AutoHotkey Community

Lemming · Joined: 20 Dec 2005 Posts: 150 Location: Malaysia

Internet Explorer's tridentcmbobx control is used in many web pages, usuallly as a drop down menu.

There seems to be no way to read text from this control, or to manipulate it reliably. This was previously reported here:
http://www.autohotkey.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10188&view=next

The current solutions provide are inelegant, or they require you to learn Javascript. Would be great if this control could be manipulated just like a Listview.

I've tried the following commands:
ControlGetText, TridentCmboBx30 , WhichCombobox, Prestige
ControlGet, TridentCmboBx30, List ,, WhichCombobox, Prestige

to no avail.

Nor do these commands work:
Control, ChooseString, Corp, WhichCombobox, Prestige
Control, ShowDropDown, , WhichCombobox, Prestige

*WhichCombobox is the control's name, which was previously determined.

-Lemming.

PhiLho · Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 4:13 pm Post subject:

I vote against this wish, I don't see AutoHotkey starting to support controls specific to one application, even if it is IE. Plus I don't even know if it is possible without diving into the browser objects or something.
_________________

vPhiLho := RegExReplace("Philippe Lhoste", "^(\w{3})\w*\s+\b(\w{3})\w*$", "$1$2")

Chris · Site Admin Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 10467

Although I tend to agree with PhiLho, I'd be interested in a greater level of browser integration and automation in AutoHotkey. However, to keep code size in check, it might be best if browser integration features were outsourced to a separate module, such as a DLL file or DllCalling .ahk script.

If anyone here has browser integration experience, please post here if you'd have an interest in working on such a thing. Even support for only one type of browser (such as MSIE or Firefox) would be a great benefit to a lot of people trying to find more reliable ways of automating web forms.

Alternatively, there are some great products on the market automate web forms (though I don't think many of them are free).

Guest · Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2006 3:54 am Post subject:

Lemming · Joined: 20 Dec 2005 Posts: 150 Location: Malaysia

Eh, I'm not sure why anyone would be against browser integration? IE is not just "one app", it is the most widely used browser (Firefox is my preferred browser, so leave me out of the browser wars).

Plus it not merely web forms we're dealing with. IE is also the platform for many browser-based apps, and quite a number of them are candidates for automation.

If you check the forums, you'll see many questions which involve IE, such as how do I get data from IE, how do I manipulate this-or-that in IE, etc.

I think more support for IE would benefit users, be it in the form of a new DLL, or a viable example of a DllCall to an existing DLL.

Regards,
Lemming.

PhiLho · Posted: Sun Jul 09, 2006 9:58 am Post subject: Re: IE controls

Titan · Joined: 11 Aug 2004 Posts: 5068 Location: imaginationland

Lemming · Joined: 20 Dec 2005 Posts: 150 Location: Malaysia

I think everyone has made good points, but just consider this:

AHK is not able to manipulate web elements used within its own forums. Seems ironic to find such a limitation here...

Take this very page for instance.

Notice there is a section labeled Display posts from previous near the bottom of this page. There are two dropdown boxes next to this section. They are, of course, tridentcmbobx controls.

Now see if you can come up an ahk script to do something which seems ridiculously simple - change the two fields to "7 Days" and "Newest First".

To ensure a viable script for many users, try working with these limitations:

1. No "inelegant" solutions, e.g. "blind" clicking/keystrokes or use of Imagesearch.

2. No use of other languages like Javascript.

3. If DLLs are used, they must be free, and preferably open source.

BONUS POINTS

Change the first field to "7 Days" even if it has previously been changed to other selections, e.g. 1 Year. This would pretty much break any "blind" clicking or Imagesearch solutions.

PhiLho

corrupt · Joined: 29 Dec 2004 Posts: 2397

Lemming · Joined: 20 Dec 2005 Posts: 150 Location: Malaysia

Well I suppose Javascript wouldn't be too bad, if only there were some good examples with well-known (accessible) websites. Like this one, perhaps?

But I just thought of another limitation. The provided Javascript example seems to presume the existence of IE's address bar (Edit1).

Some websites and browser-based apps disable the the address bar. Could Javascript work then?

Also, some users turn off Javascript entirely, either to stop pop-ups, or for security reasons.

PhiLho · Posted: Tue Jul 11, 2006 5:41 pm Post subject:

These scripts are to automate Web applications, so if the user disables JavaScript or hides the address bar, he just won't be able to do his automation. That's his problem: either he does what is needed, or he won't automate anything.
Scripts won't assume there is an Edit1, there are keyboard shortcut to go to the address bar in all major browser, you just have to send the right shortcut to the right browser...
_________________

vPhiLho := RegExReplace("Philippe Lhoste", "^(\w{3})\w*\s+\b(\w{3})\w*$", "$1$2")

Lemming · Joined: 20 Dec 2005 Posts: 150 Location: Malaysia

Just bumping this topic, as there has been no real progress.

keywords: Internet Explorer_TridentCmboBx , TridentComboBox

Joy2DWorld · Joined: 04 Dec 2006 Posts: 422 Location: Galil, Israel

@Lemming,

seems this is sure important to you.. so.. if this helps:

Sean's COMs sure look like they'll do this for you,

also injecting (or running as snippet) javascript sure will do it for you too.

also... the ws4ahk will do that for you via VB...

the TridentComboBox is simply an element of the html document (i think!)

ie... it's not a 'part' of the browser, it's CONTENTS within a 'document'.

see, it's just text, actually:

Joy2DWorld · Joined: 04 Dec 2006 Posts: 422 Location: Galil, Israel

also,

you can do a script to jump to the end of the page,

and find the location of all Internet Explorer_TridentCmboBx... controls you find there.

the two with the highest Y value and the same X value are the controls you want.

you can click them and cursor down and enter the values you choose...

not that complex, actually....
(but dealing with the CONTENTS of the doc... either via java or via ws or via COM (it's all the same actually!!!) is a lot more powerful).

or... not as fancy,

you can also even open a view source window to figure out what the text values are...

ps: in a backwards sort of way, being able access the control's text and/or maybe manipulate the control *as a control* would sure be interesting. It would have some potential use, *but* with Sean's COM's and ability to access the control from inside of the browser as an object, seems like better approach.. (although not as simple for new user!).
_________________
Joyce Jamce