HTML parsing

[Sunny]

Hi all,
I have to get a HTML content of a given URL, to inspect links and images and
to change something in there, and to save the result. I have done it already
with:
System.Net.WebC lient source = new System.Net.WebC lient();

StreamReader mr = null;

try

{

mr = new StreamReader(so urce.OpenRead(s Url));

sWebPage = mr.ReadToEnd();

}

catch

{

oParent.PagesDo ne++;

return;

}

finally

{

if (mr != null)

mr.Close();

}

After that I make a lot of IndexOfs' and Replaces to change the things I
want, and as it is sooooo ugly :( and slow.

So I decided to see if I can use MSHTML's IHTMLDocument2 interface, and just
to find and change values I need, but ... so far I couldn't imagine how to
place the string in the IHTMLDocument2 object and how to retrieve it from
there after that in order to save it.

Any clues will be highly appreciated.

Thanks

Sunny

[Daniel O'Connell]

Well, I'm no mshtml expert, but you might be able to get away with just
using IHTMLDocument4. createDocumentF romUrl to load the document directly
from the url into an IHTMLDocument class (any given html document class
should support IHTMLDocument through IHTMLDocument5) I'm not sure if it'll
work, but you can try.

If there is a mshtml specific newsgroup, you should be able to ask there as
the managed mshtml is just a PIA wrapper around the com objects. I'm sure
the talent pool in relation to mshtml would be far greater there.
"Sunny" <su******@icebe rgwireless.com> wrote in message
news:ut******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP09.phx.gbl...

Hi all,
I have to get a HTML content of a given URL, to inspect links and images and to change something in there, and to save the result. I have done it already with:
System.Net.WebC lient source = new System.Net.WebC lient();

StreamReader mr = null;

try

{

mr = new StreamReader(so urce.OpenRead(s Url));

sWebPage = mr.ReadToEnd();

}

catch

{

oParent.PagesDo ne++;

return;

}

finally

{

if (mr != null)

mr.Close();

}

After that I make a lot of IndexOfs' and Replaces to change the things I
want, and as it is sooooo ugly :( and slow.

So I decided to see if I can use MSHTML's IHTMLDocument2 interface, and just to find and change values I need, but ... so far I couldn't imagine how to
place the string in the IHTMLDocument2 object and how to retrieve it from
there after that in order to save it.

Any clues will be highly appreciated.

Thanks

Sunny

[Sunny]

Thanks Daniel,
but I'm a little bit confused, because all examples so far I have found are
using IHTMLDocument2 interface, so I'm worried about compatibility, i.e. on
what systems is available 5, and on what 2 ?
Also, you are talking about PIA, are there official PIAs, maybe I'm not
searching right, but I can not find any. I just made a reference to the
mshtml.dll, and VS .net had made some interop assembly, but because MS are
providing official PIAs for some products (I know for sure there are for
Office XP), I wondered are there any for mshtml.
I'll try to search again, and also to post this question in other groups
also, but one little :) push will be very helpful :)

Thanks again
Sunny

P.S. If there is any other way to solve may problem - I'm open to any
suggestion :)

"Daniel O'Connell" <on******@comca st.net> wrote in message
news:Ng******** ***********@rwc rnsc52.ops.asp. att.net...

Well, I'm no mshtml expert, but you might be able to get away with just
using IHTMLDocument4. createDocumentF romUrl to load the document directly
from the url into an IHTMLDocument class (any given html document class
should support IHTMLDocument through IHTMLDocument5) I'm not sure if it'll
work, but you can try.

If there is a mshtml specific newsgroup, you should be able to ask there as the managed mshtml is just a PIA wrapper around the com objects. I'm sure
the talent pool in relation to mshtml would be far greater there.
"Sunny" <su******@icebe rgwireless.com> wrote in message
news:ut******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP09.phx.gbl...

Hi all,
I have to get a HTML content of a given URL, to inspect links and images

and

to change something in there, and to save the result. I have done it

already

with:
System.Net.WebC lient source = new System.Net.WebC lient();

StreamReader mr = null;

try

{

mr = new StreamReader(so urce.OpenRead(s Url));

sWebPage = mr.ReadToEnd();

}

catch

{

oParent.PagesDo ne++;

return;

}

finally

{

if (mr != null)

mr.Close();

}

After that I make a lot of IndexOfs' and Replaces to change the things I
want, and as it is sooooo ugly :( and slow.

So I decided to see if I can use MSHTML's IHTMLDocument2 interface, and

just

to find and change values I need, but ... so far I couldn't imagine how to place the string in the IHTMLDocument2 object and how to retrieve it from there after that in order to save it.

Any clues will be highly appreciated.

Thanks

Sunny

[Daniel O'Connell]

Well, I can't remember if there is a mshtml interop dll for vs.net 2002, but
I am very sure it is there for vs.net 2003. In your add reference dialog,
scroll down and look for Microsoft.mshtm l.dll, it should be there.
Likewise for borland C# builder, there is a Borland.mshtml. dll included in
the install folder (just incase you or anyone who reads this is curious).

