Select All and Copy to clipboard web page with VBScript
Mordo
I need to browse to a web page, select all on the page and copy it to the
clipboard with VBScript. I've been unsuccessful trying to use clipboardData,
sendkeys, or execCommand. Is there a way to do this?
Thanks in advance.
Michael Harris (MVP)
with createobject("internetexplorer.application")
.navigate "www.yahoo.com"
do until .readystate = 4 : wscript.sleep 10 : loop
.document.body.createtextrange.select
.document.execCommand "copy"
.quit
end with
msgbox "ready to paste..."
--
Michael Harris
Microsoft.MVP.Scripting
Seattle WA US
Sam Collin
> Mordo wrote:
> > Hi all,
> >
> > I need to browse to a web page, select all on the page and copy it to
> > the clipboard with VBScript. I've been unsuccessful trying to use
> > clipboardData, sendkeys, or execCommand. Is there a way to do this?
>
>
> with createobject("internetexplorer.application")
> .navigate "www.yahoo.com"
> do until .readystate = 4 : wscript.sleep 10 : loop
> .document.body.createtextrange.select
> .document.execCommand "copy"
> .quit
> end with
> msgbox "ready to paste..."
Thank you for the excellent hint. Used it immediately in VB6 and got
it to work as follows:
With CreateObject("internetexplorer.application")
.Navigate "http://www.yahoo.com"
Do Until .ReadyState = 4: Loop
.Document.body.createtextrange.Select
.Document.execCommand "copy"
.Quit
End With
MsgBox "ready to paste..."
But could someone please help with the following two problems:
1. It is easy to copy from a web page with text between <body>
<body>/ but when there are no bodies only <frameset> <frameset>/ how
do you get copy then. At any case I didn't succeed?.
2. You want to copy areas on a page that are protected by username and
password - how to log in when you already have the page open?.
If anyone has ideas please tell.
Thanks in advance
Michael Harris (MVP)
> .Navigate "http://www.yahoo.com"
> Do Until .ReadyState = 4: Loop
This might be a little less CPU intensive...
Do Until .ReadyState = 4: DoEvents : Loop
> .Document.body.createtextrange.Select
> .Document.execCommand "copy"
> .Quit
> End With
>
> 1. It is easy to copy from a web page with text between <body>
> <body>/ but when there are no bodies only <frameset> <frameset>/ how
> do you get copy then. At any case I didn't succeed?.
You have walk the frames collection looking for the frame (window) than has
the document.body element that you want to copy from...
>
> 2. You want to copy areas on a page that are protected by username and
> password - how to log in when you already have the page open?.
>
??? How is an area of the page (as opposed to the page itself)
username/password protected?
How you would log in depends entirely on how the specific page implements
log in...
Sam Collin
Thanks for the answer it helped me half the way.
1. There was only one "?" missing causing the whole problem.
2. Still exist the second problem to sign in.E.g. when choose
www.pcmag.com you get the front page. If you want to have a look to
your own profile it is necessary to log in.I have tried it by putting
username and password to URL as follows:
This is the page when I view my own profile by logging in from
keyboard
.Navigate "http://www.pcmag.com/view_profile/0,2993,,00.asp
And this is the verision as I try directly log in
.Navigate "http://www.pcmag.com/view_profile/0,2993,,00.asp/maillogin?txt_user_name=someuser&txt_user_pwd=pasw"
txt_user_name and txt_user_pwd I took from pcmag*s page so they should
be wrigth. I only get the message that page not exist. On some other
pages get message pls give your username and password.
What is the wright way automatically to send userid and password?
Thanks
Michael Harris (MVP)
> www.pcmag.com you get the front page. If you want to have a look to
> your own profile it is necessary to log in.I have tried it by putting
> username and password to URL as follows:
> This is the page when I view my own profile by logging in from
> keyboard
> .Navigate "http://www.pcmag.com/view_profile/0,2993,,00.asp
> And this is the verision as I try directly log in
>
> .Navigate
>
"http://www.pcmag.com/view_profile/0,2993,,00.asp/maillogin?txt_user_name=so
meuser&txt_user_pwd=pasw"
>
> txt_user_name and txt_user_pwd I took from pcmag*s page so they should
> be wrigth. I only get the message that page not exist. On some other
> pages get message pls give your username and password.
