in reply to WIN32::IE::Mechanize - can't follow link - JavaScript involved

You have not posted the js code linked to the page, so there is very little we can do

In the original HTML page there should be one (or more) <script> tag that contains or javascript code or a url from which the code is downloadable (follow the link with your browser and then "view page source")

Updated: WIN32::IE::Mechanize has some limits regarding HTML pages containing frames and JS popups. You should check then entire HTML page and the associated JS code

Are you sure that this couldn't be better done with CGI?

Rule One: Do not act incautiously when confronting a little bald wrinkly smiling man.

  • Comment on Re: WIN32::IE::Mechanize - can't follow link - JavaScript involved
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Re^2: WIN32::IE::Mechanize - can't follow link - JavaScript involved
by Ninth Prince (Acolyte) on May 22, 2008 at 17:08 UTC

    Oops, sorry about that. I don't know enough about JavaScript to even know that I should have given you all or the HTML. Anyway, here it is.

    <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">

<html>
    <head>
        <META content="text/html; charset=windows-1252" http-equiv=Con
+tent-Type>
        <title>Investment Adviser Search</title>
        <LINK href='/IAPD/Stylesheets/iapd.css' rel=stylesheet type=te
+xt/css media='screen'/>
        <LINK href='/IAPD/Stylesheets/iapd_print.css' rel=stylesheet t
+ype=text/css media='print'/>
        
    <script type="text/javascript" language='Javascript' src='/IAPD/In
+cludes/Validation/Search/iapd_OrgSearch.js'></script> 
      <script type="text/javascript" language='Javascript' src='/Iapd/
+Includes/iapd_WindowManagement.js'></script> 
    <script type="text/javascript" language='Javascript' src='/Iapd/In
+cludes/iapd_SetAndSub.js'></script> 
    <script language=javascript>
       function init() 
       {
            if(document.Content.Name != null)
                document.Content.Name.value = "";
            if(document.Content.CrdNumber != null)
                document.Content.CrdNumber.value = "";
            if(document.Content.SecNumber != null)
                document.Content.SecNumber.value = "";
       }
       window.onload = init; 
    </script>

    </head>

    <body bgColor=#ffffff leftmargin="0" topmargin="0">
        <a NAME="PageTop"></a>
        <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"
+ class="noprint">
            <tbody>
            <tr valign="top">
                <td height="92" rowSpan="5" nowrap><img alt="SEC Seal"
+ border="0" height="92" src="/IAPD/Images/SEC_bannerSealTop2.gif" wid
+th="95"><img alt="SEC Seal" border="0" height="92" src="/IAPD/Images/
+SEC_bannerSealTopRt.gif" width="26"></td>
                <td background="/IAPD/Images/SEC_stripedbgMain.gif" he
+ight="39" width="171"><img alt="" border="0" height="39" src="/IAPD/I
+mages/SEC_bannerFlagMain.gif" width="171"></td>
                <td align="right" background="/IAPD/Images/SEC_striped
+bgMain.gif" class="gray" valign="bottom" width="100%"></td>
                <td rowspan="4" width="126">
                    <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
                        <tbody>
                        <tr>
                            <td rowspan="3"><img alt="" height="90" sr
+c="/IAPD/Images/flag_lt.gif" width="7"></td>
                            <td><img alt="" height=12 src="/IAPD/Image
+s/flag_top.gif" width="112"></td>
                            <td rowspan=3><img alt="" height="90" src=
+"/IAPD/Images/flag_rt.gif" width="7"></td>
                        </tr>
                        <tr>
                            <td><img id="_ctl0_imgFlag" src="/IAPD/Ima
+ges/State_Regulation.gif" alt="State Regulation" border="0" style="he
+ight:72px;width:112px;" /></td>
                        </tr>
                        <tr>
                            <td><img alt="" height="6" src="/IAPD/Imag
+es/flag_bot.gif" width="112"></td>
                        </tr>
                        </tbody>
                    </table>
                </td>
            </tr>
            <tr valign="top">
                <td bgcolor="black"><img alt="" height="1" src="/IAPD/
+Images/pixel.gif" width="1"></td>
                <td bgcolor="black" height="34"><img alt="Investment A
+dviser Public Disclosure" border="0" height="34" src="/IAPD/Images/IA
+PDtitle.gif" width="391"></td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td bgcolor="white" height="2"><img alt="" height="2" 
+src="/IAPD/Images/pixel.gif"></td>
                <td bgcolor="white" height="2"><img alt="" height="1" 
+src="/IAPD/Images/pixel.gif" width="1"></td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td bgcolor="#324395" colspan="2" height="15"><img alt
+="" border="0" height="15" src="/IAPD/Images/SEC_bannerFlagBot.gif" w
+idth="50"></td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td bgcolor="white" colspan="5" height="2"><img alt=""
+ height="2" src="/IAPD/Images/pixel.gif"></td>
                <td bgcolor="white" height="2"></td>
            </tr>
            </tbody>
        </table>
        
