Load A Web Page Into A Web Page Viewer Web Part Using A Link In Other Web Page Viewer

Jun 18, 2025 by ADMIN 86 views

Load Web Pages into a Web Page Viewer Web Part Using Links

In the realm of SharePoint 2010 web page design, the Web Page Viewer web part stands out as a versatile tool for embedding external web content directly into your SharePoint site. This functionality is particularly useful when you need to integrate information from other websites or web applications seamlessly into your SharePoint environment. This article delves into a specific scenario: loading web pages into one Web Page Viewer web part (WPV-B) by clicking links within another Web Page Viewer web part (WPV-A). This technique allows for a dynamic and interactive user experience, where content displayed in one web part changes based on user actions in another. This approach is highly relevant for creating dashboards, knowledge bases, or any application where contextual information needs to be presented in a cohesive manner. The ability to link web pages between Web Page Viewer web parts enhances the overall usability of your SharePoint site, making it easier for users to navigate and access relevant information. By mastering this technique, you can significantly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your SharePoint web pages. Let's explore how you can achieve this integration and unlock the full potential of your SharePoint site.

Understanding the Web Page Viewer Web Part

To effectively implement this functionality, it's crucial to have a solid understanding of the Web Page Viewer web part itself. This web part essentially acts as an iframe, embedding an external web page within your SharePoint page. It accepts a URL as its primary input and renders the content of that URL within its designated area on the page. This simple yet powerful mechanism allows you to bring in content from virtually any website or web application, provided it's accessible via a URL. However, the Web Page Viewer web part's capabilities extend beyond merely displaying static content. By leveraging JavaScript and URL parameters, you can create dynamic interactions between web parts, as we'll explore in this article. The key to making this work lies in the ability to pass information from one web part to another through the URL. This involves crafting links that, when clicked, not only navigate to a new page but also carry specific parameters that the target Web Page Viewer web part can interpret. These parameters can then be used to determine which content to display in the target web part. The flexibility of the Web Page Viewer web part makes it an invaluable asset in SharePoint development, enabling you to create rich and interactive web pages that meet a wide range of business needs. Whether you're building a corporate intranet, a project management portal, or a customer-facing website, the Web Page Viewer web part can help you deliver a compelling user experience.

Setting the Stage: WPV-A and WPV-B

Imagine you have two Web Page Viewer web parts, strategically placed on your SharePoint page. Let's call them WPV-A and WPV-B, as mentioned in the initial scenario. WPV-A serves as the navigation hub, containing a series of links that represent different content options. These links could point to various articles, reports, or even external websites. WPV-B, on the other hand, acts as the content display area. Initially, it might show a default page or a welcome message. The goal is to make the content displayed in WPV-B change dynamically based on which link is clicked in WPV-A. This setup creates a master-detail relationship, where WPV-A acts as the master control and WPV-B displays the details based on the user's selection. This pattern is common in many web applications and provides a clean and intuitive way for users to explore information. To achieve this dynamic behavior, we need to establish a communication channel between WPV-A and WPV-B. This is where the URL parameters come into play. When a user clicks a link in WPV-A, the link's URL will include a parameter that identifies the content to be displayed in WPV-B. This parameter acts as a signal, telling WPV-B which page to load. This approach allows for a seamless transition between content, creating a fluid and engaging user experience.

The Core Technique: Passing URL Parameters

The linchpin of this interaction lies in the ability to pass information between the web parts using URL parameters. When a link is clicked in WPV-A, it should include a parameter in its URL that specifies which content to load in WPV-B. This parameter typically consists of a key-value pair appended to the URL after a question mark (?). For example, if you want to load a page called "article1.html" in WPV-B, the link in WPV-A might look like this: http://yoursharepointsite/Pages/YourPage.aspx?target=article1.html. Here, "target" is the parameter name, and "article1.html" is the value. WPV-B will then need to be configured to read this parameter and use it to determine which page to display. This can be achieved using JavaScript within the page loaded in WPV-B. The JavaScript code will extract the value of the "target" parameter from the URL and then dynamically set the URL of the Web Page Viewer web part. This process involves manipulating the DOM (Document Object Model) of the page to change the src attribute of the iframe that represents WPV-B. By dynamically updating the src attribute, you can effectively load a new page into WPV-B without a full page refresh. This approach not only enhances the user experience but also reduces the load on the server, as only the content within the Web Page Viewer web part needs to be updated. The key to success lies in ensuring that the parameter names and values are consistent between WPV-A and WPV-B. This requires careful planning and coordination, but the resulting dynamic interaction is well worth the effort.

Crafting Links in WPV-A

The links within WPV-A are the triggers for the dynamic content loading. Each link needs to be carefully crafted to include the necessary URL parameter that identifies the target content for WPV-B. The structure of these links is crucial for the success of the interaction. As mentioned earlier, the basic format of a link should be http://yoursharepointsite/Pages/YourPage.aspx?target=yourcontent.html. However, you can extend this concept to include multiple parameters if needed. For example, you might want to pass both the target page and a category ID. In that case, the link might look like this: http://yoursharepointsite/Pages/YourPage.aspx?target=yourcontent.html&category=123. The key is to use a consistent naming convention for your parameters and to ensure that WPV-B is configured to interpret these parameters correctly. When creating the links in WPV-A, you have several options. You can use simple HTML anchor tags (<a>), or you can use more advanced techniques such as JavaScript to dynamically generate the links. The choice depends on the complexity of your requirements and your familiarity with different web development techniques. If you're using HTML anchor tags, you can simply add the href attribute with the appropriate URL and parameters. If you're using JavaScript, you can use the document.createElement() method to create the anchor tags and then set their href attribute dynamically. Regardless of the method you choose, the key is to ensure that the links are properly formatted and that they include the necessary parameters to communicate the target content to WPV-B.

