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SamC
White Water Yakist

3467 Posts

Posted - 2003-11-14 : 14:36:38

This is a question a friend of mine asked me to research so my info is sketchy.

There's an existing web form running on a remote server. A few input fields. Works fine.

The question is how can an application be written to read the form, fill in the fields and submit the form - without requiring a human and a browser.

Anyone done this before or have a link that describes the technique?

Sam

MichaelP
Jedi Yak

2489 Posts

Posted - 2003-11-14 : 15:08:30

I've not done this exact thing, but I have done stuff with .Net where I've simulated a form POST to a remote server.

For what you are talking about, You'd probably need a webbrowser control, have it open the page, itterate through the controls, populate the ones you want, and then do the form post.

Michael

<Yoda>Use the Search page you must. Find the answer you will.</Yoda>

SamC
White Water Yakist

3467 Posts

Posted - 2003-11-14 : 15:15:55

It's that part "then do a form post" that gets me.

Can you email or post a snippet of .NET that does this?

Sam

jsmith8858
Dr. Cross Join

7423 Posts

Posted - 2003-11-14 : 15:21:24

if it uses a GET, then it's just building the querystring in the URL and browsing to that URL using a webbrowser control. that would be pretty easy i would think.

For a post, it'd be a different story ... i'll do some checking for you, i think i've done this before.

- Jeff

MichaelP
Jedi Yak

2489 Posts

Posted - 2003-11-14 : 16:34:49

Sam, I'll e-mail it to ya.
There's some stuff in there that I'm not sure I want to post to the rest of the world.

Michael

<Yoda>Use the Search page you must. Find the answer you will.</Yoda>

ehorn
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker

1632 Posts

Posted - 2003-11-15 : 09:57:25

Check out XMLHTTP - scid=http://support.microsoft.com:80/support/kb/articles/Q290/5/91.asp&NoWebContent=1

Its not just for XMl -- and it is very simple...

The following asp code demos MSXML3 XMLHTTP get and post.

The get will retrieve the SQLTeam search page into a variable strReturn which can be interrogated for the form elements to build and call the post which, in this example, is a search as of 5 days ago for the keyword XMLHTTP...


<%

	Dim objHTTP,strReturn 
	Set objHTTP = Server.CreateObject("MSXML2.XMLHTTP.3.0")

'GET
	'objHTTP.open "Get", "http://www.sqlteam.com/forums/search.asp", false
	'objHTTP.send
	'strReturn = objHTTP.responseText
	'response.write strReturn

'POST
	objHTTP.Open "POST", "http://www.sqlteam.com/forums/search.asp?mode=DoIt", False
	objHTTP.setRequestHeader "lastCached", now()
	objHTTP.setRequestHeader "Content-Type", "application/x-www-form-urlencoded"
	'The post values
	objHTTP.Send "Search=XMLHTTP&andor=3&Forum=0&SearchMessage=0&SearchDate=5&SearchMember="
	Response.Write objHTTP.responseText
	Set objHTTP = Nothing
%>

Once XTML becomes more widely used, this will become even easier.
Get the page. Apply a stylesheet to strip out form elements. Post the form. Apply a stylesheet to retrieve the desired contents.

AjarnMark
SQL Slashing Gunting Master

3246 Posts

Posted - 2003-11-16 : 19:51:37

Are you trying to stress-test the page? You might check out Microsoft's Web Application Stress Tool at [url]http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=e2c0585a-062a-439e-a67d-75a89aa36495&DisplayLang=en[/url] and related notes at:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;313559 and
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;815160

--------------------------------------------------------
Visit the SQLTeam Weblogs at [url]http://weblogs.sqlteam.com[/url]

SamC
White Water Yakist

3467 Posts

Posted - 2003-11-18 : 09:37:45

Thanks everyone. I got what was needed.

Sam

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