Invoking screen-scraper from Internet Explorer?
Is it possible to invoke a screen-scraper scraping session from Internet Explorer?
For example, could you use a Links entry (Internet Explorer) or Toolbar button (Internet Explorer) - e.g., coded with a javascript - to send to current web URL to screen-scraper and execute a scraping session using a specific scrapeable file? If yes, do you have any coding examples?
A little context may help. Bookstore websites present a unique web page for each book, but they present the information in a standard format (which makes it scrapable).
Best regards,
Peter
Invoking screen-scraper from Internet Explorer?
Todd,
I have not been able to find a solution for passing the current URL to a PHP script - and I am not familiar with javascript.
Would someone be willing to share/write a javascript (or provide an alternate solution)?
Stumped,
Peter
Invoking screen-scraper from Internet Explorer?
Hi Peter,
In answer to your questions:
1. You're correct. It would be passed to a PHP file which might reside on a local or remote web server. That is, it could be http://localhost/myscraper.php, but it might also be http://www.foo.com/myscraper.php.
2. You should be able to find lots of examples of grabbing the current URL and using it within a bookmarklet here: [url]http://www.bookmarklets.com/[/url].
3. The URL would be passed in as a parameter to your PHP page. It would then pass that URL to screen-scraper in a session variable, invoking a RemoteScrapingSession. You can see examples of this in our second ([url]http://www.screen-scraper.com/support/tutorials/tutorial2/tutorial_overview.php[/url]) and fourth ([url]http://www.screen-scraper.com/support/tutorials/tutorial4/tutorial_overview.php[/url]) tutorials.
Kind regards,
Todd
Invoking screen-scraper from Internet Explorer?
Hello again Todd,
I need some help with the second option that you described -> "Use a bookmarklet (same notion as your "Link" idea, I think) that would pass the URL to a web page you've created. This web page would invoke screen-scraper and extract the data."
1. When you refer to passing the URL to a web page I've created, are you talking about passing the URL to something like http://localhost/myscraper.php (in which the PHP script myscraper.php would use the RemoteScapingSession PHP class to invoke screen-scraper)?
2. How would I pass the URL to myscraper.php (how would the bookmarklet be configured)?
3. Once myscraper.php has the URL, how would I tell screen-scraper to use it?
Thanks,
Peter
Invoking screen-scraper from Internet Explorer?
Hi Todd,
Thanks for presenting some options. You have a wealth of knowledge!
Peter
Invoking screen-scraper from Internet Explorer?
Hi Peter,
There are a few ways I can think that this might work:
- Use screen-scraper's proxy server to invoke scripts at specific URL's.
- Use a bookmarklet (same notion as your "Link" idea, I think) that would pass the URL to a web page you've created. This web page would invoke screen-scraper and extract the data.
- Create some kind of browser extension that would invoke a local or centralized instance of screen-scraper.
The second option seems like the most viable to me. It would also make the app more universally-accessible.
Kind regards,
Todd Wilson