Configuring WPV-B to Receive and Interpret Parameters

The other half of the equation lies in configuring WPV-B to receive and interpret the URL parameters passed from WPV-A. This is where JavaScript plays a critical role. The page loaded within WPV-B needs to contain JavaScript code that can extract the URL parameters and use them to dynamically set the content to be displayed. The first step is to extract the parameters from the URL. This can be achieved using the window.location.search property, which returns the portion of the URL after the question mark (?). Once you have the query string, you can parse it to extract the individual parameter names and values. There are several JavaScript libraries and techniques available for parsing query strings, such as using the URLSearchParams API or writing a custom function to split the string based on the ampersand (&) and equals (=) characters. Once you have the parameter values, you can use them to determine which content to load. In the case of the "target" parameter, you would use its value to set the src attribute of the iframe that represents WPV-B. This can be done using the document.getElementById() method to get a reference to the iframe and then setting its src attribute to the new URL. It's important to note that you might need to handle cases where the "target" parameter is missing or invalid. This can be done by providing a default content or displaying an error message. Additionally, you should consider security implications when dynamically loading content from external sources. Always ensure that the content you're loading is from a trusted source and that it doesn't pose any security risks to your SharePoint environment.

JavaScript Snippet for Parameter Extraction

To illustrate the process of extracting URL parameters, here's a JavaScript snippet that you can adapt for your own use:

function getParameterByName(name, url = window.location.href) {
 name = name.replace(/[[]]/g, '\{{content}}amp;');
 var regex = new RegExp('[?&]' + name + '(=([^&#]*)|&|#|$)'),
 results = regex.exec(url);
 if (!results)
 return null;
 if (!results[2])
 return '';
 return decodeURIComponent(results[2].replace(/+/g, ' '));
}
// Usage:
var targetPage = getParameterByName('target');
if (targetPage) {
// Load the target page into WPV-B
var wpvB = document.getElementById('WPV-B-iframe'); // Replace with your iframe ID
if (wpvB) {
wpvB.src = targetPage;
}
}

This snippet defines a function getParameterByName that takes a parameter name as input and returns its value from the URL. It uses a regular expression to efficiently extract the parameter value. The snippet then demonstrates how to use this function to get the value of the "target" parameter and load the corresponding page into the iframe representing WPV-B. Remember to replace WPV-B-iframe with the actual ID of your iframe element. This snippet provides a starting point for your JavaScript code. You can customize it further to handle multiple parameters, implement error handling, and integrate it into your overall SharePoint page design.

Putting It All Together: A Step-by-Step Guide

To summarize and provide a clear path to implementation, here's a step-by-step guide to loading web pages into WPV-B using links in WPV-A:

Add two Web Page Viewer web parts to your SharePoint page. Name them WPV-A and WPV-B for clarity.
Configure WPV-A to display a page with links. These links should point to the same SharePoint page but include a URL parameter (e.g., ?target=article1.html) to specify the content to load in WPV-B.
Configure WPV-B to load a default page. This will be the initial content displayed in WPV-B before any links are clicked.
Add JavaScript code to the page loaded in WPV-B. This code should extract the URL parameter (e.g., "target") and use its value to dynamically set the src attribute of the iframe representing WPV-B.
Test the functionality. Click the links in WPV-A and verify that the content in WPV-B changes accordingly.

By following these steps, you can successfully implement the dynamic content loading mechanism and create a more interactive and user-friendly SharePoint page. Remember to test your implementation thoroughly and address any potential issues that may arise. This technique can be applied to a wide range of scenarios, from creating dashboards and knowledge bases to building custom applications within your SharePoint environment.

Advanced Considerations and Best Practices

While the basic technique is relatively straightforward, there are several advanced considerations and best practices to keep in mind when implementing this solution:

Security: Always validate and sanitize the URL parameters to prevent potential security vulnerabilities, such as cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks. Avoid directly using the parameter value in the src attribute without proper validation.
Error Handling: Implement robust error handling to gracefully handle cases where the target page is not found or an invalid parameter is passed. Display informative error messages to the user.
Performance: Optimize the performance of your page by minimizing the size of the pages loaded in the Web Page Viewer web parts. Consider using caching mechanisms to reduce the load on the server.
User Experience: Design the user interface carefully to ensure a seamless and intuitive experience. Use clear and concise labels for the links in WPV-A and provide visual feedback to the user when the content in WPV-B is loading.
Accessibility: Ensure that your implementation is accessible to users with disabilities. Use appropriate ARIA attributes and follow accessibility guidelines when creating the links and displaying the content.
Maintainability: Write clean and well-documented code to make it easier to maintain and update your solution in the future. Use modular JavaScript code and follow coding best practices.

By considering these advanced considerations and best practices, you can build a robust and scalable solution that meets the needs of your users and your organization.

Conclusion

Loading web pages into a Web Page Viewer web part using links in another Web Page Viewer web part is a powerful technique for creating dynamic and interactive SharePoint pages. By leveraging URL parameters and JavaScript, you can establish communication between web parts and create a seamless user experience. This approach is particularly useful for building dashboards, knowledge bases, and custom applications within your SharePoint environment. Remember to carefully plan your implementation, consider security and performance implications, and follow best practices to ensure a robust and maintainable solution. With a solid understanding of the Web Page Viewer web part and the techniques described in this article, you can unlock the full potential of your SharePoint site and deliver a compelling user experience.