finding a location within a web page, and clicking on it

[setirich]

Hi All!

Having a problem with clicking on a specific web page location. Of course, it's Javascript, and that just make it 10x harder.

I'm doing all the searching within this construct

$Htmcpy = _IDBodyReadHTML($oIE)

I then write out the page to a file, and then attempt to find and click on the next page indicator.

I can locate the  proper spot within the string easy enough, but having trouble with what I do to click on the page marker.

Here is the HTML string that contains the item to click on:

<td><span>1</span></td><td><a style="color: white;" href="javascript:__doPostBack('gvResults','Page$2')">2</a></td><td><a style="color: white;" href="javascript:__doPostBack('gvResults','Page$3')">3</a></td><td><a style="color: white;" href="javascript:__doPostBack('gvResults','Page$4')">4</a></td><td><a style="color: white;" href="javascript:__doPostBack('gvResults','Page$5')">5</a></td><td><a style="color: white;" href="javascript:__doPostBack('gvResults','Page$6')">6</a></td><td><a style="color: white;" href="javascript:__doPostBack('gvResults','Page$7')">7</a></td><td><a style="color: white;" href="javascript:__doPostBack('gvResults','Page$8')">8</a></td><td><a style="color: white;" href="javascript:__doPostBack('gvResults','Page$9')">9</a></td><td><a style="color: white;" href="javascript:__doPostBack('gvResults','Page$10')">10</a></td><td><a style="color: white;" href="javascript:__doPostBack('gvResults','Page$11')">...</a></td>

The actual text on the page looks like this:        12345678910...      and the total number of pages may be into the thousands. Yes, there are only 10 records per page & to get beyond 10 I actually have to click on the  ...  to get the next group of numbers up.       

So I can end up with a text string that looks something like this        1234123512361237123812391240...

A simple regex finds and extracts the page number I want

Local $xp = $X + 1                   ; I want the next page which is current page plus 1
Local $rexp = ">(" & $xp & ")</a>"     ; this locates the page # and extracts is to
Local $page = $ox[0]     ; the actual page as displayed

I've tried a lot of things like trying to focus on that spot ID'd. within that text string OR the html string, and then click on it.

Any ideas on where to start?

Thanks, Rich

Edited September 4, 2017 by setirich
spelled my name wrong!!!

[junkew]

Not sure but try FAQ31 see link below

Which udf are you using? or are you parsing plain HTML?

[Danp2]

Can you share the site URL? Have you checked to see if the page # updates in the URL as you switch pages?

[setirich]

Thanks for your replies. I'm using the latest (?) AU3 version 3.3.14.2, and I've used the built in IE.au3 since it was first released as part of the general release. I think I used Dales original UDF since he first posted it years ago.

There is not a simple URL change on page change. That's always the first choice for simple scraping. Here is the URL for the search page:

http://www.occeweb.com/MOEAsearch/index.aspx

For example, put in just the letter p in the last name box, and select the Begins with option button. you'll get 2793 records, and that will be 280 pages.

My experimentation so far actually gets the data on the page, but will not advance to page 2, 3, etc. Therefore, I get many copies of the first page, which is not what I want.

 

[Danp2]

Perhaps you could use Eval() to directly execute the Javascript command. Take a look at this thread for a detailed discussion.

[setirich]

I'm not sure why eval would help me. I already know the specifics of the java as it's like this (for page 2):

<a style="color: white;" href="javascript:__doPostBack('gvResults','Page$2')">2</a>

Each page will be similar with a change toe the ~Page$2">2</a>   to   Page$3">3</a>

I think this is one of those things that requires a 'real' click on the >2<  and it's just a question of how to actually do that.

But then, I'm probably totally wrong....8-\

[junkew]

_IEAction($object, "click")

[Danp2]

56 minutes ago, setirich said:

I'm not sure why eval would help me. I already know the specifics of the java as it's like this (for page 2):

<a style="color: white;" href="javascript:__doPostBack('gvResults','Page$2')">2</a>

Each page will be similar with a change toe the ~Page$2">2</a>   to   Page$3">3</a>

Exactly... so instead of trying to locate the appropriate element and then click on it, I was suggesting that you use Eval() to execute the Javascipt command to take you to the desired page.