Anyway, as for the IHTMLDocument interfaces, use of:
IHTMLDocument and IHTMLDocument2 requires IE 4.
IHTMLDocument3 requires IE 5.
IHTMLDocument4 requires IE 5.5.
IHTMLDocument5 requires IE 6.
I consider it a pretty safe bet that IE 5.5+ is installed, and 6 has been
out a while and windows update pushes it.

IHTMLDocument2 provides most of the functionality you need, hence it gets
most of the exposure in examples. Due to COM issues, each individual
interface is seperate. As such, you will need both a IHTMLDocument2 & a
IHTMLDocument4 typed reference to your document object. It is a pain but it
is part of the price of COM interop.
So, something like

IHTMLDocument2 myDocument = <get your document>;
IHTMLDocument4 myDocument4 = (IHTMLDocument4 )myDocument;

should do the job of giving you both typed references.

"Sunny" <su******@icebe rgwireless.com> wrote in message
news:ee******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP09.phx.gbl...

Thanks Daniel,
but I'm a little bit confused, because all examples so far I have found are using IHTMLDocument2 interface, so I'm worried about compatibility, i.e. on what systems is available 5, and on what 2 ?
Also, you are talking about PIA, are there official PIAs, maybe I'm not
searching right, but I can not find any. I just made a reference to the
mshtml.dll, and VS .net had made some interop assembly, but because MS are
providing official PIAs for some products (I know for sure there are for
Office XP), I wondered are there any for mshtml.
I'll try to search again, and also to post this question in other groups
also, but one little :) push will be very helpful :)

Thanks again
Sunny

P.S. If there is any other way to solve may problem - I'm open to any
suggestion :)

"Daniel O'Connell" <on******@comca st.net> wrote in message
news:Ng******** ***********@rwc rnsc52.ops.asp. att.net...

Well, I'm no mshtml expert, but you might be able to get away with just
using IHTMLDocument4. createDocumentF romUrl to load the document directly
from the url into an IHTMLDocument class (any given html document class
should support IHTMLDocument through IHTMLDocument5) I'm not sure if it'll

work, but you can try.

If there is a mshtml specific newsgroup, you should be able to ask there as

the managed mshtml is just a PIA wrapper around the com objects. I'm sure the talent pool in relation to mshtml would be far greater there.
"Sunny" <su******@icebe rgwireless.com> wrote in message
news:ut******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP09.phx.gbl...

Hi all,
I have to get a HTML content of a given URL, to inspect links and images

and

to change something in there, and to save the result. I have done it

already

with:
System.Net.WebC lient source = new System.Net.WebC lient();

StreamReader mr = null;

try

{

mr = new StreamReader(so urce.OpenRead(s Url));

sWebPage = mr.ReadToEnd();

}

catch

{

oParent.PagesDo ne++;

return;

}

finally

{

if (mr != null)

mr.Close();

}

After that I make a lot of IndexOfs' and Replaces to change the things

I want, and as it is sooooo ugly :( and slow.

So I decided to see if I can use MSHTML's IHTMLDocument2 interface,

and just

to find and change values I need, but ... so far I couldn't imagine

how to place the string in the IHTMLDocument2 object and how to retrieve it from there after that in order to save it.

Any clues will be highly appreciated.

Thanks

Sunny

[Sunny]

Hi Daniel,
I have solved the problem. I'll post the solution in case someone needs it
(it was little bit hard for me to find it).

So, I am reading the URL with the code already posted in the beginning.
Now in sWebPage I have the text content of the page. This text is placed in
a HTMLDocumentCla ss object as follows:

HTMLDocumentCla ss myDoc;

try

{

object[] oPageText = {sWebPage};

myDoc = new HTMLDocumentCla ss();

IHTMLDocument2 oMyDoc = (IHTMLDocument2 )myDoc;

oMyDoc.write(oP ageText);

}

catch

{

//handle

}

And now you may do to the document whatever you want. And after all the HTML
text is in myDoc.documenyE lement.outerHTM L.

This link was very useful in solving that problem (Thanks Alex):

http://www.csharphelp.com/archives/archive146.html

Sunny
"Daniel O'Connell" <on******@comca st.net> wrote in message
news:ko******** *************@r wcrnsc51.ops.as p.att.net...

Well, I can't remember if there is a mshtml interop dll for vs.net 2002, but I am very sure it is there for vs.net 2003. In your add reference dialog,
scroll down and look for Microsoft.mshtm l.dll, it should be there.
Likewise for borland C# builder, there is a Borland.mshtml. dll included in
the install folder (just incase you or anyone who reads this is curious).

Anyway, as for the IHTMLDocument interfaces, use of:
IHTMLDocument and IHTMLDocument2 requires IE 4.
IHTMLDocument3 requires IE 5.
IHTMLDocument4 requires IE 5.5.
IHTMLDocument5 requires IE 6.
I consider it a pretty safe bet that IE 5.5+ is installed, and 6 has been
out a while and windows update pushes it.

