Hi,
I'd like to do something similar to Julian, but rather than interpret
Javascript code with a robot, I'd like to record/playback complete
client browsing sessions for scriptable playback later...basically be
able to record what a web client does, then be able to later put it
on autopilot. I have a need for automation of surfing patterns, but
don't want to hire hundreds of people to point and click if it can be
automated. I'm thinking that if I can run through the browsing
session manually, then there must be ways to have the client go
through the same session later.
I do not relish the idea of needing to completely understand the
ins-and-outs of every current/future web technology language as they
are changing all the time. I shouldn't have to write my own web
client that is smart enough to handle anything a web server can
throw at me. Why re-invent the wheel...there should be a way to
use existing web clients, which Do understand web technology
languages, to "record" and "play-back" surfing sessions...to make web
browsers "scriptable". Essentially, the best way to "simply" (yeah)
record a users' "clicks" is at the client-level, namely Using the
client.
I need to have complete control over what any web server can throw at
the client, so the play-back has to be on the client side. It needs
to be able to play-back anything that a user might do in a browsing
session. It needs to:
1) Record everything that happens. Whether the user clicked a link,
or filled-out a form, or responded to a JavaScript alert, or
interacted with a Java applet, or anything else.
2) Be able to play-back the session later. It will need to be able
to make smart decisions later if need be, dynamically making smart
decisions later. Now it's a "smarter" autopilot...knowing when a
form changes location on a page, or how to complete forms even
when subtle HTML page changes occurred.
Ideas I've considered exploring are:
1) Proxy themes. I don't like these. I don't want to run
everything through a custom proxy server or proxy script.
That isn't seamless enough, and it's not client-side, so
can't handle things like recording a user's Java interaction.
It could handle JavaScript interaction, but I don't want to
worry about writing or using a JavaScript interpreter.
2) The new DOM 2 could be key. Netscape 6 has some support for the
new DOM 2 features. I need something that will let me totally
know the state of every page object at all times, but don't know
how advanced JavaScript and the DOM. I only need something to
work for me, so I don't care it it only works for Netscape or IE.
I'm going to get the new O'Reilly Designing with JavaScript 2nd
Edition when it comes out in March. See:
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/designjs2/
JavaScript can be employed to record somewhat, but it has it's
limitations now. See what the Tango Group is doing with their
JavaScript Shared Browser:
http://www.npac.syr.edu/users/gcf/jssbmarch99/fullhtml.html
3) Netscape's new XUL support. I'm thinking that perhaps a XUL
application can know how a user is interacting with the DOM
(better than JavaScript?) and be programmed to record/playback
browsing sessions. XUL uses JavaScript, so will XUL have the
same type of security restriction where you can't monitor objects
on other site's pages? As an example of how to use XUL, see
"http://www.webtechniques.com/news/2000/07/powers/". In listings
3 and 4, the WebTechniques author used XUL to customize the
browser application to show a page-loading progress meter..really
cool. See this for more about XUL: http://www.mozilla.org/
docs/codestock99/xul/xul_files/v3_document.htm.
4) Customize a Java web server like HotJava. I don't know Java
yet, but this solution seems like it would offer the most
flexibility to record/playback interactions with Java applets.
5) Learn a Windows windowing library (OWL, MFC, Delphi, Tck/TK
for windows, etc), then customize the Mozilla or Spidermonkey
browser to do what I want. I'll do this if it's the only
solution.
Does anybody have some ideas? Thanks for your help.
--Ted
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
On 27 Nov 00 18:04, Julian Monteiro wrote:
From: Julian Monteiro <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Hi,
>
> I'm doing some stuff with LWP and I'm trying do make a Robot which
> interpretate Javascript pages. I alredy looked at mozilla javascript
> interpreters :
>
> http://www.mozilla.org/js/
>
> They have SpiderMonkey(C) and Rhino (Java).
>
> Did someone alredy used them? or know some perl modules to do job?
>
> Thank's for help
>
>
> Julian
> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>
>
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"From then on, when anything went wrong with a computer, we
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at Harvard in 1945, quoted in Time 16 Apr 84.
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