>
> What is the wright way automatically to send userid and password?
>
I'd suggest navigating to a page that has the login form, access the DOM of
that page, access the form/form elements and assign the username/password,
then call the form's submit method or the submit button's click method.
Sam Collin
Yes - it is much easier to find something when you know what to search
for. Thank you for your advice. Found here in Google the following
solution:
(sorry don't now remember who has written following code)
First with WebBrowser navigate to site,
then
Private Sub WebBrowser1_DocumentComplete(ByVal pDisp As Object, URL As
Variant)
Dim oColl As IHTMLElementCollection
' pDisp is an interface pointer to the dom of page, oCOll is the
collection of tags on our page
If pDisp Is Nothing Then Return
Set oColl = pDisp.Document.documentElement.All.tags("INPUT")
Debug.Print oColl.length
On Error GoTo ErrHandler:
oColl("username").Value = "somebody"
oColl("password").Value = "secret"
oColl("login").Click
ErrHandler:
On Error Resume Next
End Sub
So now we have landed excatly to the page I wanted to. Now I want to
do following:
copy part or the whole page to excel. Have read DOM info in MSDN but
somehow don't understand how to get control over the page we are now.
How to manipulate tags on that page. Is anyone willing to assist here
a little bit?
Thanks
Michael Harris (MVP)
> do following:
> copy part or the whole page to excel. Have read DOM info in MSDN but
> somehow don't understand how to get control over the page we are now.
> How to manipulate tags on that page. Is anyone willing to assist here
> a little bit?
If I were doing this fron VB (as you appear to be)...
(Note: untested air-code, but I think I got the syntax right ;-)
Private Sub WebBrowser1_DocumentComplete(ByVal pDisp As Object, URL As
Variant)
If pDisp Is Nothing Then Exit Sub '??? seems unlikely to happen
On Error GoTo ErrHandler:
With pDisp.Document.Forms.Item("formname").Elements
.Item("username").Value = "somebody"
.Item("password").Value = "secret"
.Item("login").Click
End With
Exit Sub
ErrHandler:
With Err
MsgBox .Number & " " & .Description
End With
End Sub
sandcas...@gmail.com
Set ie = createobject("internetexplorer.application")
Ie.navigate = "yahoo.com"
Do while ie.readystate<>4 :wscript.sleep(100):loop
X=IE.document.body.innertext
Set wsh= createobject ("wscript.shell")
Set clip = wsh.exec("clip")
Clip.stdin.write (X)
Mayayana
tried your own code. And why would you want to
transfer webpage text to a console window?
Errors: IE.Navigate is not a property but a method.
There's no "=". document.body only works for quirks mode.
WSHShell is not necessary. You should call Quit on IE
when you're done. It's an application object that runs
in its own process. It doesn't die with your script.
'------------------ begin script ---------------
Dim IE, s1, Ret
Set IE = CreateObject("InternetExplorer.Application")
IE.Navigate "C:\windows\desktop\test.html"
Do While IE.ReadyState <> 4
WScript.sleep(100)
Loop
If IE.document.compatMode = "CSS1Compat" Then
s1 = IE.document.documentElement.innerText
Else
s1 = IE.document.body.innerText
End If
Ret = IE.document.parentWindow.clipboardData.setData("Text", s1)
IE.Quit
Set IE = Nothing
' You should now be able to paste the text of the webpage
' to notepad to test that it worked. Or if you have some odd
' reason to use a DOS window then you can try to paste it
' there. :)
JJ
>
> '------------------ begin script ---------------
> Dim IE, s1, Ret
>
> Set IE = CreateObject("InternetExplorer.Application")
> IE.Navigate "C:\windows\desktop\test.html"
> Do While IE.ReadyState <> 4
> WScript.sleep(100)
> Loop
>
> If IE.document.compatMode = "CSS1Compat" Then
> s1 = IE.document.documentElement.innerText
> Else
> s1 = IE.document.body.innerText
> End If
>
> Ret = IE.document.parentWindow.clipboardData.setData("Text", s1)
>
> IE.Quit
> Set IE = Nothing
>
> ' You should now be able to paste the text of the webpage
> ' to notepad to test that it worked. Or if you have some odd
> ' reason to use a DOS window then you can try to paste it
> ' there. :)
txt = createobject("htmlfile").parentwindow.clipboarddata.getdata("text")
wsh.echo txt
And I thought I could simply use `putData()`, but it doesn't do anything.
