HTML Forms Progamatically Via VB.NET

[Mitchell Vincent]

I've been searching and searching and I can't seem to come up with a
decent enough search string at Google to get any useful information on
what I'm looking for.

I see scores of programs that pop open a web page and fill in form
fields. Is this something that is easily done in VB.NET?

I have a simple HTML form that I would like for some software to be able
to fill in and submit automatically.

Thanks!!

 

[Peter Huang [MSFT]]

Hi

I think we may need to use a webbrowser control to host html document.
Here is a link for your reference.
How to host a WebBrowser control in Visual Basic .NET to post form data
(311294)
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;311294

Best regards,

Peter Huang
Microsoft Online Partner Support

Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[Mitchell Vincent]

Hi

I think we may need to use a webbrowser control to host html document.
Here is a link for your reference.
How to host a WebBrowser control in Visual Basic .NET to post form data
(311294)
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;311294

Best regards,

Peter Huang
Microsoft Online Partner Support

Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

I'm sorry, I wasn't very clear. This isn't a web based application -
this is a desktop app.

I want to put a web browser control on a form and have the user click a
"login" button, where the application will load up the page, fill in the
user's username and password (which had been stored previously) and
submit the form..

 

[Cor Ligthert]

Mitchel,

That was what Peter was answering you, try this.

Open a new windows application project

In the toolbox rightclick and select add/Remove items

In the customize toolbox select Com and in that Microsoft Webbrowser

When that is in the toolbox drag it to your form
Drag also a button to your form.

Then this code and you have a mini Webbrowser.

\\\
Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As
System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
Me.AxWebBrowser1.Navigate2("www.google.com")
End Sub
///

I hope this helps a little bit?

Cor

 

[Mitchell Vincent]

\\\
Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As
System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
Me.AxWebBrowser1.Navigate2("www.google.com")
End Sub
///

I hope this helps a little bit?

Sure, sure, I can get the browser on the form. I'm just trying to
manipulate form fields on what ever page the browser happens to be
sitting at (using the google example, I'd want to have a user click a
button in my application and the browser open google, fill in the search
field automatically *and* submit the form).

I'll go re-read the link Peter posted. Perhaps I just didn't understand
what I was reading.

Thanks!

 

[Peter Huang [MSFT]]

Hi

I think Google will use HTTP GET method but no the POST method to
collection data.
Private Sub Button3_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As
System.EventArgs) Handles Button3.Click
Dim cParamName As String
Dim cSearchString As String

cParamName = "q="
cSearchString = "Food"
AxWebBrowser1.Navigate2("http://www.google.com/search?" &
cParamName & cSearchString)
End Sub

The code above will seach the Food in the google.

Best regards,

Peter Huang
Microsoft Online Partner Support

Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[Cor Ligthert]

Peter,

That is easy to see.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Peter+Huang&btnG=Google+Search

Problem with the Post is that you cannot set hyperlinks, probably is it used
on MSDN with some pages (it can also be just JavaScript), what is really
annoying because that you cannot set a shortcut to it or copy the link.

Maybe can you make once an internal note about that.

Thanks in advance.

Cor

 

[Mitchell Vincent]

Peter,

That is easy to see.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Peter+Huang&btnG=Google+Search

Problem with the Post is that you cannot set hyperlinks, probably is it used
on MSDN with some pages (it can also be just JavaScript), what is really
annoying because that you cannot set a shortcut to it or copy the link.

Maybe can you make once an internal note about that.

Thanks in advance.

Cor

All excellent information! Thank you both very much for taking the time
to help out!

However, what I'm trying to do is actually *interact* with the web page
the user goes to, rather than POSTing data to a CGI.

The simplest example I can think of is when IE remembers a password on a
web page for you. They actually fill in the form field and (sometimes)
wait for you to click the "go" button. That is what I need to do -
actually fill out the form on the web page, no go straight to the POST/GET.

Thanks again!

 

[Cor Ligthert]

Mitchell,

I think that I knew where you was after, however I never give an answer on
those questions because I find it so dangerous to do what you probably are
after. One change in the design of the webpage can cost millions when it is
a decimal shift.

For this is in my opinion the webservice invented.

Just my thought,

Cor

 

[Mitchell Vincent]

Mitchell,

I think that I knew where you was after, however I never give an answer on
those questions because I find it so dangerous to do what you probably are
after. One change in the design of the webpage can cost millions when it is
a decimal shift.

For this is in my opinion the webservice invented.

Just my thought,

Cor

I realize the potential dangers of doing what I want to do and will be
keeping them in mind as I develop this software. I own and run both the
web page/server this will be used with and the desktop software that
will do it. A web service isn't possible for this situation, but I do
appreciate you suggesting it.

If you don't want to tell me what you know for fear that it will be used
for malicious purposes I suppose I'll understand, but that isn't the
case. Drop me a private email (mitch@ ksoftware.net) if you would like
to avoid having the answer on a news group.

I would *really* appreciate the help here. Thanks!

 

[Peter Huang [MSFT]]

Hi

If so I think you may try to take a look at the code below. Please a
reference to mshtml .NET library.
Private doc As mshtml.HTMLDocument
Private Sub Button3_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As
System.EventArgs) Handles Button3.Click
doc = Me.AxWebBrowser1.Document 'Get htmldocument
Dim inputbox As mshtml.HTMLInputTextElement =
doc.getElementsByName("q").item(, 0) 'get inputbox ref
inputbox.value = "Food" 'Input value
Dim submitButton As mshtml.HTMLInputButtonElement =
doc.getElementsByName("btnG").item(, 0) 'get submit button ref
submitButton.click() 'click the button
End Sub

Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As
System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
AxWebBrowser1.Navigate("http://www.google.com/")
End Sub

Best regards,

Peter Huang
Microsoft Online Partner Support

Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[Cor Ligthert]

Mitchell,

I realize the potential dangers of doing what I want to do and will be
keeping them in mind as I develop this software. I own and run both the
web page/server this will be used with and the desktop software that will
do it. A web service isn't possible for this situation, but I do
appreciate you suggesting it.

Are you sure that a webservice not is possible in this situation. Everywhere
where is a Windows NT that can have ASPNET it is even very simple to use.
Here one of the in my opinion best Microsoft walkthroughs how to do that.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...atingDistributedWebApplicationWalkthrough.asp

Maybe it gives a different point of view to your problem.

On the other hand can you use the sample from Peter in my opinion. Although
you can as well look what the HTTPwebrequest and HTTPwebrespond can do for
you. (I never wrote that sent back part).

This is the way to get the page as a string
\\\\
Module main
Public Sub main()
Dim myReg As Net.HttpWebRequest = _
DirectCast(Net.WebRequest.Create("http://www.google.com"), _
Net.HttpWebRequest)
Dim myResp As Net.HttpWebResponse = _
DirectCast(myReg.GetResponse(), Net.HttpWebResponse)
Dim myStream As IO.Stream = myResp.GetResponseStream()
Dim myreader As New IO.StreamReader(myStream)
Dim mystring As String = myreader.ReadToEnd()
myResp.Close()
End Sub
End Module
///

I hope this helps anyway something.

Cor

 

[Mitchell Vincent]

Mitchell,



Are you sure that a webservice not is possible in this situation.

Absolutely positive, Cor, but thanks again. I think I have it worked out
now. Peter posted some information on exactly what I was trying to do!