        <table id="_ctl0_tblMain" border="0" cellpadding="0" height="1
+00%" cellspacing="0" width="100%">
    <tr valign="top">
        <td bgcolor="#e1e1d6" colspan="3" valign="top" width="1%">
                    <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" 
+width="150" class="noprint">
                        <tbody>
                        <tr>
                            <td><img src="/IAPD/Images/SEC_SealBotFron
+tB.gif" alt="SEC Seal"></td>
                        </tr>
                        <tr>
                            <td><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src=
+"/IAPD/Images/pixel.gif" width="5"></td>
                        </tr>
                        </tbody>
                    </table>
                    <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="5" 
+width="130" class="noprint">
                        <tbody>
                        <tr>
                            <td>
                                <!-- Left Navigation -->
                                
                                    <table border="0" width="130" cell
+spacing="5" cellpadding="0">
  <tr>
    <td>
      <img src="/IAPD/images/IAPDhome2.jpg" alt="IAPD Main">
    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>
      <table border="0" width="130" cellspacing="3" cellpadding="0">
        <tr>
          <td>
            <a onMouseOver="status='Link To the SEC';return true" onMo
+useOut="status='';" class="Nav" href="javascript: JSub('/IAPD/Content
+/IAPDMain/iapd_SECRedirect.aspx');">Return to the SEC</a>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <a onMouseOver="status='Link To the SEC IARD Page';return 
+true" onMouseOut="status='';" class="Nav" href="javascript: JSub('/IA
+PD/Content/IAPDMain/iapd_SECRedirect.aspx?dir=IARD');">Return to SEC 
+IARD Page</a>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <a onMouseOver="status='Link To Sitemap';return true" onMo
+useOut="status='';" class="Nav" href="javascript: JSub('/IAPD/Content
+/IAPDMain/iapd_SiteMap.aspx');">Return to Sitemap</a>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <a onMouseOver="status='Link To Investment Adviser Search'
+;return true" onMouseOut="status='';" class="NavSelected" href="javas
+cript: JSub('/IAPD/Content/Search/iapd_OrgSearch.aspx');">Investment 
+Adviser Search</a>
          </td>
        </tr>
      </table>
    </td>
  </tr>
</table>
<BR>
<BR>
                                
                                <!-- Left Nav Control Goes Here -->
                            </td>
                        </tr>
                        </tbody>
                    </table>
                </td>
        <td>
                    <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" 
+width="100%">
                        <tr>
                            <td id="_ctl0_tdBackground" background="/I
+APD/Images/iapd-wmk2.jpg">
                                <img alt="" height="10" src="/IAPD/Ima
+ges/pixel.gif" width="540"><br />
                                <table border="0" cellPadding="0" cell
+Spacing="0" width="100%">
                                    <tbody>
                                    <tr>
                                        <td>
                                            <!-- Main Content -->
                                             
