SherbyNet - /page/wikibook/entry.mu

Micron Document

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`!KHTML`! is a discontinued`:cite-ref-discontinued-3-0[`F5bf`_`[3`#cite-note-discontinued-3]`_`f] `F33f`_`[browser engine`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Browser_engine]`_`f that was developed by the `F33f`_`[KDE`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=KDE]`_`f project. It originated as the engine of the `F33f`_`[Konqueror`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Konqueror]`_`f browser in the late 1990s, but active development ceased in 2016.`:cite-ref-git-log-1-1[`F5bf`_`[1`#cite-note-git-log-1]`_`f]`:cite-ref-kde-6-4-0[`F5bf`_`[4`#cite-note-kde-6-4]`_`f] It was officially discontinued in 2023.`:cite-ref-discontinued-3-1[`F5bf`_`[3`#cite-note-discontinued-3]`_`f]

Built on the `F33f`_`[KParts`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=KParts]`_`f framework and written in `F33f`_`[C++`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=C++]`_`f, KHTML had relatively good `F33f`_`[support for Web standards`#standards-compliance]`_`f during its prime. Engines forked from KHTML are used by most of the browsers that are widely used today, including `F33f`_`[WebKit`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=WebKit]`_`f (`F33f`_`[Safari`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Safari_(web_browser)]`_`f) and `F33f`_`[Blink`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Blink_(browser_engine)]`_`f (`F33f`_`[Google Chrome`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Google_Chrome]`_`f, `F33f`_`[Chromium`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Chromium_(web_browser)]`_`f, `F33f`_`[Microsoft Edge`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Microsoft_Edge]`_`f, `F33f`_`[Opera`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Opera_(web_browser)]`_`f, `F33f`_`[Vivaldi`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Vivaldi_(web_browser)]`_`f and `F33f`_`[Brave`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Brave_(web_browser)]`_`f).

>>Contents

• `F0af`_`[History`#history]`_`f

• `F0af`_`[Origins`#origins]`_`f

• `F0af`_`[Re-write and improvement`#re-write-and-improvement]`_`f

• `F0af`_`[Other modules`#other-modules]`_`f

• `F0af`_`[Sunsetting`#sunsetting]`_`f

• `F0af`_`[Standards compliance`#standards-compliance]`_`f

• `F0af`_`[Descendants`#descendants]`_`f

• `F0af`_`[See also`#see-also]`_`f

• `F0af`_`[References`#references]`_`f

• `F0af`_`[External links`#external-links]`_`f

-─

>>History

>>>Origins

KHTML was preceded by an earlier engine called `*khtmlw`* or `*the KDE HTML Widget`*, developed by Torben Weis and Martin Jones,`:cite-ref-auto-5-0[`F5bf`_`[5`#cite-note-auto-5]`_`f]`:cite-ref-6[`F5bf`_`[6`#cite-note-6]`_`f] which implemented support for `F33f`_`[HTML`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=HTML]`_`f 3.2, `F33f`_`[HTTP`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=HTTP]`_`f 1.0, and `F33f`_`[HTML frames`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Frame_(World_Wide_Web)]`_`f, but not the `F33f`_`[DOM`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Document_Object_Model]`_`f, `F33f`_`[CSS`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Cascading_Style_Sheets]`_`f, or `F33f`_`[JavaScript`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=JavaScript]`_`f.

KHTML itself came into existence on November 4, 1998,`:cite-ref-auto-5-1[`F5bf`_`[5`#cite-note-auto-5]`_`f] as a `F33f`_`[fork`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Fork_(software_development)]`_`f of the khtmlw library, with some slight refactoring and the addition of `F33f`_`[Unicode`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Unicode]`_`f support and changes to support the move to `F33f`_`[Qt`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Qt_(software)]`_`f 2. Waldo Bastian`:cite-ref-7[`F5bf`_`[7`#cite-note-7]`_`f] was among those who did the work of creating that early version of KHTML.`:cite-ref-auto-5-2[`F5bf`_`[5`#cite-note-auto-5]`_`f]

