 is a single-process implementation based on the Chromium WebKit API. It is no longer actively developed or supported.³

CEF 3 is a multi-process implementation based on the Chromium Content API and has performance similar to Google Chrome.⁴ It uses asynchronous messaging to communicate between the main application process and one or more render processes (Blink + V8 JavaScript engine). As of July of 2022, it no longer supports PPAPI plugins due to removal of PPAPI, legacy Chrome Apps, and Native Client (NaCl) support from the upstream Chromium project.⁵ PDF viewer support from Chromium's PDFium PDF viewer is still supported though. The single-process run mode is not supported, but still present; currently is being used for debugging purposes only.⁶

On March 16, 2019, the CEF version numbering changed with the release of CEF 73.1.3+g46cf800+chromium-73.0.3683.75. The previous release on March 14, 2019 was CEF 3.3683.1920.g9f41a27. Both of these releases were based on Chromium 73.0.3683.75, however the new version numbering has the major number the same as the Chromium major version number it is based on.

CEF comes with a sample application called CefClient that is written in C++ using WinAPI, Cocoa, or GTK (depending on the platform) and contains demos of various features.⁷⁸ Newer versions include a sample application called CefSimple that, along with an accompanying tutorial, show how to create a simple application using CEF 3.⁹

Documentation can be found in the header files located in the "include" directory¹⁰¹¹ and on wiki pages.¹²

Supported languages

The base CEF framework includes support for the C and C++ programming languages, but there are external projects that provide bindings for other languages:

• Delphi (CEF1) – DCEF 1¹³
• Delphi (CEF3) – DCEF 3¹⁴
• Delphi (CEF3) – CEF4Delphi¹⁵
• Delphi (CEF3) – WebKitX CEF3 ActiveX
• Dyalog APL (CEF3) – HTMLRenderer¹⁶
• Free Pascal (CEF3) - fpCEF3¹⁷
• Go (CEF3) – CEF2go¹⁸
• Java (CEF3) – Java Chromium Embedded¹⁹
• .NET (CEF1, CEF3) – CefSharp²⁰
• .NET (CEF1) – CefGlue²¹
• .NET/Mono (CEF3) – Xilium.CefGlue²²
• .NET (CEF3) – ChromiumFX²³
• .NET (CEF3) – WebKitX CEF3 ActiveX
• Python (CEF1, CEF3) – CEF Python²⁴
• Swift (CEF3) – CEF.swift²⁵
• Visual Basic 6 (CEF3) – WebKitX CEF3 ActiveX²⁶
• Visual FoxPro (CEF3) – WebKitX CEF3 ActiveX
• PowerBuilder (CEF3) – WebKitX CEF3 ActiveX
• Ruby (via the 'win32ole' library) (CEF3) – WebKitX CEF3 ActiveX
• Visual Basic for Applications 2003/2007/2010/2015/2016 (VBA, Access, Excel) (CEF3) – WebKitX CEF3 ActiveX
• Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2010/2015/2017 (VB.Net, C#, C++, 32-bit and 64-bit) (CEF3) – WebKitX CEF3 ActiveX
• Xojo (for Windows apps, 32-bit and 64-bit) (CEF3) – WebKitX CEF3 ActiveX
• Qt (any Windows version, only for 32-bit) (CEF3) – WebKitX CEF3 ActiveX
• CodeTyphon Studio -package pl_CEF
• Embarcadero RAD Studio (VCL C++) (CEF3) - WebKitX CEF3 ActiveX
• Broadcom CA PLEX (VBScript / C++) (CEF3) - WebKitX CEF3 ActiveX
• YallFramework (YS /WS ) (FF213 - WevKitX CEF57 ActiveX)

Applications using CEF

• 4D – relational database management system and IDE
• Adobe²⁷
  • Adobe Acrobat
  • Adobe Illustrator – vector graphics editor
  • Adobe Creative Cloud
  • Adobe Dreamweaver – web development tool which uses CEF to control resource loading, navigation and context menus²⁸ Adobe Chromium Embedded
  • Adobe Edge Animate – multimedia authoring tools
  • Adobe Edge Reflow – web design tool
  • Adobe Brackets – previously closed-source IDE
• AIM – instant messaging client that uses CEF on Windows
• alt:V - multiplayer engine for PC game Grand Theft Auto V
• Amazon Music Player – official media player for Amazon Music
• AOL Desktop – web browser with integrated AOL email and IM clients
• Autodesk Inventor – 3D design tool. Since version 2015, it uses CEF for the 'My Home' feature, a home-page that allows users to create new CAD files and view tutorials.
• Battle.net App – official client for Battle.net
• BeamNG.drive – uses CEF to render UI
• Bitdefender Safepay Browser – part of Bitdefender Internet Security software²⁹
• Brackets – open source code editor for the web
• Desura client – official client for Desura
• Dish World IPTV – streaming video platform
• Dyalog APL – Uses CEF for its user commands ]HTML, ]Plot, and ]APLCart
• Epic Games Launcher – official client for Epic Games Store
• Eve Online launcher – official launcher for Eve Online³⁰
• ExpanDrive – network file system client
• Foxmail – freeware email client by Tencent
• GOG Galaxy – official client for GOG.com
• Google Web Designer – create interactive HTML5 sites and ads
• Grand Theft Auto Online – multiplayer engine for PC game Grand Theft Auto V
• Intel AppUp Encapsulator – Intel app store software
• KKBox – streaming music platform
• League of Legends launcher – official launcher for League of Legends³¹
• LiveCode – multi-platform app development software³²
• LockDown Browser - Secure browser for proctored exams³³
• Mailbird – Windows email software
• MATLAB – Uses CEF for its uifigures
• MediaMan – organizer software
• Microsoft Power BI – Business Intelligence software³⁴
• Minecraft Launcher – official launcher for Minecraft³⁵
• Multi Theft Auto – multiplayer engine for PC game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
• OBS Studio browser plugin - Live streaming software³⁶
• OnlyOffice – office suite³⁷
• PHP Desktop – provide a way for developing native desktop GUI applications using web technologies such as PHP, HTML5, JavaScript and SQLite.
• PokerStars – online poker cardroom
• PTC Creo – Creo Parametric Chromium embedded browser
• QuarkXPress – JavaScript support
• RAGE Multiplayer – multiplayer engine for PC game Grand Theft Auto V
• Rockstar Games Launcher – official client for Social Club
• Second Life – online virtual world³⁸
• Sling TV – IPTV service operated by Dish Network.³⁹
• Spotify Desktop Client – streaming music platform⁴⁰
• StarUML – UML model editor
• Steam client – official client for Valve's Steam⁴¹
• Team Fortress 2 - Video game by Valve that uses Source Engine
• Tencent QQ – instant messaging program (its QPlus part) and web browser
• The Bat! – email client by RitLabs for Microsoft Windows
• TouchDesigner - creative development platform ⁴²
• TOWeb – responsive website creation software
• Trend Micro Internet Security – antivirus software
• Ubisoft Connect client – official client for Ubisoft Connect
• UBot Studio – internet marketing and web automation software
• Uniface – Uniface runtime and development environment
• Unity – game engine
• Unreal Engine – game engine
• Xojo – uses CEF with its HTMLViewer control on Windows

See also

• Free and open-source software portal

• Electron
• Qt WebEngine
• XULRunner
• DotNetBrowser

External links

• Official website

References

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