Internet Explorer Automation UDF library

[scriptkitty]

Great work, use anything you find from me in those if you find it handy. I don't write many "formal" UDFs. I have a few that might be good additions. When I get to my desk I will try to make them a bit more formal.

I was hoping to have more time to make a OBJ/COM tutorial, but my vacation kinda messed that up.

[randallc]

Hi, Dale,

So I have the "Hotmail" example working, with thanks; which function do I use for other sites with an "ordinary" "User name" and "Password" field?

Best, randall

EDIT - I think I see; but can I use one of your functions to return the form name in the document? -one of the tags perhaps?

Edited July 17, 2005 by randallc

[DaleHohm]

Hi, Dale,

So I have the "Hotmail" example working, with thanks; which function do I use for other sites with an "ordinary" "User name" and "Password" field?

Best, randall

EDIT - I think I see; but can I use one of your functions to return the form name in the document? -one of the tags perhaps?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm working on a more generalized function(s), but here is how you can get information on all of the forms on a page:

#include <IE.au3>

$oIE = _IECreate()
_IENavigate($oIE, "http://www.hotmail.com")
$oDoc = _IEDocumentGetObj($oIE)

$forms = _IEFormGetCollection($oDoc)
For $form in $forms
    ConsoleWrite("Form name: " & $form.name & @CR)
    $fes = _IEFormElementGetCollection($form)
    For $fe in $fes
        ConsoleWrite(@Tab & $fe.name & @TAB & "Type: " & $fe.type & @CR)
    Next
Next

For the Hotmail page, this returns:

Form name = f1
    PPSX    Type: hidden
    PwdPad  Type: hidden
    login   Type: text
    passwd  Type: password
    SI  Type: submit
    LoginOptions    Type: radio
    LoginOptions    Type: radio
    LoginOptions    Type: radio
    PPFT    Type: hidden

Edited July 17, 2005 by DaleHohm

[randallc]

Hi, Dale,

That helps a lot!

Here's 1 (out of 5!) sites where your "submit" does not seem to work.... Any ideas why?

Best, Randall

Edited July 18, 2005 by randallc

[DaleHohm]

Hi, Dale,

That helps a lot!

Here's 1 (out of 5!) sites where your "submit" does not seem to work.... Any ideas why?

Best, Randall

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There can sometime be special event processing associated with the actual "Click" of the Submit button and the Submit action on the form is not sufficient.

Instead of doing the _IEFormSubmit, try doing a .Click on the submit button object:

$oForm = _IEFormGetObjByName($oIE, "loginForm")
;;;
$oSubmitButton = _IEFormElementGetObjByName($oForm, "SUBMIT")
$oSubmitButton.Click

[randallc]

- old download

See attachment below for update [more options than the script written here or old download above]) - also option to [attempt] to click a link once into site.

Dale, thanks again;

So this is a func "general" as you say, for accessing any login screen at "usual" sites (usually NOT banks etc with "hidden" forms)

eg hotmail, webmail sites etc;

Option to only have partial password in your script; but then an input box to complete.

ANy suggestions to make it more general?

Best, Randall

#include <IE.au3>

;_WebLogin("http://www.info2you.com.au/cocoon/websms/websms.xml", "number", "passwordLess3",3)

;_WebLogin("http://www.hotmail.com", "UserName@hotmail.com", "PasswordComplete")

_WebLogin("http://www.hotmail.com", "UserName@hotmail.com", "Password",1)

; last parameter is optional number (can use the number to remind you how many more letters to enter)

; "$FullPassword" is a number; only if password incomplete, to allow inputbox completion

;============================================

func _WebLogin($URL, $UserName, $PassWordInput,$FullPassword=0)

if $FullPassword<>0 Then

$PassWordInput = InputBox("Security Check", "Enter your password...for"&@CRLF&$URL&"..."&@CRLF&$FullPassword, $PassWordInput, "*")

endif

Local $FormName,$o_login,$FormName1,$TextName,$PasswordName1,$PasswordName

$ObjIE = _IECreate()

_IENavigate($ObjIE, $URL)

$oDoc = _IEDocumentGetObj($ObjIE)

$forms = _IEFormGetCollection($oDoc)

$FormName=""

while 1

For $form in $forms

$TextName=""

$PasswordName=""

$fes = _IEFormElementGetCollection($form)