Using "InternetExplorer.Application" works, but I have IE11, and since IE7,
clipboard access is protected. Local files are categorized as "My Computer"
zone, and don't have access to the clipboard. The only zone which default to
allow clipboard access is the Local Intranet zone. However, local file paths
can't be added into its list of sites. So, my only solution is to add
"about:blank" into the list, and use that URL in the script.
It's funny that the "HTMLFile" object have read access to the clipboard. If
it can read the clipboard, it should be able to write the clipboard, right?
Or is it a security hole? If it's not a security hole, how to get write
access to the clipboard?
Evertjan.
microsoft.public.scripting.vbscript:
perhaps you can convert it to vbs?:
<script type='text/javascript'> 'use strict'
function toClipboard(t) {
let s = window.getSelection();
s.removeAllRanges();
let range = document.createRange();
range.selectNode(t);
s.addRange(range);
document.execCommand("Copy");
};
</script>
--
Evertjan.
The Netherlands.
(Please change the x'es to dots in my emailaddress)
R.Wieser
> how to get write access to the clipboard?
non-stable at best (IIRC could not (even) find a dependable way to have IE
close down nicely after usage). When the need for clipboard access came up
I therefore decided to create COM object which accessed the clipboard
directly instead.
> it should be able to write the clipboard, right? Or is it a security hole?
replace it with a different one would be one of the possible tricks ....
But it could also be related to some "protection" scripts which would try to
twart any copy-pasting by the user by continuously emptying the clipboard
(and as the clipboard is system-wide you can guess the negative effects for
users not just concentrating on browsing ...).
Regards,
Rudy Wieser
Dave "Crash" Dummy
--
Crash
When it comes to texting, some people are all thumbs.
Mayayana
| Darn it. I use "HTMLFile" object to read the clipboard like below.
|
| txt = createobject("htmlfile").parentwindow.clipboarddata.getdata("text")
| wsh.echo txt
|
an IE instance. But I must admit I have very little experience
with that or with using the clipboard. I just don't normally
need the clipboard in something like an HTA. I also didn't know
about the security issues. On my main machine I'm running IE6.
I don't know about security for the following, but you
can try it. It's a cleaner version of Evertjan's javascript
method. (Who knew there were so many options?!)
execCommand deals with the DOM. The cut/copy/paste
options are odd in that context, since that kind of thing
can be done with a Textrange. But there they are.
Dim IE, s1, Ret
Set IE = CreateObject("InternetExplorer.Application")
IE.Navigate "C:\windows\desktop\test.html"
Do While IE.ReadyState <> 4
WScript.sleep(100)
Loop
IE.ExecWB 12, 2 '-- copy. don't prompt user.
IE.Quit
Set IE = Nothing
access to the IE or Web Browser control menu. The
first parameter is the menu item. The second is
behavior:
DODEFAULT = 0,
PROMPTUSER = 1,
DONTPROMPTUSER = 2,
SHOWHELP = 3
3rd and 4th parameters are optional and vary depending
on what the 1st is. Unfortunately, the docs aren't very
good. I've never seen an exhaustive listing of all options.
Parameters 3 and 4 are in/out paramters, pavIn, pvaOut.
