Direct text field selection in Chrome/Explorer/etc.

[Will0674]

Hello everyone! I'm new to the forum (and AutoIT, for that matter), and I am currently developing a script to extract constantly refreshing text from a search engine\web location (preferably Chrome). I am attempting to check Apple's stock on a regular basis, copy the info and analyze it within Excel. I am relatively proficient with Excel/VBA macros, but AutoIT seems to be a little happier about exploring outside of Excel, so it doesn't do me much good . My current predicament is I cannot *directly* select a given text box within the site itself- so far, I can only accomplish the task by either:

-invoking the appropriate amount of Send("+{TAB}")/Send("{TAB}") commands to locate it (don't judge me, ha ha! )

-Using MouseClick to find the box (however, this seems to be hit or miss, coordinate wise (and it's slow).

Using MouseClick seems to take a while, and it's still hard to decipher which coordinates to use. Regardless, I would love to NOT use it, I want to be able to perform this action quickly and decisively, as opposed to "hoping" the coordinates are in the right place. Is there some control in the Window Info viewer I am missing? I can only seem to activate the actual browser URL address window, but no other text entry boxes. Let me know if you guys have encountered what I am attempting to create, and anything that can point me in the right direction. Thank you!!

[JLogan3o13]

Hi, Will0674, welcome to the forum. Are you able to include the site you're wanting to pull the data from? Each site seems to handle things differently (Yahoo! Finance and Marketwatch, for example). If you have a particular page you're trying to script for, it'll help greatly

[Will0674]

Thanks! Well for now, I have just been using Yahoo finance, since it displays the information in a relatively organized fashion when clipboarded and pasted into Excel. Those values themselves might have to be collected using the coordinate plane, since they are effectively streaming values. I just need I be able to activate the search box so I can specify (quickly) look at company X or Y, then compare the data. Thank you for your help!

[Eemuli]

You should also check out AutoIts Internet Explorer automation functions => #include <IE.au3>

You can find all the info from auto it helpfile. You could use the IE for example

1. Open the Yahoo finance page invisible into the background.

2. Use IE functions to fetch spesific contect from page. (You can search through DOM)

3. Use Excel automation UDF to paste the data to excel, also invisible in background.

This way you can keep on working with your computer while the script does the data fetching for you in the background.

Here is example:

#region ;**** Directives created by AutoIt3Wrapper_GUI ****
#AutoIt3Wrapper_UseX64=n
#endregion ;**** Directives created by AutoIt3Wrapper_GUI ****

; Function for collecting data from Yahoo finance and pasting it to Excel
#region - INCLUDES & CONSTANTS

#include <IE.au3>
#include <Excel.au3>

Global $oIE, $sData, $oExcel

#endregion - INCLUDES & CONSTANTS

$oIE = _IECreate("http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=AAPL&ql=1") ; check out the parameters to set IE and Excel invisible
$oExcel = _ExcelBookNew()

While 1

$sData = $oIE.document.getElementById("yfs_l91_aapl").innerText
If $sData Then
  _ExcelWriteCell($oExcel, $sData, 1, 1)
EndIf
$sData = ""
Sleep(5 * 60 * 1000) ; sleeps for 5 min before checks again.

_IENavigate($oIE, "http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=AAPL&ql=1")

WEnd

This way you can also get rid of using mouse clicks and tabs which are unreliable way to get data from websites.

Edited December 30, 2011 by Eemuli

[Will0674]

That's outstanding, I'll give that a try tomorrow- thanks! As much as I hate IE, i guess i can put up with it

[Eemuli]

That's outstanding, I'll give that a try tomorrow- thanks! As much as I hate IE, i guess i can put up with it

I used to hate IE too, but then I found out how easy it is to automate through COM object

Also the new IE 9 works very well and looks good.

[Will0674]

That is a wonderful example! This will help me immensely as I continue to develop it, thank you!

[GEOSoft]

Also the new IE 9 works very well and looks good.

You won't be saying that about IE10 unless MS comes to thier senses.

[bakonakalla]

Hi,

I am new to AutoIt. Looks like my requirement matches more or less above requirement. I need to read a text from a text box which is in chrome/IE (browser). In the above example, you have given the elementId of text to read the text data but in my case I don' know how to find the "element Id" of my text box? Is there anyway to find it?

 

Thanks,