Mailing Address List verify/correct via repeated Google searches - Any ideas?

[IMRafferty]

Hi, I posted this to StackOverflow already (see below) and they said to 'AutoIt' it (see bottom) and gave me two down-votes. Can anybody help me get started?  I'm happy to paypal my gratitude in advance.  I'm brand new to AutoIt .  Have been watching tutorial videos on Youtube, but still climbing learning curve to get any initial momentum going.  Thank you for at least reading -Ian :

Batch searching/verifying Mailing/Resident Addresses using Google - possible?

Good tidings, St'overflow-ers!

So I have the unenviable task of verifying keyed/transcribed hand-written mailing addresses from paper fishing licenses. We use Smartsoft/Frameworks as it catches/verifies about 90% (domestic, some Canada) of what we get from licensing, but for the 'leftovers', it's then time for the one-by-one Googling-steps below this 'graph with pics, rinse/repeat times 20,000+. Question: can I somehow batch/automate this (by feeding Google Maps/Places a google sheet or *.csv maybe?) to save time, or nope? or perhaps you fell asleep reading this q? Beuller? Thanks! -Ian

(1) Copy 'rough' address from MS Excel (or Google Sheet): 

(2) Paste & search in Google (usually goes right into searching Google_Places/Earth):

(3) (Hopefully) get a 'hit' and copy more correct/'verified' address:

(4) Make corrections/tweaks back in Excel/GoogleSheet (faster than copy/pasting):

5) rinse/repeat times 20k (why I'm asking for help)

Stackoverflow comments:

"I think you should look into something like AutoIt instead of batch for something to do that complicated stuff. I use AutoIt for some works tasks that are the same over and over again. And since batch is so limited i dont think batch would be worth using here, but if you insist on using a build in program then i'd think VBS would work to an extend." – NizonRox 

"You'd have to interact with EXCEL and a Browser. Batch can't do that. Autoit supports both". – Stephan

 

 

Edited December 20, 2017 by IMRafferty
clarity

[water]

Welcome to AutoIt and the forum!

The Excel part can easily be done using the Excel UDF that comes with AutoIt. Please check the help file for _Excel_RangeRead and _Excel_RangeWrite functions including example scripts.

The web part depends on the browser you are running.
AutoIt comes with functions for IE. Automating FF, Chrome is a bit more complex.

But the most important part is a good design of your application.
How should your script handle situations when the address couldn't be found or more than one hit was returned? Etc, etc ...

If you have any questions we will do our best to assist!

[IMRafferty]

Thank you, water, for the read, reply, and welcome  

I'll happily use Excel & IE if it's more simple than Google Sheets & Chrome; one would think the latter pair would jibe better with the Google Map/Places UDF (just looking at it right now), but  what seems intuitive is not always the best way to go.  Maybe Google Sheets & Chrome pairs better with https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/javascript/ but I don't know javascript so that's a dead-end.  The more simple = the better for me.

Currently watching TutsTeach's video series on AutoIt to get up to speed on it and hopefully somehow have something mocked-up in a 3-4 hours---no sleep for me tonight ugh: !https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4Jcq5zn02jKpjX0nqI1_fS7mEEb5tw6z. 

Thank you again,

-Ian

 

Edited December 20, 2017 by IMRafferty

[water]

I think the Excel / IE pair would be easiest to automate because it is used by so many people. You will get most help for Excel / IE on this forum.