    <script language="Javascript">
        var bDoneLoading = "N"
    </script>
<table Border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" height="100%" width=
+"100%">
  <tr valign="top" height="96%">
    <td width="100%" colspan="3">
      <DIV id="content">
        <div class="PageTitle">Investment Adviser Search</div>
        <input name="Save" type="Hidden" value="IAPDSearch">
        <table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"
+>
          <tr>
            <td class="QueryTableTitle" colspan="5">Search for an Inve
+stment Adviser Firm:</td>
          </tr>
          <form name="Search1" method="Post" onSubmit="return JSubmitF
+orm();">
            <tr>
              <td colspan="5">
                <table border="0" cellPadding="3" cellSpacing="0" widt
+h="100%">
                  <tbody>
                    <tr>
                      <td class="QueryTableLabel" colspan="1" width="3
+0%">Firm Name:</td>
                      <td class="QueryTableLabel" colspan="1">
                        <input type="text" name="Name" value="" size="
+30" maxlength="64">
                        <a HREF="JavaScript:JSubmitForm()" onMouseOver
+="status='Perform Search'; return true" onMouseOut="status='';">
                          <img SRC="/IAPD/Images/go_off.gif" alt="Go" 
+name="go" onMouseover="JImgAct('go')" onMouseout="JImgInact('go')" BO
+RDER="0" align="top">
                        </a>
                      </td>
                    </tr>
                    <tr>
                      <td class="QueryTableLabel" width="30%" valign="
+top">Type of Firm Search:</td>
                      <td class="QueryTableLabel">
                        <input type="radio" name="SearchType" value="1
+" checked="true">Starts With<br><input type="radio" name="SearchType"
+ value="2">Contains<br><input type="radio" name="SearchType" value="3
+">Sounds Like</td>
                    </tr>
                  </tbody>
                </table>
              </td>
            </tr>
          </form>
          <tr>
            <td colSpan="5">
              <hr>
            </td>
          </tr>
          <form name="Search2" method="Post" onSubmit="return JSubmitF
+orm();">
            <tr>
              <td colspan="5">
                <table border="0" cellPadding="3" cellSpacing="0" widt
+h="100%">
                  <tbody>
                    <tr>
                      <td width="30%" class="BoldTD" colspan="2">Firm 
+IARD/CRD Number:</td>
                      <td colspan="3">
                        <input type="text" name="CrdNumber" value="" s
+ize="16" maxlength="12">
                        <a HREF="JavaScript:JSubmitForm()" onMouseOver
+="status='Perform Search'; return true" onMouseOut="status='';">
                          <img SRC="/IAPD/Images/go_off.gif" alt="Go" 
+name="go2" onMouseover="JImgAct('go2')" onMouseout="JImgInact('go2')"
+ BORDER="0" align="top">
                        </a>
                      </td>
                    </tr>
                  </tbody>
                </table>
              </td>
            </tr>
          </form>
          <tr>
            <td colSpan="5">
              <hr>
            </td>
          </tr>
          <form name="Search3" method="Post" onSubmit="return JSubmitF
+orm();">
            <tr>
              <td colspan="5">
                <table border="0" cellPadding="3" cellSpacing="0" widt
+h="100%">
                  <tbody>
                    <tr>
                      <td width="20%" class="BoldTD" colspan="1">Firm 
+SEC Number:</td>
                      <td class="BoldRightTD" width="10%">801-</td>
                      <td colspan="3">
                        <input type="text" name="SecNumber" value="" s
+ize="16" maxlength="16">
                        <a HREF="JavaScript:JSubmitForm()" onMouseOver
+="status='Perform Search'; return true" onMouseOut="status='';">
                          <img SRC="/IAPD/Images/go_off.gif" alt="Go" 
+name="go3" onMouseover="JImgAct('go3')" onMouseout="JImgInact('go3')"
+ BORDER="0" align="top">
                        </a>
                      </td>
                    </tr>
                  </tbody>
                </table>
              </td>
            </tr>
          </form>
          <tr>
            <td colSpan="5">
              <hr>
            </td>
          </tr>
          <form name="Search4">
            <tr>
              <td colspan="5">
                <table border="0" cellPadding="3" cellSpacing="0" widt
+h="100%">
                  <tbody>
                    <tr>
                      <td width="30%" colspan="2" class="BoldTD">Recor
+ds displayed per Page:</td>
                      <td colspan="3">
                        <select name="NumRows">
                          <option value="25">25</option>
                          <option value="50">50</option>
                          <option value="75">75</option>
                          <option value="100">100</option>
                        </select>
                      </td>
                    </tr>
                  </tbody>
                </table>
              </td>
            </tr>
          </form>
        </table>
        <br>
        <br>
        <br>
        <br>
        <form name="Content" method="Post">
          <input type="hidden" name="LinkPage" value="">
          <input type="hidden" name="PageType" value="Search">
          <input type="hidden" name="ORG_PK" value="000">
          <input type="hidden" name="STATE_CD" value="">
          <input type="hidden" name="Name" value="">
          <input type="hidden" name="SearchType" value="">
          <input type="hidden" name="CrdNumber" value="">
          <input type="hidden" name="SecNumber" value="">
          <input type="hidden" name="NumRows" value="">
          <input type="hidden" name="Save" value="IAPDSearch">
        </form>
      </DIV>
    </td>
  </tr>
</table>
<script language="Javascript">
        bDoneLoading = "Y"
    </script> 

