How complicated would this be?

[yourfriend]

Hello,

I registered on your forum to ask for your Opinion how complicated would be the following procedure (step by step) to do and based on your answer I would decide if I should even try to research for it or avoid wasting time (if too complicated). When giving answer please note that I don't know programming. Absolutelly nothing. I have never used AutoIt and barely know what it is and for what it is used. Would like to avoid (since no budget at all) hiring developer on websites such as Freelancer. So to repeat again I would like to ask what do you think, would be the following procedure possible to be done for someone (me) who knows nothing about AutoIt, neither anything about programming.

Step by step of procedure is:

1. Website (discussion board's/forum's URL) should refresh automatically by itself on specific time interval and very specific topic on the forum (exactly defined URL) and search for new posts (new messages) that WILL (after refreshing), if any, occur after refresh is done. Refreshing should be every X (=my chosen time) seconds. In the same step the script should take care that I am staying logged in (if not, it would be nice but NOT required, if too complicated, to automatically log in again based on predefined in script username/password) and care about giant problem of forum (forum's server) availability because it often, very often, times out and/or fails refreshing which should NOT cause corruption of script.

2. If no new messages in the exactly defined topic (URL address) then script shouldn't do anything. If new messages (same URL, it may have thousands of pages) it should, within EACH (unlimited amount - from max and min limit) new message (occurs after refreshing in first step) search for THREE different subjects:

2.1 find and copy particular digit number where I choose its length and starting digit number.

2.2 find and copy particular digit number where I choose only its length BUT this length have two options. Number can be three OR four digits.

2.3 find and copy whatever I define in the ''text base'' (numbers / numbers with symbols) where I would (only somewhere) be including symbols (e.g. ''-'' without the quotes) also. So whatever from text collection/base (e.g. txt file, one term per line) is found in the new messages (occurs after step 1 is done - automated refreshing), it would be copied.

3. On some different website (I would also define URL and same care should be done by script that I don't get logged out so another automated refreshing might be needed) the script should click particular, my defined, inbound link (shouldn't matter what kind of menu) and window (part of developed website - nothing to do with AutoIt) pops up.

4. Copied (equivalent to mouse right click, option Copy) subjects (2.1, 2.2, 2.3) would be then automatically transfered/pasted into this popped up window but each subject in its own box in the window. 2.1 in one box, 2.2 in another, 2.3 in yet another.

5. Button in the window that pops up in step 3 (used in step 4) should be automatically clicked by script. Button is always the same. There might be different buttons (in the same window) too so its important that always is in this step 5 clicked the same one.

6 (Whichever version of step 6 [6*1 or 6*2] is LESS complicated to be created - I would need to do only one):

6*1 Another button (it might have the same title as the one in step 5 but button is different), located in this same but updated window (pops up in step 3) is clicked after particular time interval I define passes BUT X time interval, defined in step ONE (1) is then extended for this time interval.

6*2 Another button (it might have the same title as the one in step 5 but button is different), located in this same but updated window is clicked after inside the window occurs particular option of sentences (group of words), for example sentence 1 (defined in text base/txt in one line) or sentence 2 (defined in different / next line) which I would predefine. Type of fonts/size shouldn't matter. Only the content should match. Pressing this ''another button'' might (not sure) cause window to disappear.

7. As long as I don't shut down the script, all steps from 1 to 6, including 6 should be endlessly repeated.

DONE.

So to repeat my question: According to your opinion, that you know I know nothing about AutoIt or programming, would something like this be possible to create probably with little research for resources? How complicated would it be and how long would it take? I would also appreciate (although this isn't my main question anymore but your opinion is) if I could get appropriate tutorial / resource (your suggestion) what would help to do this steps.

Thanks in advance. Would save me hundreds of hours of sitting near computer.

[Melba23]

yourfriend,

Welcome to the AutoIt forum.

A very clear description of a problem which is only missing one thing - what exactly are you trying to do?

I ask because there might well be much easier ways of reaching your goal.

M23

[czardas]

Hello and welcome to the forum. Firstly make sure you read the forum rules. Regarding your question, many things are possible using AutoIt, however auto login proceedures can be a bit of a grey area because people can use code like that as part of a spam bot. That being said you refered to logging into your own website. Let me say this - if you can create the code for all the other actions, you should easily be able to do that too.

I was a bit slow responding, Melba23 is right. There are a number of notification methods, especially for forums. So what is it - stocks and shares?