For $fe in $fes

  if $fe.type="text" then $TextName=$fe.name

  if $fe.type="password" then $PasswordName=$fe.name

  if $fe.type="submit" then $SubmitName=$fe.name

Next

if $TextName<>"" and $PasswordName<>"" then

  $FormName=$form.name

  ExitLoop

EndIf

if $TextName="" and $PasswordName<>"" then

  $FormName1=$form.name

  $PasswordName1=$PasswordName

  EndIf

Next

if $PasswordName="" then exitloop

if $FormName="" then $FormName=$FormName1

if $PasswordName="" then $PasswordName=$PasswordName1

$o_form = _IEFormGetObjByName($ObjIE, $FormName)

if $TextName<>"" then $o_login = _IEFormElementGetObjByName($o_form, $TextName)

$o_password = _IEFormElementGetObjByName($o_form, $PasswordName)

_IEFormElementSetValue($o_login, $UserName)

_IEFormElementSetValue($o_password, $PassWordInput)

$oForm = _IEFormGetObjByName($ObjIE, $FormName)

$oSubmitButton = _IEFormElementGetObjByName($oForm, $SubmitName)

$oSubmitButton.Click

Exitloop

wend

EndFunc   ;==>_WebLogin

Edited August 6, 2005 by randallc

[DaleHohm]

Dale, thans again;

So this is a func "general" as you say, for accessing any login screen at "usual" sites (usually NOT banks etc with "hidden" forms)

eg hotmail, webmail sites etc;

Option to only have partial password in your script; but then an input box to complete.

ANy suggestions to make it more general?

Best, Randall

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks Randall,

I'm glad you're getting a handle on the object model.

I'm not sure I want to try to generalize the login page further though... Submitting data - especially passwords - blindly feels pretty dangerous to me.

The "generalized" solution I was talking about was a utility to print out information about the webpage and its FORMS to make it easier to pick the correct form and fields.

Others will probably be able to learn from your approach -- I'm going to continue to focus on the lower level functions.

Thanks,

Dale

[randallc]

Thanks, Dale,

I am struggling with checking the frames, though; no "collection" for the "elements" in a frame? - or do I then use the "forms" within the frame?; what am I counting?

What should I be using to mimic your information script here? -"count frames"? - Does it work with iframes as well?

best, randall

[DaleHohm]

I thought I had the frames nut cracked, but in writing up an exaple to explain it all I find there are some troubles. In particular, the elements in the collection returned by _IEFrameGetCollection() are not functioning as expected.

More to follow.

Dale

[Juanse]

In the Hotmail example, how can I make a click on the link to go directly to my MailBox?

[randallc]

Hi,

I don't know if Dale has a "com" answer (so far that page is in a frame not reading from Dale's UDFs, I think); and I don't know how to do it in AutoIT.

The workaround (post it if you know the syntax please!) is:

1. Wait till control text in status bar says "Opening page", then wait till it says "Done" [or any other way you know to check the page is fully loaded].

2. Send "control-F", wait for find window, to find "My Messages"; "enter"

3 escape the find window.

4. send "shift-tab" (highlights that Link)

5. send "spacebar"

Best, Randall

[DaleHohm]

Hi,

I don't know if Dale has a "com" answer (so far that page is in a frame not reading from Dale's UDFs, I think); and I don't know how to do it in AutoIT.

The workaround (post it if you know the syntax please!) is:

1. Wait till control text in status bar says "Opening page", then wait till it says "Done" [or any other way you know to check the page is fully loaded].

2. Send "control-F", wait for find window,  to find "My Messages"; "enter"

3 escape the find window.

4. send "shift-tab" (highlights that Link)

5. send "spacebar"

Best, Randall

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Jaunse opened another post on this question... watch here.

[autoitNOW]

Maybe I'm way too sleepy, but...

_IEClickLinkByText()

_IEClickImg()

Does not seem to work on the http://www.google.com "Google Search" button, or http://www.microsoft.com/ "Search" button, or http://update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdat...t.aspx?ln=en-us "Express" button.

Does anybody no why or how to resolve that problem using the IE UDF???

Thanks in advance.

Edited July 23, 2005 by autoitNOW

[DaleHohm]

That's because it is neither a link or an image, it is a Submit Button in a form.

If you examine the source, you'll see the form has a name of f and the button has a name of btnG. So, try the following:

$oForm = _IEFormGetObjByName($oIE, "f")
$oSubmit = _IEFormElementGetObjByName($oForm, "btnG")
$oSubmit.click

Dale

Edit: Fixed form call

Maybe I'm way too sleepy, but...

_IEClickLinkByText()

_IEClickImg()

Does not seem to work on the http://www.google.com "Google Search" button, or http://www.microsoft.com/ "Search" button, or http://update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdat...t.aspx?ln=en-us "Express" button. 

Does anybody no why or how to resolve that problem using the IE UDF???

Thanks in advance.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Edited July 23, 2005 by DaleHohm

[autoitNOW]

That's because it is neither a link or an image, it is a Submit Button in a form.