                                        </td>
                                    </tr>
                                    </tbody>
                                </table>
                            </td>
        
                        </tr>
                    </table>
                </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td colspan="4" class="FooterMenuItem noprint">
                    
                        <!-- Navigation Footer -->
                        <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing=
+"0" width="100%">
  <tr class="noprint" align="top">
    <TD colspan="3" align="center" valign="top" width="150" Class="Bac
+kToTop">
      <a HREF="#PageTop" Class="FooterMenuItem" onMouseOver="status='S
+croll Back to Top of this Page';return true" onMouseOut="status=''">B
+ack to Top</a>
    </TD>
    <td Class="FooterMenuItem" align="Center">
      <div align="center">
        <b>IAPD Main</b>
      </div>
      <a class="FooterMenuItem" href="javascript: JSub('/IAPD/Content/
+IAPDMain/iapd_SECRedirect.aspx');" onMouseOver="status='Link To the S
+EC'; return true" onMouseOut="status=''">Return to the SEC</a>
           | 
       <a class="FooterMenuItem" href="javascript: JSub('/IAPD/Content
+/IAPDMain/iapd_SECRedirect.aspx?dir=IARD');" onMouseOver="status='Lin
+k To the SEC IARD Page'; return true" onMouseOut="status=''">Return t
+o SEC IARD Page</a>
           | 
       <a class="FooterMenuItem" href="javascript: JSub('/IAPD/Content
+/IAPDMain/iapd_SiteMap.aspx');" onMouseOver="status='Link To Sitemap'
+; return true" onMouseOut="status=''">Return to Sitemap</a>
           | 
       <a class="FooterItemSelected" href="javascript: JSub('/IAPD/Con
+tent/Search/iapd_OrgSearch.aspx');" onMouseOver="status='Link To Inve
+stment Adviser Search'; return true" onMouseOut="status=''">Investmen
+t Adviser Search</a> 
    
 </td>
  </tr>
</table>
                    
                </td>
    </tr>
</table>

    </body>
</html>

    [download]

    What is it that I'm looking for? Thanks.

[reply]
[d/l]

      Near the beginning of the file, there are six lines:

       <script type="text/javascript" language='Javascript' src='/IAPD/Inclu
+des/Validation/Search/iapd_OrgSearch.js'></script> 
      <script type="text/javascript" language='Javascript' src='/Iapd/
+Includes/iapd_WindowManagement.js'></script> 
    <script type="text/javascript" language='Javascript' src='/Iapd/In
+cludes/iapd_SetAndSub.js'></script> 
    <script language=javascript>

      [download]

      that tell the browser to load the corresponding scripts (eg /IAPD/Includes/Validation/Search/iapd_OrgSearch.js and the other two). If you follow the links (they are relative to the URL from which you got the HTML page) you can get the scripts.

      Then, in one the three scripts, you will find the javascript code which lays behind the page.

      Reading better the HTML I see a strange thing:

      <img SRC="/IAPD/Images/go_off.gif" alt="Go" name="go2" onMouseover="JImgAct('go2')" onMouseout="JImgInact('go2')" BORDER="0" align="top">

      is the definition of the object that you call "Button GO2", but it is not a button, it is a image and I see handlers only for onMouseover and onMouseut (called when the mous pass over the image and when it exits from the image). For this to act as a button, it should have a handler for onClick, too.

      Are you sure that this is the right object?

      Rule One: Do not act incautiously when confronting a little bald wrinkly smiling man.

[reply]
[d/l]
[select]

        No, I'm not sure, but it seems like the correct object to me.

        By way of background, this is a form that appears on the Securities and Exchange Commission's web site that investors can use to get information about investment advisors. The URL is http://www.adviserinfo.sec.gov/IAPD/Content/Search/iapd_OrgSearch.aspx.

