Spoiler Alert: It Isn’t Good For Animation
That's right, you can't view this post in emac's eww browser and get the benefit of the matrixy animation.
If you want to see the animation, use a regular browser, or Emacs Application Framework EAF. A link to the emacs application framework github repository
EAF is an emacs linux package and I typically use windows; however, apparently you can use EAF with windows these days. So if you want to run browser based applications in Emacs on either system, look into EAF.
So What Is EWW Good For?
Old school emacsers should have a lot to say about that, but in my experience, it's a quick way to navigate and copy browser text.
You also quickly run browser text through an emacs based translation program, and then cycle through emacs themes until you get the right reading feel.
Combine above with the navigational comfort and control you get when proficient in emacs, and eww is a powerful addition to a VERY powerful research and programming work shop.
EWW Browser With Images
(with-eval-after-load 'eww
(setq-local endless/display-images t)
(defun endless/toggle-image-display ()
"Toggle images display on current buffer."
(interactive)
(setq endless/display-images
(null endless/display-images))
(endless/backup-display-property endless/display-images))
(defun endless/backup-display-property (invert &optional object)
"Move the 'display property at POS to 'display-backup.
Only applies if display property is an image.
If INVERT is non-nil, move from 'display-backup to 'display
instead.
Optional OBJECT specifies the string or buffer. Nil means current
buffer."
(let* ((inhibit-read-only t)
(from (if invert 'display-backup 'display))
(to (if invert 'display 'display-backup))
(pos (point-min))
left prop)
(while (and pos (/= pos (point-max)))
(if (get-text-property pos from object)
(setq left pos)
(setq left (next-single-property-change pos from object)))
(if (or (null left) (= left (point-max)))
(setq pos nil)
(setq prop (get-text-property left from object))
(setq pos (or (next-single-property-change left from object)
(point-max)))
(when (eq (car prop) 'image)
(add-text-properties left pos (list from nil to prop) object))))))
(defun my/eww-toggle-images ()
"Toggle whether images are loaded and reload the current page fro cache."
(interactive)
(setq-local shr-inhibit-images (not shr-inhibit-images))
(eww-reload t)
(message "Images are now %s"
(if shr-inhibit-images "off" "on")))
(define-key eww-mode-map (kbd "I") #'my/eww-toggle-images)
(define-key eww-link-keymap (kbd "I") #'my/eww-toggle-images)
;; minimal rendering by default
(setq-default shr-inhibit-images t) ; toggle with `I`
(setq-default shr-use-fonts nil) ; toggle with `F`
);end with eveal after load eww
I typically don't bother with images, but the above code gives additional image rendering options if you want to view html and images in emacs rather than a regular browser.
Since EWW is included in emacs, you don't need any use-package declarations.
But it's nice to have those eww functions in a hydra see below:
EWW Browser Hydra
(setq eww-title (with-faicon "globe" "Eww Browser Command"))
;generate hydra
(pretty-hydra-define eww-browser (:title eww-title :quit-key "q" :color pink )
("A"
(
("G" eww "Eww Open Browser")
("g" eww-reload "Eww Reload")
("6" eww-open-in-new-buffer "Open in new buffer")
("l" eww-back-url "Back Url")
("r" eww-forward-url "Forward Url")
("N" eww-next-url "Next Url")
("P" eww-previous-url "Previous Url")
("u" eww-up-url "Up Url")
("&" eww-browse-with-external-browser "Open in External Browser")
("d" eww-download "Download")
("w" eww-copy-page-url "Copy Url Page")
);end theme
"B"
(
("T" endless/toggle-image-display "Toggle Image Display")
(">" shr-next-link "Shr Next Link")
("<" shr-previous-link "Shr Previous Link")
("n" scroll-down-command "Scroll Down")
("C" url-cookie-list "Url Cookie List")
("v" eww-view-source "View Source")
("R" eww-readable "Make Readable")
("H" eww-list-histories "List History")
("E" eww-set-character-encoding "Character Encoding")
("s" eww-switch-to-buffer "Switch to Buffer")
("S" eww-list-buffers "List Buffers")
);end highlighting
"C"
(
("1" hackernews "Hackernews")
("2" hackernews-button-browse-internal "Hackernews browse link eww (t)")
("3" hackernews-new-stories "Hackernews New Stories")
("5" hackernews-switch-feed "Hackernews Switch Feed")
("6" hackernews-best-stories "Hackernews Best Stories")
("F" eww-toggle-fonts "Toggle Fonts")
("D" eww-toggle-paragraph-direction "Toggle Paragraph Direction")
("c" eww-toggle-colors "Toggle Colors")
("b" eww-add-bookmark "Add Bookmark")
("B" eww-list-bookmarks "List Bookmarks")
("=" eww-next-bookmark "Next Bookmark")
("-" eww-previous-bookmark "Previous Bookmark")
("h" hydra-helm/body "Return To Helm" :color blue )
("<SPC>" nil "Quit" :color pink)
);end other
);end hydra body
);end pretty-hydra-eww
(bind-key "<C-m> z" 'eww-browser/body)
Sample Images EWW Browser
Additional Notes
If you're using engine mode with the hydra I provided hereA link to reading world magazine engine mode hydra, you may want to add EWW as a browser option.
Then you can toggle from EWW and back to Chrome, Brave, Mozilla, Edge, or whatever browser you've programmed into emacs.
(defun set-default-browser-to-eww ()
(interactive)
(progn
;(setq engine/browser-function 'eww-browse-url)
(setq browse-url-browser-function 'eww-browse-url)
);end progn
); end set-default-browser-to-eww