If you examine the source, you'll see the form has a name of f and the button has a name of btnG.  So, try the following:

$oForm = _IEFormGetObjByName($oIE, "f")
$oSubmit = _IEFormElementGetObjByName($oForm, "btnG")
$oSubmit.click

Dale

Edit: Fixed form call

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Aarrghhhh... I can get the first 2 to work, google and microsoft, but the last one "windowsupdate" will not work.

Reason?

Thanks in advance.

[DaleHohm]

I'm sorry, you'll have to dissect the HTML code. There can be all sorts of complications like javascript object events and non-standard methods. The exalples I've given work on a majoraty of pages, but there are lots of ways to do things on the web.

If you try some specific things and post the code that isn't working we can try to take this further.

Dale

[DaleHohm]

Note: IE.au3 has been bumped to T1.4 -- see the basenote.

This post includes a function that may or may not be included in the core IE.au3 library.

It is designed to display attributes about an HTML page needed for automation without having to open the HTML in an editor. There is so much that can be done here, but I'm hoping to get the basics so that one of the biggestest question generators about using this library will have a tool to assit people.

This takes advantage of a technique of generating a webpage on the fly with the results of the script.

The first code block is 4 examples of using the function included in the second code block.

Enjoy,

Dale

expandcollapse popup

#include <IE.au3>

; Set a COM Error handler -- only one can be active at a time (see helpfile)
$oMyError = ObjEvent("AutoIt.Error", "MyErrFunc")

; Create a browser window, navigate and click to the AutoIt Forum Search page
$oIE = _IECreate ()
_IENavigate ($oIE, "http://www.autoitscript.com")
_IEClickLinkByText ($oIE, "forum")
_IEClickLinkByText ($oIE, "Search")

; Show information for each HTML elemetn on a page
$o_all = _IETagNameAllGetCollection ($oIE)
$sHTM = _IECollectionTable($o_all, "Characteristics of all HTML Elements on page")
$oIE1 = _IECreate ()
_IEBodyWriteHTML ($oIE1, $sHTM)

; Show information for each A (anchor) tag
$o_all = _IETagNameGetCollection ($oIE.document, "a")
$sHTM = _IECollectionTable($o_all, "Characteristics of all 'a' Links")
$oIE2 = _IECreate ()
_IEBodyWriteHTML ($oIE2, $sHTM)

; Show attributes for each IMG tag
$o_all = _IETagNameGetCollection ($oIE.document, "img")
$sHTM = _IECollectionTable($o_all, "Characteristics of all 'img' Links")
$oIE3 = _IECreate ()
_IEBodyWriteHTML ($oIE3, $sHTM)

; Show information on each form and its elements
$o_all = _IEFormGetCollection ($oIE.document)
$oIE4 = _IECreate ()
$icnt = 0
For $form in $o_all
    $sBody = _IEBodyReadHTML($oIE4)
    If $icnt = 0 Then $sBody = ""
    $sHTM = _IECollectionTable($form, "Elements for form " & $icnt)
    _IEBodyWriteHTML ($oIE4, $sBody & $sHTM)
    $icnt = $icnt + 1
Next

Exit

expandcollapse popup

Func _IECollectionTable($o_collection, $s_title = "HTML Element Collection")
    Dim $adata[5]
    Dim $i = 0
    Dim $sHTML = ""
    
    $sHTML = $sHTML & "<h2>" & $s_title & "</h2>" & @CR
    $sHTML = $sHTML & "<table border=1 cellpadding=3>" & @CR
    $sHTML = $sHTML & "<tr bgcolor=navy><td><font color=""white""><b>Object Type</b></font>"
    $sHTML = $sHTML & "<td><font color=""white""><b>Object Count</b></font>"
    $sHTML = $sHTML & "<tr><td>" & ObjName ($o_collection) & "</td><td>" & $o_collection.length & "</td></tr></table>" & @CR & @CR
   ;
    $sHTML = $sHTML & "<h3>Element Characteristics</h3>" & @CR
    $sHTML = $sHTML & "<table border=1 cellpadding=3>" & @CR
    $sHTML = $sHTML & "<tr bgcolor=navy><td><font color=""white""><b>Index</b></font>"
    $sHTML = $sHTML & "</td><td><font color=""white""><b>Tag</b></font>"
    $sHTML = $sHTML & "</td><td><font color=""white""><b>Name</b></font>"
    $sHTML = $sHTML & "</td><td><font color=""white""><b>Id</b></font>"
    $sHTML = $sHTML & "</td><td><font color=""white""><b>Extra Information</b></font>"
    $sHTML = $sHTML & "</td><td><font color=""white""><b>Object Type</b></font>"
    $sHTML = $sHTML & "</td></tr>" & @CR
    
