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 half 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].

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 Omni Group's OmniWeb browser.

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

WebCore based applications

• Safari - Apple's native web browser for Mac OS X
• OmniWeb - A web browser produced by the Omni Group for Mac OS X

See also

• List of layout engines
• Comparison of layout engines

External links

• WebCore at developer.apple.com
• Greetings from the Safari team at Apple Computer - initial communication between WebCore and KHTML teams
• Gtk+ WebCore - Nokia port of WebCore