>>>Re-write and improvement

The real work on KHTML actually started between May and October 1999, with the realization that the choice facing the project was "either do a significant effort to move KHTML forward or to use `F33f`_`[Mozilla`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Mozilla]`_`f"`:cite-ref-auto-5-3[`F5bf`_`[5`#cite-note-auto-5]`_`f] and with adding support for `F33f`_`[JavaScript`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=JavaScript]`_`f as the highest priority. So in May 1999, Lars Knoll`:cite-ref-8[`F5bf`_`[8`#cite-note-8]`_`f] began doing research with an eye toward implementing the `F33f`_`[DOM`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Document_Object_Model]`_`f specification, finally announcing`:cite-ref-9[`F5bf`_`[9`#cite-note-9]`_`f] on August 16, 1999 that he had checked in`:cite-ref-10[`F5bf`_`[10`#cite-note-10]`_`f] what amounted to a complete rewrite of the KHTML library—changing KHTML to use the standard `F33f`_`[DOM`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Document_Object_Model]`_`f as its internal document representation. That in turn allowed the beginnings of `F33f`_`[JavaScript`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=JavaScript]`_`f support to be added in October 1999,`:cite-ref-auto-5-4[`F5bf`_`[5`#cite-note-auto-5]`_`f] followed shortly afterwards with the integration of `F33f`_`[KJS`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=KJS_(JavaScript_engine)]`_`f by `F33f`_`[Harri Porten`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Harri_Porten]`_`f.

In the closing months of 1999 and first few months of 2000, Knoll did further work with Antti Koivisto and Dirk Mueller`:cite-ref-auto-5-5[`F5bf`_`[5`#cite-note-auto-5]`_`f]`:cite-ref-11[`F5bf`_`[11`#cite-note-11]`_`f]`:cite-ref-12[`F5bf`_`[12`#cite-note-12]`_`f] to add CSS support and to refine and stabilize the KHTML architecture,`:cite-ref-auto-5-6[`F5bf`_`[5`#cite-note-auto-5]`_`f] with most of that work being completed by March 2000. Among other things, those changes enabled KHTML to become the second browser after `F33f`_`[Internet Explorer`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Internet_Explorer]`_`f to correctly support `F33f`_`[Hebrew`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Hebrew]`_`f and `F33f`_`[Arabic`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Arabic]`_`f and languages written `F33f`_`[right-to-left`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Bi-directional_text]`_`f`:cite-ref-auto-5-7[`F5bf`_`[5`#cite-note-auto-5]`_`f]—before `F33f`_`[Mozilla`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Mozilla]`_`f had such support.

`F33f`_`[KDE 2.0`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=KDE_2.0]`_`f was the first KDE release (on October 23, 2000) to include KHTML`:cite-ref-13[`F5bf`_`[13`#cite-note-13]`_`f] (as the rendering engine of the new `F33f`_`[Konqueror`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Konqueror]`_`f `F33f`_`[file`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=File_manager]`_`f and `F33f`_`[web browser`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Web_browser]`_`f, which replaced the monolithic KDE File Manager).

>>>Other modules

KSVG was first developed in 2001 by Nikolas Zimmermann and Rob Buis; however, by 2003, it was decided to fork the then-current KSVG implementation into two new projects: `F33f`_`[KDOM`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=KDOM_(module)]`_`f/KSVG2 (to improve the state of DOM rendering in KHTML underneath a more formidable SVG 1.0 render state) and Kcanvas (to abstract any rendering done within khtml/ksvg2 in a single shared library, with multiple backends for it, e.g., Cairo/Qt, etc.).`:cite-ref-14[`F5bf`_`[14`#cite-note-14]`_`f]

KSVG2 is also a part of `F33f`_`[WebKit`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=WebKit]`_`f.`:cite-ref-15[`F5bf`_`[15`#cite-note-15]`_`f]

>>>Sunsetting

KHTML was scheduled to be removed in `F33f`_`[KDE Frameworks`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=KDE_Frameworks]`_`f 6.`:cite-ref-kde-6-4-1[`F5bf`_`[4`#cite-note-kde-6-4]`_`f] Active development ended in 2016, just the necessary maintenance to work with updates to Frameworks 5.`:cite-ref-git-log-1-2[`F5bf`_`[1`#cite-note-git-log-1]`_`f] It was officially discontinued in 2023.`:cite-ref-discontinued-3-2[`F5bf`_`[3`#cite-note-discontinued-3]`_`f]

>>Standards compliance

The following standards are supported by the KHTML engine:

• `F33f`_`[HTML`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=HTML]`_`f 4.01

• `F33f`_`[HTML 5`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=HTML5]`_`f support

• `F33f`_`[CSS`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Cascading_Style_Sheets]`_`f 1

• `F33f`_`[CSS`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Cascading_Style_Sheets]`_`f 2.1 (screen and paged media)

• `F33f`_`[CSS`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Cascading_Style_Sheets]`_`f 3 Selectors (fully as of KDE 3.5.6`:cite-ref-16[`F5bf`_`[16`#cite-note-16]`_`f])

• `F33f`_`[CSS`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Cascading_Style_Sheets]`_`f 3 Other (multiple backgrounds, box-sizing and text-shadow)

