Cannot open multiple Internal Web Browser views

[Philipp0205]

Description

It is not possible to open multiple instances of the Internal Web Browser view simultaneously in Eclipse. When trying to open the view again via Window → Show View → Internal Web Browser, Eclipse simply re-focuses the already open view instead of creating a new instance.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Open the Internal Web Browser view: Window → Show View → Other... → General → Internal Web Browser
2. Attempt to open a second Internal Web Browser view the same way
3. Eclipse focuses the existing view instead of opening a new one

Expected Behavior

A new, independent Internal Web Browser view instance should open, allowing users to view multiple web pages side by side in the workbench.

Actual Behavior

Only one Internal Web Browser view can be open at a time. Re-opening the view just activates the existing one.

Environment

• Active View Class: WebBrowserView
• Contributing Plug-in: org.eclipse.ui.browser (3.8.700.v20251031-0712)
• Active View Identifier: org.eclipse.ui.browser.view
• Source Repository: https://github.com/eclipse-platform/eclipse.platform.ui.git

Possible Fix

The view could support multiple instances by setting allowMultiple="true" in the org.eclipse.ui.views extension point definition for org.eclipse.ui.browser.view, similar to how other multi-instance views are implemented in Eclipse.

[iloveeclipse]

I see no reason why it shouldn't allow multiple views. Feel free to contribute, note, just changing the flag will be not enough, one would need to contribute a "New browser view" or "Pin" action to the view toolbar, so that there is a possibility to create new one.

[merks]

It seems a little bit "misguided", no insult intended! The action Show View, not Create New View. I expect that if we change it "arbitrarily" the next person is likely going to complain that they expect the opposite behavior (from the last 25 years).

Note that one can open many browser editors, if you configure the preference to open the internal browser: