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!!

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.

Peter Huang [MSFT] wrote:
Show quoteHide quoteI'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..

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

Cor Ligthert wrote:
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!

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.

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

Cor Ligthert wrote:
Show quoteHide quoteAll 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!

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

Cor Ligthert wrote:
Show quoteHide quoteI 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!

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.

Mitchell,

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/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/vsintro7/html/vbwlkCreatingDistributedWebApplicationWalkthrough.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

Cor Ligthert wrote:
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!

Microsoft MVPs Say They Want Old VB Back
Anyone tried REALbasic?
ArrayList Strongly Typed
Datagrid colum sorting problem - URGENT
Problem with VS.NET 2003
Problem Compare Two File
How to implement ComboBox.FindValue
HELP! Cannot start NEW project
list item colour
What is threading?