• `F33f`_`[PNG`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Portable_Network_Graphics]`_`f, `F33f`_`[MNG`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Multiple-image_Network_Graphics]`_`f, `F33f`_`[JPEG`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=JPEG]`_`f, `F33f`_`[GIF`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Graphics_Interchange_Format]`_`f graphic formats

• `F33f`_`[DOM`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Document_Object_Model]`_`f 1, 2 and partially 3

• `F33f`_`[ECMA-262/JavaScript 1.5`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=JavaScript]`_`f

• Partial `F33f`_`[Scalable Vector Graphics`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Scalable_Vector_Graphics]`_`f support

>>Descendants

KHTML and `F33f`_`[KJS`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=KJS_(software)]`_`f were adopted by `F33f`_`[Apple`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Apple_Inc.]`_`f in 2002 for use in the `F33f`_`[Safari`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Safari_(web_browser)]`_`f web browser. Apple publishes the source code for their `F33f`_`[fork`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Fork_(software_development)]`_`f of the KHTML engine, called `F33f`_`[WebKit`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=WebKit]`_`f. In 2013, `F33f`_`[Google`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Google]`_`f began development on a fork of WebKit, called `F33f`_`[Blink`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Blink_(browser_engine)]`_`f.`:cite-ref-17[`F5bf`_`[17`#cite-note-17]`_`f]

>>See also

• `F33f`_`[List of web browsers § KHTML-based`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=List_of_web_browsers]`_`f

• `F33f`_`[Comparison of browser engines`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Comparison_of_browser_engines]`_`f

>>References

`:cite-note-git-log-1`!1.`! "KHTML commit log". `*KDE Invent`*. Retrieved 2021-09-14.

`:cite-note-2`!1.`! "KHTML repository analytics". `*invent.kde.org`*. Retrieved 2020-08-15.

`:cite-note-discontinued-3`!3.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-discontinued-3-0]`_`f "KHTML repository". `*GitHub`*. Retrieved 5 May 2023. Removed for KF6, the 'kf5' branch contains the last maintained state.

`:cite-note-kde-6-4`!4.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-kde-6-4-0]`_`f "Port Konqueror away from KHTML". `*phabricator.kde.org`*. Retrieved 2023-05-05.

`:cite-note-auto-5`!5.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-auto-5-0]`_`f "Lars Knoll and George Staikos: From KDE to WebKit". `F33f`_`[YouTube`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=YouTube]`_`f. 26 August 2011. Retrieved 1 September 2019.

`:cite-note-6`!6.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-6]`_`f "KDE/kde1-kdelibs/khtmlw". `*GitHub`*. Retrieved 2020-01-23.

`:cite-note-7`!7.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-7]`_`f "Waldo Bastian | Behind KDE". `*Behindkde.org`*. Archived from the original on 11 April 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2019.

`:cite-note-8`!8.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-8]`_`f "Lars Knoll | Behind KDE". `*Behindkde.org`*. Archived from the original on 1 September 2019. Retrieved 1 September 2019.

`:cite-note-9`!9.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-9]`_`f "'changes in KHTML' - MARC". `*Marc.info`*. Retrieved 1 September 2019.

`:cite-note-10`!10.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-10]`_`f "'khtml_to_dom: kdelibs/khtml' - MARC". `*Marc.info`*. Retrieved 1 September 2019.

`:cite-note-11`!11.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-11]`_`f "WebKit Team – WebKit". `*Trac.webkit.org`*. Retrieved 1 September 2019.

`:cite-note-12`!12.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-12]`_`f "Dirk Mueller | Behind KDE". `*Behindkde.org`*. Archived from the original on 1 September 2019. Retrieved 1 September 2019.

`:cite-note-13`!13.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-13]`_`f "Lars Knoll and George Staikos: From KDE to WebKit". `F33f`_`[YouTube`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=YouTube]`_`f. 26 August 2011. Retrieved 1 September 2019.

`:cite-note-14`!14.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-14]`_`f [1]

`:cite-note-15`!15.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-15]`_`f "The WebKit Open Source Project". `*Webkit.org`*. 7 November 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2019.

`:cite-note-16`!16.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-16]`_`f "KDE 3.5.6 Changelog". K Desktop Environment.

`:cite-note-17`!17.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-17]`_`f "Blink: A rendering engine for the Chromium project". `*Blog.chromium.org`*. Retrieved 1 September 2019.

>>External links

• Web Browser – the Konqueror website

• KHTML – KDE's HTML library – description at developer.kde.org

• KHTML at the KDE git repository

• From KDE to WebKit: The Open Source Engine That's Here to Stay – presentation at Yahoo! office by Lars Knoll and George Staikos on December 8, 2006 (video)

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