Inspecting Internet Explorer_Server Classes

[mark2004]

I have the need to script applications that have embedded Internet Explorer_server classes. Since these

apps are not run in a standard Internet Explorer window, I can't access the many tools such as DebugBar or

the developer toolbar. A good example would be the Autoit Help window. Most of the information is within

a Internet Explorer_Server class. Could someone show me how I could get access to the DOM of the Autoit

Help window. I could probably figure it out for my other applications if I saw how to do the Autoit Help window.

Thanks.

[PsaltyDS]

Get a reference to the embedded instance with _IEAttach(), using the "embedded" mode:

#include <IE.au3>

$hHelp = WinGetHandle("[CLASS:HH Parent; TITLE:AutoIt Help]", "")
ConsoleWrite("$hHelp = " & $hHelp & @LF)

$oIE = _IEAttach($hHelp, "embedded")
If IsObj($oIE) Then
    $sHTML = _IEBodyReadHTML($oIE)
    ConsoleWrite("sHTML = " & $sHTML & @LF)
Else
    ConsoleWrite("Error attaching to IE")
EndIf

[DaleHohm]

Also note that DebugBar puts an icon in the toolbar that looks like an eye. This allows you to "Spy on other IE instances". This will allow you to use the DebugBar functionality on any such windows, embedded or not.

Dale

[mark2004]

It is not the attaching part that I am concerned about. It is the inspecting part. Tools like

debug bar etc are so handy for scripting. In fact, I don't really know how I'd script IE applications

without these tools. _IEAttach() by itself doesn't really allow me to see what elements I want to

interact with.

I should have mentioned that I tried using the little eyeball in debug bar on the Autoit Help Application (as a test).

It lists "AutoIt Help" as another instance of IE but it isn't able to pull anything into its little window. So, that

was no help.

I would love to be able to use one of these tools to visualize all the element information of an embedded IE instance.

Any further suggestions??

[mark2004]

Actually, I just modified Psalty's code a little to copy the source to the clipboard and then I pasted that

into my own html file and opened that with IE. Then I was able to use the DebugBar on it. I guess that will

work if that is my only option. But, if anyone knows of a more direct way to do this I'm all ears....

[DaleHohm]

DebugBar works for me on the AutoIt help window, just as i suggested. Just click the triangle next to the app you want and then click on <MAIN DOCUMENT>. You can also then click the green arrow to tell it to open the url in a new IE window.

Dale

[mark2004]

I got DebugBar to work fine on my desktop PC with XP Pro and IE 6.0. It does exactly what you said. However, my laptop

with Vista SP2 and IE 7 doesn't do so well. DebugBar doesn't show a triangle next to the AutoitHelp entry in the window spy

window. And it can't load any source or go to a URL (the url field is blank). Not sure what is going on there. I may try to

update to IE 8 to see if that fixes it.

[PsaltyDS]

Running DebugBar 5.4.1 on Vista Busi 32-bit with IE8:

Clicked on the "eye" icon for "Spy other IE instances", then selected AutoIt Help in the pop-up. No joy.

Of course this is a DebugBar issue, not AutoIt's, but I do see the problem. Suggest checking out the DebugBar web site for support and possible work-around.

[DaleHohm]

Odd. I am running Windows 7 and Windows XP and IE8 and tried both DebugBar V5.4 and V5.4.1 and all worked as I described.

I avoided Vista... perhaps you should too ;-)

Dale

[PsaltyDS]

I avoided Vista... perhaps you should too ;-)

I ordered these boxes with Win7 64-bit. Some dweeby grey-skinned poxy supply droid changed them to Vista without asking.