From: "Daniel P. Zepeda" <daniel@...>
Date: 2003-02-14T02:19:45+09:00
Subject: Re: Web Automation

On Thu, 13 Feb 2003 15:17:05 +0900
John Knight <john@johnknight.com> wrote:

> >
> 
>      I have a project which involves visiting a url
>      and responding to several prompts to get access
>      to a database.  Is there a way that I can use ruby
>      to interact with the front end to the database and
>      automate database queries?
> 
>      For example, there is a site that gives addresses for
>      realtors among many other things. The dialog with the
>      site involves selecting through to the point where
>      the client gives the server a query to the realtor
>      database. The query may result in multiple pages.
>      The client continues requesting pages until it has
>      obtained all the realtors names.
> 
>      I would like to start the process by addressing the
>      url of the server and then having a ruby script be
>      an automated client to  request and collect the list
>      of realtors.
> 
>      I can almost figure out how to do this. I know how to
>      use "require CGI" and I understand how to use eruby.
>      I suspect that this is not really a CGI problem. Maybe
>      it is more akin to downloading mail using pop.
> 
>      Basically, I can find examples which use CGI to field
>      responses to request s sent to a another url. But
>      I have not seen a case of an automated interaction
>      with a url. It seems an obvious thing to have. Am I
>      missing something? Can some point me to examples of
>      scripted queries?
> 
>      Thanks,
> 
>      John

What you want is http-access2, look for it on RAA. Depending on how the site is
written, you may only need to look at the last page to figure out what to send.


> 


-- 
Daniel P. Zepeda