WebCore

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WebCore is a framework developed by Apple, and licensed under the LGPL, to provide an HTML layout engine for Mac OS X. It is one of the two primary components of the WebKit framework (the other being JavaScriptCore).

WebCore combines the open source KHTML layout engine developed by the KDE project, with an adapter library called KWQ (pronounced Quack). Apple created the KWQ adapter to replace KHTML's dependency on code from the Qt toolkit and other KDE modules. KWQ also presents an Objective-C application programming interface to the C++-based KHTML rendering engine, allowing it to easily be referenced by Cocoa-based applications.

Apple announced WebCore at the January 7, 2003 Macworld Expo with the release of the Safari web browser. Later that day the developers submitted their changes to the KHTML library to the KDE project [1]. Later, in June 2005, Apple further opened access to their CVS (now Subversion) source code repository and Bugzilla bug database, its previously closed nature once being an obstacle to merging WebCore changes back into KHTML.[2]

Since then, a number of projects have built on the WebCore library, porting it to other platforms like Nokia mobile or the cross-platform GNUstep libraries, or adopting it for use in their own browsers like The Omni Group's OmniWeb browser.

Although Mac developers can use WebCore to incorporate an HTML layout engine into their applications, Apple recommends the use of WebKit, which is included by default from Mac OS X version 10.2.7 onwards and whose interfaces are stable.

[edit] Applications using WebCore

Help Viewer — default help file viewing application in Mac OS X.
iWeb — websites creation software released by Apple and included in iLife '06.
Mail — The Mac OS X email client software.
OmniWeb (versions before 5.5) — a web browser produced by The Omni Group for Mac OS X.
RapidWeaver — an easy to use website creation tool that follows W3C standards.
RealPlayer — a media player with a built in web browser (OS X version uses WebCore).
Sandvox — an easy to use website creation tool that follows W3C standards.
Nokia web browser — a mobile web browser for Nokia Series 60 phones.