        When I open this page up in a regular browser I fill in the field next to the label "CrdNumber" with a known value for an existing investment advisor (the value I use is 144549). To submit the form, I click on what looks like a "button" that is next to the field that I filled in. This process gets me to the page (information) that I really want. This is the process that I would like to automate over a large number of investment advisors

        Although I have never worked with JS, I have worked a little with Java, so it seemed odd to me that there was no "onClick()" method in the underlying source code. There was an earlier thread that I read that had a similar issue and the advice was that the object is not, in fact, a button. That thread suggested using ie->follow_link() which is why I tried adding it to my code.

        One other thing, although there are four (4) forms on the page, once I have filled in the CrdNumber field, if I click on ANY of the "submit" buttons (they all have different names) my submission works fine. The reasons for this are probably obvious to someone with more coding experience than myself, but it is a mystery to me.

        I'm going to try to follow those (relative) URLs from the JS lines. I will get back on that. Thanks for you advice.

[reply]
[d/l]

        Okay, I followed the JavaScipt script that looked like it would be the right one and I think it is. Here is the content. You can see that it includes the JSubmitForm() function call that appears in the "go2" button (that isn't a button!?).

        browserName = navigator.appName;
browserVer = parseInt(navigator.appVersion);

if ((browserName == "Netscape" && browserVer >= 3) || 
        (browserName == "Microsoft Internet Explorer" && browserVer >=
+ 4))
{
    version = "n3";
}
else 
{
    version = "n2";
}

if (version == "n3")
{
    go_on                = new Image;
    go_on.src        = "/IAPD/Images/go_on.gif";
    go_off            = new Image;
    go_off.src    = "/IAPD/Images/go_off.gif"; 
    go2_on            = new Image;
    go2_on.src    = "/IAPD/Images/go_on.gif";
    go2_off            = new Image;
    go2_off.src    = "/IAPD/Images/go_off.gif";
    go3_on            = new Image;
    go3_on.src    = "/IAPD/Images/go_on.gif";
    go3_off            = new Image;
    go3_off.src    = "/IAPD/Images/go_off.gif";
}

/*********************************************************************
+*********
* Function: 
*  JImgAct
* 
* Purpose:
*  This function is called to activate an image.
*
**********************************************************************
+********/
function JImgAct(imgName)
{
    if (version == "n3") 
    {
        imgOn = eval(imgName + "_on.src");
        document [imgName].src = imgOn;
    }
}

/*********************************************************************
+*********
* Function: 
*  JImgInact
* 
* Purpose:
*  This function is called to inactivate an image.
*
**********************************************************************
+********/
function JImgInact(imgName)
{
    if (version == "n3")
    {
        imgOff = eval(imgName + "_off.src");
        document [imgName].src = imgOff;
    }
}

function JSubmitForm()
{
    document.Content.Name.value = document.Search1.Name.value;
    document.Content.CrdNumber.value = document.Search2.CrdNumber.valu
+e;        
    document.Content.SecNumber.value = document.Search3.SecNumber.valu
+e;
    
    if (eval("document.Search1.SearchType[0].checked") == true) 
    {
        document.Content.SearchType.value = 1;
    }
    if (eval("document.Search1.SearchType[1].checked") == true)
    {
        document.Content.SearchType.value = 2;
    }
    if (eval("document.Search1.SearchType[2].checked") == true)
    {
        document.Content.SearchType.value = 3;
    }
    
    if (eval("document.Search4.NumRows[0].selected") == true) 
    {
        document.Content.NumRows.value = document.Search4.NumRows[0].v
+alue;
    }
    if (eval("document.Search4.NumRows[1].selected") == true) 
    {
        document.Content.NumRows.value = document.Search4.NumRows[1].v
+alue;
    }
    if (eval("document.Search4.NumRows[2].selected") == true) 
    {
        document.Content.NumRows.value = document.Search4.NumRows[2].v
+alue;
    }
    if (eval("document.Search4.NumRows[3].selected") == true) 
    {
        document.Content.NumRows.value = document.Search4.NumRows[3].v
+alue;
    }
    
    document.Content.submit();
    return false;
}

        [download]

        With the JS code in hand, how do I attack my original problem of getting the form to submit? Thanks!

[reply]
[d/l]

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