Edited September 17, 2013 by czardas

[yourfriend]

Thank you for both replies. Actually I forgot that in step four, in additional box (within the same window) there should be copied numbers (three digit) that are randomely chosen from separated text base (text file - one number [three digits] per line).

To answer the question What am I looking to do? Just to automate very simple task and save hundreds of hours looking at the screen and clicking on Refresh page on purpose to see if someone added new message on exactly defined topic: exact URL but on thousands of pages - of course each new page, URL slightly changes - once max messages per one page, next message goes to another page of SAME forum topic. But website (bad server) has problem because it times out often. Sometimes i even get logged out for no reason so script would have to log in me back automatically also as described above. So when new message is added (I define time interval of refreshing the page), described three subjects in step two (IF something matches stated conditions) are copied/pasted as said above.

czardas nothing should be like spam. I don't want to risk a ban by admin - the consequence would be disaster. If there is a risk in autologin then I rather don't include this particular function.

[Melba23]

yourfriend,

That still does not explain why you want to do this. Can you provide the URL of this forum for example?

If you think I am being overly curiois, then you are quite correct. Providing as much information as you have done within ANY identification of the sites involved or of the overall aim of the process other then a very vague "save hundreds of hours looking at the screen" suggests that you have taken great trouble NOT to include any such indications. Experience shows that this is ususally because the overall requirement is one which would not be acceptable according to the Forum rules (there is also a link at bottom right of each page).

Now I am quite prepared to apologise for any misunderstanding on my part and allow this thread to continue - but are you prepared to be more open as to what exactly is going on?

M23

[czardas]

Hi youfriend,

Having more information, such as the forum link, would make helping you a lot easier for people. I was not thinking you were going to spam anyone, but there are some proceedures that could be put to bad use, and we are cautious because AutoIt is a powerful tool. If for some reason you don't wish to share information about the website, it will be difficult to assist you. If this is the case then it might be a good idea to give a reason. We don't automatically make assumptions about people's intentions (or at least I don't ).

Edited September 17, 2013 by czardas

[yourfriend]

It can be just ANY forum. The particular one I have in mind requires payment for membership activation so its not ''open source''. But just imagine any forum, like this one and posts being added (if any) after you refresh the page.

Not sure which forum rule I broke? I wasn't rude to anyone and also he (czardas) mentioned reading forum rules.

So I will try to give out one example. Imagine you would click on Refresh page button (you can even do so) and imagine that THIS message (my one) which you ARE reading occurs after you refresh it. The content (from start) of the message / post is (only in the following quoted text):

"word1 usa japan word2 029403 989043333 999 word9--34**** 1291"

So imagine this line message was just posted by someone (in this case me) when you refreshed the page. Now look at described step 2 above.

IF, i choose in subject 2.1 8 digit number AND (i repeat AND so both conditions must be met) starting digit ''9'' then nothing can be copied, it doesn't even go further to 2.2 and 2.3. Thats because there is no 8 digit number in the content (see quoted text). But if I set as 2.1 subject 9 digit number AND starting digit ''9'' then 989043333 is copied as 2.1 subject. Then 2.2 subject (please see description above in my first post) is 999 and if ''1291'' is in text base then this would be 2.3 subject. All those subjects are then automatically with speed of light copied/pasted to each separated boxes in the window (pops up in step 3) and additional box is filled based on additional text base.

It might be too complicated but based on assist (resources) I am searching for it would be great if I was able to separate this ''additional'' text base on two parts (part1, part2 - two different files). If particular word(s) exist in the content then randomely picked (for fourth box in the window) value from part1 is copied and pasted into the box. If this particular word(s) doesn't exist, part2 is used. What is said in this paragraph of this message isn't obligatory. I would do only if I could be able to do that plus not too much time waste on this function.

The I would need to create - what I described in steps PLUS additional fourth box.

[czardas]

No it can't be any forum. For example: this forum we are now using does not accept the automation of  forum features. I'm not sure if that is mentioned in the rules (I'll have to look again). This is at the request of the site owner and must be respected. It may, or may not, be acceptable elsewhere.

[Melba23]

yourfriend,

It is evident that you have absolutely no intention of clarifying what exactly it is that you are trying to do. I am therefore assuming this is because any such explanation would make it obvious that whatever you wish to do would not be permissible under the Forum rules to which I linked above. As a result I am closing the thread.

M23