How Android webview uses webkit?

Question

I know that webkit is a layout engine used for display HTML content in web browser. I looked at Webkit ports and found no stuffs related to Android. I also looked at Android source folder for WebView class, but I can't see how Webview is related to Webkit.

I want to know how webkit is used in Android webview, how to customize webkit ?

I also want to know the threading mechanism used in webkit, how it uses thread pool for processing layout and javascript (especially for Android)

I really need help. Thanks in advance.

UPDATE

I look into WebView.java, WebViewCore.java and JniUtil.java in webkit package. Particularly in JniUtil.java there is

static {
        System.loadLibrary("webcore");
        System.loadLibrary("chromium_net");
}

Where are webcore and chromium_net ? Are they related to this webkit source ?

1) Android webviews use Webkit. The third sentence of the docs begins "It uses the WebKit rendering engine...". Also, the class name is android.webkit.WebView. 2) Not sure what you mean by customizing webkit, what are you trying to accomplish? 3) Webkit will use threads internally, but you don't need to worry about that, and you can't access threading in Javascript with web workers (yet). [Not an answer because I don't feel like this really answered anything, but your questions are also a little vague. Be more specific about your goal.] — jrajav
Thank @Kiyura 1) I know Android webview uses Webkit, but I want to know how webkit is built/port for Android, because when looking at Android source, I see nothing related to webkit. 2) I'm trying to customize the way it renders HTML and processes javascript. 3) Can I change the threading behavior, like the maximum number of threads in a thread pool ? — onmyway133
Don't know about any of that, sorry. You might have more luck writing your own Webkit-based browser. — jrajav

Khanh Tran Khanh Tran · Accepted Answer · 2012-09-21T15:53:47

the following picture: android architecture -

webkit located on the libraries layer. and webkit source was developed by c/c++.

I think android webview connect to webkit by using jni (java native interface). You can view android source (c++ part). I think the solution there.

EDIT: You can see the class android.webkit.WebViewCore: On static constructor:

static {
    // Load libwebcore and libchromium_net during static initialization.
    // This happens in the zygote process so they will be shared read-only
    // across all app processes.
    try {
        System.loadLibrary("webcore");
        System.loadLibrary("chromium_net");
    } catch (UnsatisfiedLinkError e) {
        Log.e(LOGTAG, "Unable to load native support libraries.");
    }
}

I think you can find in webcore & chromium_net (android source c++)

Update: I find the link jni of android webkit

How Android webview uses webkit?

1 Answers