Automating Internet Explorer

[Guest jon13210]

Hi...

I tried searching the forum for an answer and got reams of code, but no general info.

I need to automate a form submission in Internet Explorer. Basically launch the browser, find a text field, enter predefined text and hit submit..... and do it all on a scheduler.

I'm trying to create a poor man's scheduler to rotate content on a website without much automation on the backend controls.

My question is whether Autoit is the right solution for this. I don't wanna sit down and learn the scripting only to discover it's not what I need.

Also, any suggestions on resources or pre-built scripts I can start from and modify to my needs?

edit: Oh... and it'll need to authenticate into the form. that's doable... right?

Thanks.

Edited April 29, 2005 by jon13210

[Blue_Drache]

Hi...

I tried searching the forum for an answer and got reams of code, but no general info.

I need to automate a form submission in Internet Explorer.  Basically launch the browser, find a text field, enter predefined text and hit submit..... and do it all on a scheduler.

I'm trying to create a poor man's scheduler to rotate content on a website without much automation on the backend controls.

My question is whether Autoit is the right solution for this.  I don't wanna sit down and learn the scripting only to discover it's not what I need.

Also, any suggestions on resources or pre-built scripts I can start from and modify to my needs?

Thanks.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not to be a spoilsport, but IE is notably craptacular when it comes to automation. Granted, I'm using AutoIt v3.1.0 (not the newest and definately not the Beta), so there may be additional functions in the COM version that works around IE's legendary stubbornness to extract information from it.

As far as form filling, if the form never changes, it's a simple "simulated human script."

Example:

Start IE and browse to form page.

Wait for title of page in the title bar.

Activate (give focus to) the main Edit window control.

Tab $x ammount of times

Enter standard info

Tab $x ammount to next field.

Enter info

.

.

.

Tab $x ammount of times to Submit button

Hit enter to submit form

Close IE

Start over.

Edit: Minor psuedocode clarification and corrected a typo.

Edited April 29, 2005 by Blue_Drache

[JSThePatriot]

Hi...

I tried searching the forum for an answer and got reams of code, but no general info.

I need to automate a form submission in Internet Explorer.  Basically launch the browser, find a text field, enter predefined text and hit submit..... and do it all on a scheduler.

I'm trying to create a poor man's scheduler to rotate content on a website without much automation on the backend controls.

My question is whether Autoit is the right solution for this.  I don't wanna sit down and learn the scripting only to discover it's not what I need.

Also, any suggestions on resources or pre-built scripts I can start from and modify to my needs?

Thanks.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes AutoIt can do what you are wanting to do. You will have to build the scheduler, and also the way in which it is to find the box and submit data.

The only thing about webpages is that they arent fully touchable by AutoIt which means you will have to either tab into the text box or use one of many methods we have come up with to interact with webpages. You could have AutoIt recreate the form (in HTML) and so long as it was posting to the same place you just know how many tabs it will take for what boxes and so on.

As far as pre-built scripts. There may be a scheduler and/or something similar to what you are wanting in the scripts and scraps forum.

Just search around a bit.

JS

[Westi]

I've only a VBS code:

Const URL = "http://office.freenet.de/e-tools.freenet.de/login.php3?world=frn_DE&callback=http://office.freenet.de/login/office.html?isfromid=99"
With WScript.CreateObject("InternetExplorer.Application")
  .Visible = True
  .Navigate URL
  Do Until .ReadyState = 4
  WScript.Sleep 50
  Loop
  With .document.forms("loginform")
    .username.value = "Your name"
    .password.value = "password"
    .submit
  End With
End With

This works for the given URL. If you want to use something like this you have to search the HTML code for the right inputboxes names.

Maybe there is a guy who can translate it to AutoIt.

[SvenP]

I've only a VBS code:

...

Maybe there is a guy who can translate it to AutoIt. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Converted into AutoIt3 script (note: Requires the latest AutoIt3 beta version 3.1.1.18):

Const $URL = "http://office.freenet.de/e-tools.freenet.de/login.php3?world=frn_DE&callback=http://office.freenet.de/login/office.html?isfromid=99"
$ObjIE=ObjCreate("InternetExplorer.Application")

With $ObjIE
  .Visible = True
  .Navigate($URL)
  Do
    Sleep(50)
  Until .ReadyState = 4
EndWith

With $ObjIE.document.forms("loginform")
  .username.value = "Your name"
  .password.value = "password"
  .submit
EndWith

Regards,

-Sven

[Guest jon13210]

wow...

thanks guys. i have some work to do...

[DaleHohm]

The previous example benefited from a web page with named form elements. I wanted to do this with another page with generic (unnamed) form elements.

The documents object has a forms collection and forms on the page are sequentially numbered. Inside each form has an elements collection and they in turn are sequentially numbered. This example assumes that the first form on the page has Username and Password fields as its first two elements.

Hope this helps someone.

Dale

Const $URL = "http://your-location"
$ObjIE=ObjCreate("InternetExplorer.Application")

With $ObjIE
  .Visible = True
  .Navigate($URL)
  Do
    Sleep(50)
  Until .ReadyState = 4
EndWith

With $ObjIE.document.forms(0)
  .elements(0).value = "username"
  .elements(1).value = "password"
  .submit()
EndWith

Edited May 17, 2005 by DaleHohm

[Mosquitos]

Works this script with automatic login on hotmail,yahoo or gmail?

[DaleHohm]

The script will need to be different for every webpage. You'll need to examine the HTML code of the page and make adjustments.

The last script I posted WOULD in fact work if it turned out that the FIRST <FORM> on the page included the USERNAME and PASSWORD fields and that the first two fields in that form were the username and password input boxes. If not, some minor adjustments should make it work, but again you'll need to get your hands dirty and examine the guts of the web page.

Dale

[Radsam]

What would be the vbs script equivalent for my banking site?

Bank Site

Thanks

[DaleHohm]

Did you try looking at the page source? A quick look shows that the fields are named... cardNumber and password. So, just change username to cardnumber in the vbs example and it should work.

Dale