They seem to be used for setting/ returning zoom level,
respectively, but not for much else. But there is some
explanation under the docs for the first parameter enum:
First parameter:
OLECMDID_OPEN = 1,
OLECMDID_NEW = 2,
OLECMDID_SAVE = 3,
OLECMDID_SAVEAS = 4,
OLECMDID_SAVECOPYAS = 5,
OLECMDID_PRINT = 6,
OLECMDID_PRINTPREVIEW = 7,
OLECMDID_PAGESETUP = 8,
OLECMDID_SPELL = 9,
OLECMDID_PROPERTIES = 10,
OLECMDID_CUT = 11,
OLECMDID_COPY = 12,
OLECMDID_PASTE = 13,
OLECMDID_PASTESPECIAL = 14,
OLECMDID_UNDO = 15,
OLECMDID_REDO = 16,
OLECMDID_SELECTALL = 17,
OLECMDID_CLEARSELECTION = 18,
OLECMDID_ZOOM = 19,
OLECMDID_GETZOOMRANGE = 20
OLECMDID_UPDATECOMMANDS = 21
OLECMDID_REFRESH = 22
OLECMDID_STOP = 23
OLECMDID_HIDETOOLBARS = 24
OLECMDID_SETPROGRESSMAX = 25
OLECMDID_SETPROGRESSPOS = 26
OLECMDID_SETPROGRESSTEXT = 27
OLECMDID_SETTITLE = 28
OLECMDID_SETDOWNLOADSTATE = 29
OLECMDID_STOPDOWNLOAD = 30
Mayayana
I just opened the Win7 version of MSDN and found a
bigger list. Much of it doesn't look very useful and may
be mostly for the WB control, but for what it's worth....
Interestingly, there are a lot of gaps in the numbering,
such as with 34-48. Maybe there are some hidden goodies.
OLECMDID_OPEN = 1,
OLECMDID_NEW = 2,
OLECMDID_SAVE = 3,
OLECMDID_SAVEAS = 4,
OLECMDID_SAVECOPYAS = 5,
OLECMDID_PRINT = 6,
OLECMDID_PRINTPREVIEW = 7,
OLECMDID_PAGESETUP = 8,
OLECMDID_SPELL = 9,
OLECMDID_PROPERTIES = 10,
OLECMDID_CUT = 11,
OLECMDID_COPY = 12,
OLECMDID_PASTE = 13,
OLECMDID_PASTESPECIAL = 14,
OLECMDID_UNDO = 15,
OLECMDID_REDO = 16,
OLECMDID_SELECTALL = 17,
OLECMDID_CLEARSELECTION = 18,
OLECMDID_ZOOM = 19,
OLECMDID_UPDATECOMMANDS = 21,
OLECMDID_REFRESH = 22,
OLECMDID_STOP = 23,
OLECMDID_HIDETOOLBARS = 24,
OLECMDID_SETPROGRESSMAX = 25,
OLECMDID_SETPROGRESSPOS = 26,
OLECMDID_SETPROGRESSTEXT = 27,
OLECMDID_SETTITLE = 28,
OLECMDID_SETDOWNLOADSTATE = 29,
OLECMDID_STOPDOWNLOAD = 30,
OLECMDID_FIND = 32,
OLECMDID_DELETE = 33,
OLECMDID_PRINT2 = 49,
OLECMDID_PRINTPREVIEW2 = 50,
OLECMDID_PAGEACTIONBLOCKED = 55,
OLECMDID_PAGEACTIONUIQUERY = 56,
OLECMDID_FOCUSVIEWCONTROLS = 57,
OLECMDID_FOCUSVIEWCONTROLSQUERY = 58,
OLECMDID_SHOWPAGEACTIONMENU = 59,
OLECMDID_ADDTRAVELENTRY = 60,
OLECMDID_UPDATETRAVELENTRY = 61,
OLECMDID_UPDATEBACKFORWARDSTATE = 62,
OLECMDID_OPTICAL_ZOOM = 63,
OLECMDID_OPTICAL_GETZOOMRANGE = 64,
OLECMDID_WINDOWSTATECHANGED = 65,
OLECMDID_ACTIVEXINSTALLSCOPE = 66,
OLECMDID_UPDATETRAVELENTRY_DATARECOVERY = 67
JJ
>
> I use this javascript script in my html to copy a textnode to the clipboard,
> perhaps you can convert it to vbs?:
>
> <script type='text/javascript'> 'use strict'
>
> function toClipboard(t) {
> let s = window.getSelection();
> s.removeAllRanges();
> let range = document.createRange();
> range.selectNode(t);
> s.addRange(range);
> document.execCommand("Copy");
> };
>
> </script>
set ie = createobject("internetexplorer.application")
ie.visible = 0
ie.navigate "about:blank"
do while ie.readystate <> 4
wsh.sleep 100
loop
set sel = ie.document.parentwindow.getselection()
set rng = sel.createrange() 'error
JJ
>
> Odd. The `createRange()` method doesn't exist.
