Browse++: A C++ Browser Engine from Scratch.

A custom-built C++ web browser engine written from scratch to support HTTP and HTTPS, with a web and desktop version.

About:

Browse++ is an experimental browser engine written entirely in C++ from almost scratch.

This browser has its own Network handler, Html Parser, DOM tree handler, Layout Engine, GUI rendering pipeline (using SDL3), and Tabs system! This browser also has a web version (using Next.js and hosted on linux.)

This project was created to help me learn C+, aswell as understand and appricate how modern browsers operate and work under the hood.

Demo:

The demo is a bit behind vs the desktop, but operates the exact same as the desktop, but lacks some of the quality of life features like themes, or the right click menu. If you would like to try the demo, you can try it here: k754a.hackclub.app

Cool Ideas I put into the project:

One of the coolest ideas i did (i just wanted to feature it lol), was that i modified a font file, adding in my own custom icons, as i didnt know how to add images at that point. so the icons of the buttons for the top bar, and all the icons in this, are all font characters!

Another cool thing is that in some spots, theres overlays of the top bar, and the main editor, to get things like buttons working, on the page!

Features

• HTTP & HTTPS support

• Parsing and DOM generation

• CSS parser

• Layout tree

• Rendering engine (using SDL3!)

• Tabs support

• Web version (Missing some of the features...)

• Dark + lightMode

• Right click custom menu

• History Tab

• File loading

• HTML style handling properties (ex. <h1 style="text-align:center; vertical-align:top; color:#000000; font-weight:900;"> Example </h1> )

• Bookmark system

• Page Printing

• Opening tabs in new instances

• Custom Text positioning/properties.

Project Goals

• Build a browser engine while using as few external libraries as possible.

• Learn how browsers actually work.

• Build an awesome project for my resume!

• Attempt to add as many features as I can!

Running Locally

If you would like to run the program locally, you can do such with the release build. Just unzip the file, and double press the .exe file.

If you would like modify my code, and contribute to the project, you can download the full zip, and open the .slnx file in visual studio, You do need to place a folder called "Libraries", in your C:/ dir, then place "C:\Libraries\SDL_ttf" "C:\Libraries\SDL3" "C:\Libraries\SDL3_image"

inside, you are then good to go working on the project!

Roadmap

• Add a DOM tree 🗸

• Add a layout tree 🗸

• Render to a screen 🗸

• Tab management 🗸

• CSS parser 🗸

• Add a CSS DOM tree 🗸

• better formatting 🗸

AI notice

AI has been used in some aspects of this project.

• As a learning tool, an example of which is to generate general examples or to help explain how aspects like trees work in C++, not rewrite, fix, or debug any of my code whatsoever.

• The native Windows code to Linux for the server. Any code changes are clearly marked with (// CHANGED WITH AI: ...) if they have been changed with AI.

• The main windows project has NOT been coded with AI whatsoever.

Contributing

Feel free to make your own forks of this project, add things, and find issues!

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⭐ Support the Project

If you find Browse++ interesting, please consider giving it a ⭐!

It helps more people discover the project!

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