    For $a In $o_collection
       ;
        SetError(0)
        $tmp = $a.tagname
        If @error = 1 Then $tmp = "&nbsp;"
        If $tmp = "0" Then $tmp = "&nbsp;"
        $adata[0] = $tmp
       ;
        SetError(0)
        $tmp = $a.name
        If @error = 1 Then $tmp = "&nbsp;"
        If $tmp = "0" Then $tmp = "&nbsp;"
        $adata[1] = $tmp
       ;
        SetError(0)
        $tmp = $a.id
        If @error = 1 Then $tmp = "&nbsp;"
        If $tmp = "0" Then $tmp = "&nbsp;"
        $adata[2] = $tmp
       ;
        Select
            Case $a.tagname = "a"
                SetError(0)
                $tmp = "Link Text: " & $a.innerText & "<br>href: " & $a.href
                If @error = 1 Then $tmp = "&nbsp;"
                If $tmp = "0" Then $tmp = "&nbsp;"
                $adata[3] = $tmp
            Case $a.tagname = "img"
                SetError(0)
                $tmp = "Img SRC: " & $a.src & "<br>alt Text: " & $a.alt
                If @error = 1 Then $tmp = "&nbsp;"
                If $tmp = "0" Then $tmp = "&nbsp;"
                $adata[3] = $tmp
            Case $a.tagname = "input"
                SetError(0)
                $tmp = "Form Input Type: " & $a.type & "<br>Value: " & $a.value
                If @error = 1 Then $tmp = "&nbsp;"
                If $tmp = "0" Then $tmp = "&nbsp;"
                $adata[3] = $tmp
            Case $a.tagname = "option"
                SetError(0)
                $tmp = "Option index: " & $a.index & "<br>Value: " & $a.value & "<br>Selected: " & $a.selected
                If @error = 1 Then $tmp = "&nbsp;"
                If $tmp = "0" Then $tmp = "&nbsp;"
                $adata[3] = $tmp
            Case Else
                $adata[3] = "&nbsp;"
        EndSelect
       ;
        SetError(0)
        $tmp = ObjName ($a)
        If @error = 1 Then $tmp = "&nbsp;"
        If $tmp = "0" Then $tmp = "&nbsp;"
        $adata[4] = $tmp
       ;
        $sHTML = $sHTML & "<tr><td class=tr-main>" & $i
        $sHTML = $sHTML & "</td><td class=tr-main>" & $adata[0]
        $sHTML = $sHTML & "</td><td class=tr-main>" & $adata[1]
        $sHTML = $sHTML & "</td><td class=tr-main>" & $adata[2]
        $sHTML = $sHTML & "</td><td class=tr-main>" & $adata[3]
        $sHTML = $sHTML & "</td><td class=tr-main>" & $adata[4]
        $sHTML = $sHTML & "</td></tr>" & @CR
        $i = $i + 1
    Next
    $sHTML = $sHTML & "</table>" & @CR
    Return $sHTML
EndFunc  ;==>_IECollectionTable


Func MyErrFunc()
; Set @ERROR to 1 and return control to the program following the trapped error
    SetError(1)
EndFunc  ;==>MyErrFunc

[randallc]

Hi,

Dale,

I have ie.au3 base4.

I am running first example.

Error;...?

>C:\Program Files\AutoIt3\beta\autoit3.exe /ErrorStdOut "C:\Program Files\Au3PROGS\SciTe\IEFormInfoNameV2.au3"

C:\Program Files\AutoIt3\Include\IE.au3 (275) : ==> Unknown function name.:

If (ObjName($o_window.document) = "DispHTMLDocument") Then

If (^ ERROR

>Exit code: 1    Time: 0.342

Best,Randall

[DaleHohm]

Hi,

Dale,

I have ie.au3 base4.

I am running first example.

Error;...?

Best,Randall

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Randall,

The new T1.4 release requires the newest 3.1.1.63 beta or higher. You'll see that the error you are getting relates to the new ObjName function in that release. I placed this in the header for T1.4:

Requirements: AutoIt3 Beta with COM support (3.1.1.63 or higher)

I will highlight this more clearly in the base note.

Edit: Also note that Au3Check has not yet been updated to recognize the new ObjName function, so you may get a preprocessor error about it, but continuing on will work.

Dale

Edited July 24, 2005 by DaleHohm

[randallc]

Hi Dale-

Awesome!

Sorry - I had installed beta63 on other machines, forgot this one.

I'll look at this incredible stuff!

Best, Randall

Edited July 24, 2005 by randallc