>
> set ie = createobject("internetexplorer.application")
> ie.visible = 0
> ie.navigate "about:blank"
> do while ie.readystate <> 4
> wsh.sleep 100
> loop
> set sel = ie.document.parentwindow.getselection()
> set rng = sel.createrange() 'error
set its value, select the text, then use `ExecCommand()`. Turns out that the
"Copy" command is also protected. I think using IE object is not an option
anymore.
JJ
>
> I don't know about security for the following, but you
> can try it. It's a cleaner version of Evertjan's javascript
> method. (Who knew there were so many options?!)
> execCommand deals with the DOM. The cut/copy/paste
> options are odd in that context, since that kind of thing
> can be done with a Textrange. But there they are.
>
> Dim IE, s1, Ret
>
> Set IE = CreateObject("InternetExplorer.Application")
> IE.Navigate "C:\windows\desktop\test.html"
> Do While IE.ReadyState <> 4
> WScript.sleep(100)
> Loop
>
> IE.ExecWB 17, 2 '-- select all. don't prompt user.
> IE.ExecWB 12, 2 '-- copy. don't prompt user.
>
> IE.Quit
> Set IE = Nothing
I didn't know `ExecWB()` has a higher security access.
JJ
> An addendum. I was looking in '98 MSDN for OLECMDID.
> I just opened the Win7 version of MSDN and found a
> bigger list. Much of it doesn't look very useful and may
> be mostly for the WB control, but for what it's worth....
> Interestingly, there are a lot of gaps in the numbering,
> such as with 34-48. Maybe there are some hidden goodies.
I wouldn't be surprised if there is. It's a Microsoft product after all. :)
Mayayana
| Odd. The `createRange()` method doesn't exist.
|
probably failed because you didn't have a selection
object.
I'm guessing Evertjan may have been pasting a
javascript browser scripting standard that doesn't
exist in IE and didn't realize his code wasn't relevant.
He also, apparently, didn't test it.
Mayayana
| I didn't know `ExecWB()` has a higher security access.
Either way, you're controlling the instance. I guess it's
because the clipboard methods come from the window
object, which is accessible in DOM scripting, while the
IE object is not. A remote website can access the DOM but
can't access the IE object.
Evertjan.
microsoft.public.scripting.vbscript:
that support Javascript strict, no neeed for me to test that.
Seems you assume a lot about others, I assume,
and wrongly state that as apparent.
There is no "browser scripting standard".
As I indicated, I gave the javascript script for consideration,
and presumed that this possibly was about Cscript/Jscript,
and evenso, IE has, I presume, no strict javascript, only Jscript.
JJ
>
> It does. But getSelection doesn't. createRange
> probably failed because you didn't have a selection
> object.
use `typename()` to check it, it doesn't return `Empty`. That was my
mistake. `VarType()` actually returns 8 ([IUnknown] interface) instead of 10
(object / IDispatch interface). No wonder VBScript can't access any of its
member.
> I'm guessing Evertjan may have been pasting a
> javascript browser scripting standard that doesn't
> exist in IE and didn't realize his code wasn't relevant.
> He also, apparently, didn't test it.
doesn't have.
Mayayana
| The Javascript script I showed works very well on browsers
| that support Javascript strict, no neeed for me to test that.
|
IE. If you can't be botherd to test the script you post
then it might be better to just not post it.
| There is no "browser scripting standard".
|
IE DOM. That's why my original sample tested for
quirks mode. You've demonstrated yourself that
you use window.getSelection. Did you not know that
IE doesn't support any version of getSelection before IE9?
And according to what I can find, window.getSelection
is not recommended because it's not consistently
supported, but document.getSelection is in IE9+ and
other browsers.
| As I indicated, I gave the javascript script for consideration,
| and presumed that this possibly was about Cscript/Jscript,
VBScript way to get clipboard data via IE.
Evertjan.
microsoft.public.scripting.vbscript:
> "Evertjan." <exxjxw.h...@inter.nl.net> wrote
>
>| The Javascript script I showed works very well on browsers
>| that support Javascript strict, no neeed for me to test that.
>|
>
> Except this is a VBScript group and we're talking about
> IE. If you can't be botherd to test the script you post
> then it might be better to just not post it.