Web Browser - Extract source

Declaration

<AMWEBBROWSER ACTIVITY="exsource" SESSION="text" RESULTVARIABLE="text" />

Related Topics   

Description

Extracts an HTML source and places the result in a variable.

NOTE:
  • The Web Browser action is not backwards compatible with the Web Browser (Legacy) action.
  • Automation with the Web Browser action is only compatible with Internet Explorer, Chrome, Edge, and Firefox browsers.
  • The browser you specify must be updated to the latest version and installed on the target system to ensure the Web Browser action functions correctly.
  • Unlike other session-based actions where sessions are optional, the use of a session in the Web Browser action is required as each created session explicitly links to a specific web browser instance. A session is created using the Web Browser - Create session or Web Browser - Open activity. Numerous sessions are supported within a single task, however, since Web Browser actions are performed interactively (and not in the background), each session must run concurrently to avoid sending interactions to the wrong browser window.

Practical Usage

Used to extract the HTML source, which is the web page's raw programming code. You can normally view the source by right-clicking on a page and choosing View source.

Parameters

Browser

Property Type Required Default Markup Description
Session name Text Yes BrowserSession1 SESSION="mySession" Specifies the name of an existing session to associate with this activity. Numerous sessions can exist within a single task which allows activities to be performed on several web browsers simultaneously.
NOTE: Sessions are supported in Internet Explorer, Chrome, Edge, and Firefox browsers only. Firefox does not require a separate extension to be installed with this version of the Web Browser action.
Store HTML source in Text Yes (Empty) RESULTVARIABLE="myVar" The name of the existing variable to use to populate the HTML source.

Description

Error Causes

On Error

Example

NOTE:
  • The sample AML code below can be copied and pasted directly into the Steps Panel of the Task Builder.
  • Parameters containing user credentials, files, file paths, and/or other information specific to the task must be customized before the sample code can run successfully.

Description

This task extracts the source of www.helpsystems.com and then displays it in a message dialog box.

Copy 
<AMVARIABLE NAME="theSource" VALUE="" />
<AMWEBBROWSER URL="https://www.helpsystems.com/product-lines/automate" BROWSER="firefox" SESSION="BrowserSession1" />
<AMWEBBROWSER ACTIVITY="exsource" SESSION="BrowserSession1" RESULTVARIABLE="theSource" />
<AMSHOWDIALOG>%theSource%</AMSHOWDIALOG>
<AMWEBBROWSER ACTIVITY="close" SESSION="BrowserSession1" />