Follow-up Javascript Hyperlink

[Samy_rio]

Hi monks, I have tried to automate the browsing method using WWW::Mechanize module as below:

use strict;
use Data::Dumper;
use WWW::Mechanize;
use POSIX qw(strftime);

my $currSysDate =strftime ("%b".'&year='."%y", localtime); # DAY Langu
+age

my $mech = WWW::Mechanize->new(autocheck => 1);

my $url = "http://www.somenet.com/login.aspx";
my $user = 'user';
my $pass = 'pass';

$mech->get( $url );

if ($mech->success())
{
     $mech->submit_form(
      form_name => 'Form1',
      fields    => {
                    txtUsername    => $user,
                    txtPassword    => $pass,
                     },
      button    => 'Button3',
      );
     $mech->get("http://www.somenet.com/showCardEmpMonthlyReport.aspx?
+month=$currSysDate&Reptype=&empcode=$user");
     my $str = $mech->content();
     print $str;

}

I am getting error as:

Error GETing javascript:__doPostBack('EmpSideMenu1$lnkAttendance',''):
+ Protocol
scheme 'javascript' is not supported at array.pl line 10047

Source of particular URL is:

<TD class="sidemenu" style="BACKGROUND-IMAGE: url(Images1\MenuBg.jpg);
+ BACKGROUND-REPEAT: repeat-x">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<a id="EmpSideMenu1_lnkAttendance" href="javascript:__doPostBack('EmpS
+ideMenu1$lnkAttendance','')" style="color:White;width:160px;">Attenda
+nce Report</a></TD>

<script language="javascript">
<!--
    function __doPostBack(eventTarget, eventArgument) {
        var theform;
        if (window.navigator.appName.toLowerCase().indexOf("netscape")
+ > -1) {
            theform = document.forms["Form1"];
        }
        else {
            theform = document.Form1;
        }
        theform.__EVENTTARGET.value = eventTarget.split("$").join(":")
+;
        theform.__EVENTARGUMENT.value = eventArgument;
        theform.submit();
    }
// -->
</script>

From chatterbox, I came to know WWW::Mechanize doesn't support Javascript. Based on Corion suggestion I have used Win32::IE::Mechanize module. Eventhen javascript hyper-link is not working in follow_link.

use strict;
use Data::Dumper;
use Win32::IE::Mechanize;

my $ie = Win32::IE::Mechanize->new( visible => 1 );

my $url = "http://www.somenet.com/login.aspx";
my $user = 'user';
my $pass = 'pass';
        
$ie->get( $url );

if ($ie->success())
{
     $ie->submit_form(
              form_name => 'Form1',
              fields    => {
                  txtUsername    => $user,
                  txtPassword    => $pass,
                   },
              button    => 'Button3',
              );

     $ie->follow_link( text_regex => qr/Attendance Report/i ); #Not wo
+rking

     $ie->submit_form(
              form_name => 'Form1',                
              button    => 'Button1',
              );

     print $ie->content();                
}

__END__
Some time Error as:

Can't locate object method "warn" via package "sssself" (perhaps you f
+orgot to load "sssself"?) at C:/Perl/site/lib/Win32/IE/Mechanize.pm l
+ine 971.        

How to follow up the javascript hyper-link? Please help me. Thanks in advance.

Updated I have updated sssself->warn( "No inputcontrol by the name '$fname'" ); as $self->warn( "No inputcontrol by the name '$fname'" ); in Win32::IE::Mechanize. Still not working.

[perrin]

All you have to do is look at what the JavaScript does and do it yourself in Perl. The result of the JavaScript function will be just an ordinary HTTP interaction that Mechanize can do with no trouble.

[Anonymous Monk]

I created this routine to deal with this situation and do cut/paste/modify from javascript to code

sub doPostBack
{
    my $agent  = shift;    ## WWW::Mechanize agent-object passed in
    my $target = shift;    ## first argument in the __doPostBack() cal
+l in javascript
    my $arg    = shift;    ## second argument in the __doPostBack() ca
+ll in javascript

    # convert the passed in string
    $target =~ s/\$/:/g;

    $agent->form_number(1);
    $agent->field('__EVENTTARGET', $target);
    $agent->field('__EVENTARGUMENT', $arg);

    $agent->submit();

} #endsub doPostBack

# function __doPostBack(eventTarget, eventArgument) {
#    var theform;
#    if (window.navigator.appName.toLowerCase().indexOf("microsoft") >
+ -1) {
#    theform = document.MTMMAIN;
#    }
#    else {
#    theform = document.forms["MTMMAIN"];
#    }
#    theform.__EVENTTARGET.value = eventTarget.split("$").join(":");
#    theform.__EVENTARGUMENT.value = eventArgument;
#    theform.submit();
# }

[jiperez]

Thanks for your routine!!! Has been really useful!!

[enemyofthestate]

That explained a LOT of things -- Thank you!