Running a javascript command from Windows Address Bar FOLLOWING the Web address?

[jksmurf]

I scrape all my EPG's using TVxB which generally works well, but I am stuck on a page which would allow me only 1 days worth of EPG. Normally I can work out the release sequence to download a cache of schedule pages but this site:

http://www.setanta.com/HongKong/TV-Listings/

does it with javascript. ie. to get the NEXT days schedule I need to click the date which runs (one of) these at a time:

javascript:__doPostBack('ctl00$cphForm$AllCols$tvlHeader$rptDays$ctl00$btnDay','')
javascript:__doPostBack('ctl00$cphForm$AllCols$tvlHeader$rptDays$ctl01$btnDay','')
javascript:__doPostBack('ctl00$cphForm$AllCols$tvlHeader$rptDays$ctl02$btnDay','')
javascript:__doPostBack('ctl00$cphForm$AllCols$tvlHeader$rptDays$ctl03$btnDay','')
javascript:__doPostBack('ctl00$cphForm$AllCols$tvlHeader$rptDays$ctl04$btnDay','')
javascript:__doPostBack('ctl00$cphForm$AllCols$tvlHeader$rptDays$ctl05$btnDay','')
javascript:__doPostBack('ctl00$cphForm$AllCols$tvlHeader$rptDays$ctl06$btnDay','')

Is there some way I can combine http://www.setanta.com/HongKong/TV-Listings/ with one of the above javascript lines, to get a DIRECT link to the selected days page, so TVxB can download it and cache a set of them automatically using a release sequence (relseq?)

Ta!

k.

[pBS]

can't be done without either taking apart that query, or some code in the pages themselves...
tho you could use script to load the pages...it works if you just paste postback in addresss bar of firefox while on main page.....
but easier if you could scrippt with calling program...not sure if adding pages together manually would work for your scraper...

[jksmurf]

can't be done without either taking apart that query, or some code in the pages themselves...
tho you could use script to load the pages...it works if you just paste postback in addresss bar of firefox while on main page.....
but easier if you could scrippt with calling program...not sure if adding pages together manually would work for your scraper...

Hmm, I really don't know enough about TVxB to do any scripting, it basically uses wget to download and cache the pages, then parses the data. The issue is I can't get past the first step, "download and cache the pages" for a weeks EPG. Can't even fool the date (ven if knew how) as it is on the server, not based on my PC's date.

k.

[pBS]

have you tried concatenating the files manually then point TVxB to the all-days-in-one page as a local address? [file://path/to/file.html]
if it works then automating the appending of the web pages could be done in .vbs before epg update..

[jksmurf]

I'll try, and it might work if I can insert an identifier for the date in each subsequent concatentation.

However I looked at the source for http://www.setanta.com/HongKong/TV-Listings/ and it doesn't show exactly which day the times belong to, just a list of days which chows which one you clicked (in javascript...) . TVxB throws out duplicate times if it sees them as the same day.

k.

[pBS]

hmmm,in that case, maybe just a script to download all the pages separately, then point to each as local address in TVxB..[file://monday.xml thru sunday.xml]

[jksmurf]

That might be easier!

I think I can use downloadmethod=cache so the script does the download to the cache, then the resulting files would need to be html in this format TVxb-tvbpearl.hk-20090605.html so that TVxB can parse them. I guess the date can be in the file name. Need to try a few things.

BUT ... I have no idea about such a vbs script, can you point me to somewhere I can get a few clues how to run it to download and name the files (basically to replace what wget does I guess - boy this opens up possibilities on other javascript-based online EPGs...)!

Cheers

k.

[pBS]

i looked around but couldn't put my finger on it..tried a couple of things that didn't work..[i don't vbs all that well either]
i know autoit3 can do it...and probably easier to learn..probably even examples to play with...

[jksmurf]

i know autoit3 can do it...and probably easier to learn..probably even examples to play with...

I used to code vbs macros in Excel "OK" but , must admit AutoIt seems less intuitive.

BUT ...I persevered and got some way along - it "half works". No responses on the autoit forum to my terrible coding, so if anyone is of a mind to help solve the issue of it hanging, then I'm good to go. Script attached ... :o

k.

[pBS]

yea, those forums are kinda snobby, makes one appreciate the helpfulness here..

hmm, add a ",0" to end of ienavigate lines to not wait for page reload,[cuz it isn't reloading actually,just using javascript to alter what shows up]
[just javascript navigations, not the first one..]
and can go straight to page with first nav, http://www.setanta.com/HongKong/TV-Listings/
if you waited about 5 mins your script would continue after page timed out.. that's why nowait works..

Code:

_IENavigate($oIE,"javascript:__doPostBack('ctl00$cphForm$AllCols$tvlHeader$rptDays$ctl03$btnDay','')",0)
SaveTVxBhtml()

this also saves html, but not as nicely re-formatted as ie saves..

Code:

Func SaveTVxBhtml()
sleep(3000)
$SaveDate = @YEAR&@MON&$MDAYALT
$sHTML = _IEDocReadHTML ($oIE)
filewriteline($savedate & ".html",$sHTML)
endfunc

aha! needed instance 3 not 2 for type, and some other typos etc..uploading working script..