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Filling out online html forms using VB
Resolved · High Priority · Version 2007
Reply Wed 11 Jan 2012, 11:07Delegate Daniel said...
Daniel has attended:
Excel VBA Intro Intermediate course
Filling out online html forms using VB
Hi,
I want to call internet explorer and direct it to a website and to fill out an online form from pre-created excel strings and then to submit that form.
Is there a way of achieving this in excel? I've found that I can use the shell command to execute programs but that's as far as I've got.
Thanks,
Daniel
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RE: Filling out online html forms using VB
Hi Daniel, thanks for your query. That is technical possible using API calls and code to parse the HTML, identify the tags, simulate keystrokes etc, but it would be a real pain to code and success could not be guaranteed. You'd be better off investigating doing it in VBScript or Javascript.
However, websites these days are set up to stop you from using a "bot" to fill them out automatically. Think of how this might be used on an auction bid, for example...
Hope this helps,
Anthony
Reply Tue 17 Jan 2012, 11:44Delegate Robert said...
RE: Filling out online html forms using VB
Hello, we have an excel spreadsheet that does pretty much what you are suggesting developing. I have posted some sample code for you to take a look at/play with to see if it suits your needs. Basically you use the Internet Explorer object in Excel (not sure what Add In is required) and then you just navigate to a chosen location.
From ie8 onwards then there are a lot of internet explorer page elements that are 'protected' from this type of automation (stopping you from firing off values to populate them automatically) and depending on how the webpage you want to manipulate has been developed (right click on it and view source) then this approach may not be possible at all - this only works on webpages that have been built up with distinct individual 'elements' and not a single javascript lump or window but for basic stuff then I think something along these lines should suffice...
Sub BlahBlahBlah
Dim ie As Internet Explorer
Dim elephant as object
Application.StatusBar = "Logging into webpage"
Set ie = New InternetExplorer
ie.Visible = True
ie.Navigate "" & Worksheets("Working").Range("URL1") & ""
Do Until ie.Busy = False
Loop
'Signs In
ie.Document.all("UserName").Value = "" & Worksheets("Working").Range("USERNAME") & ""
ie.Document.all("Password").Value = "" & Worksheets("Working").Range("PASSWORD") & ""
ie.Document.all("txtProduct").Value = 5
'presses login
For Each Elephant In ie.Document.all
If Elephant.className = "button" Then
If Elephant.nameProp = "btn_login.gif" Then
Elephant.Click
End If
End If
Next Elephant
Do Until ie.Busy = False
Loop
Application.StatusBar = "Tidying up..."
ie.Quit
Set ie = Nothing
End Sub
RE: Filling out online html forms using VB
Thanks Robert. As you point out that will only work with tagged HTML controls. One piece of advice: keep your code self-documenting. Naming object variables "elephant" makes it really difficult to know which object you are manipulating.
Hope this helps,
Anthony
Fri 3 Feb 2012: Automatically marked as resolved.
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