IHTMLDocument2 provides most of the functionality you need, hence it gets
most of the exposure in examples. Due to COM issues, each individual
interface is seperate. As such, you will need both a IHTMLDocument2 & a
IHTMLDocument4 typed reference to your document object. It is a pain but it is part of the price of COM interop.
So, something like

IHTMLDocument2 myDocument = <get your document>;
IHTMLDocument4 myDocument4 = (IHTMLDocument4 )myDocument;

should do the job of giving you both typed references.

"Sunny" <su******@icebe rgwireless.com> wrote in message
news:ee******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP09.phx.gbl...

Thanks Daniel,
but I'm a little bit confused, because all examples so far I have found are

using IHTMLDocument2 interface, so I'm worried about compatibility, i.e.

on

what systems is available 5, and on what 2 ?
Also, you are talking about PIA, are there official PIAs, maybe I'm not
searching right, but I can not find any. I just made a reference to the
mshtml.dll, and VS .net had made some interop assembly, but because MS are

providing official PIAs for some products (I know for sure there are for
Office XP), I wondered are there any for mshtml.
I'll try to search again, and also to post this question in other groups
also, but one little :) push will be very helpful :)

Thanks again
Sunny

P.S. If there is any other way to solve may problem - I'm open to any
suggestion :)

"Daniel O'Connell" <on******@comca st.net> wrote in message
news:Ng******** ***********@rwc rnsc52.ops.asp. att.net...

Well, I'm no mshtml expert, but you might be able to get away with just using IHTMLDocument4. createDocumentF romUrl to load the document directly from the url into an IHTMLDocument class (any given html document class should support IHTMLDocument through IHTMLDocument5) I'm not sure if it'll work, but you can try.

If there is a mshtml specific newsgroup, you should be able to ask

there as

the managed mshtml is just a PIA wrapper around the com objects. I'm

sure the talent pool in relation to mshtml would be far greater there.
"Sunny" <su******@icebe rgwireless.com> wrote in message
news:ut******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP09.phx.gbl...
> Hi all,
> I have to get a HTML content of a given URL, to inspect links and images and
> to change something in there, and to save the result. I have done it
already
> with:
> System.Net.WebC lient source = new System.Net.WebC lient();
>
> StreamReader mr = null;
>
> try
>
> {
>
> mr = new StreamReader(so urce.OpenRead(s Url));
>
> sWebPage = mr.ReadToEnd();
>
> }
>
> catch
>
> {
>
> oParent.PagesDo ne++;
>
> return;
>
> }
>
> finally
>
> {
>
> if (mr != null)
>
> mr.Close();
>
> }
>
> After that I make a lot of IndexOfs' and Replaces to change the

things I > want, and as it is sooooo ugly :( and slow.
>
> So I decided to see if I can use MSHTML's IHTMLDocument2 interface, and just
> to find and change values I need, but ... so far I couldn't imagine

how

to

> place the string in the IHTMLDocument2 object and how to retrieve it

from

> there after that in order to save it.
>
> Any clues will be highly appreciated.
>
> Thanks
>
> Sunny
>

[Daniel O'Connell]

Ahh, much cleaner solution in your particular case. Hopefully the next time
someone asks this question (and someone will), I may actually remember the
solution you found.
"Sunny" <su******@icebe rgwireless.com> wrote in message
news:uh******** *****@tk2msftng p13.phx.gbl...

Hi Daniel,
I have solved the problem. I'll post the solution in case someone needs it
(it was little bit hard for me to find it).

So, I am reading the URL with the code already posted in the beginning.
Now in sWebPage I have the text content of the page. This text is placed in a HTMLDocumentCla ss object as follows:

HTMLDocumentCla ss myDoc;

try

{

object[] oPageText = {sWebPage};

myDoc = new HTMLDocumentCla ss();

IHTMLDocument2 oMyDoc = (IHTMLDocument2 )myDoc;

oMyDoc.write(oP ageText);

}

catch

{

//handle

}

And now you may do to the document whatever you want. And after all the HTML text is in myDoc.documenyE lement.outerHTM L.

This link was very useful in solving that problem (Thanks Alex):

http://www.csharphelp.com/archives/archive146.html

Sunny
"Daniel O'Connell" <on******@comca st.net> wrote in message
news:ko******** *************@r wcrnsc51.ops.as p.att.net...

Well, I can't remember if there is a mshtml interop dll for vs.net 2002,

but

I am very sure it is there for vs.net 2003. In your add reference dialog,

scroll down and look for Microsoft.mshtm l.dll, it should be there.
Likewise for borland C# builder, there is a Borland.mshtml. dll included in the install folder (just incase you or anyone who reads this is curious).
Anyway, as for the IHTMLDocument interfaces, use of:
IHTMLDocument and IHTMLDocument2 requires IE 4.
IHTMLDocument3 requires IE 5.
IHTMLDocument4 requires IE 5.5.
IHTMLDocument5 requires IE 6.
I consider it a pretty safe bet that IE 5.5+ is installed, and 6 has been out a while and windows update pushes it.

IHTMLDocument2 provides most of the functionality you need, hence it gets most of the exposure in examples. Due to COM issues, each individual
interface is seperate. As such, you will need both a IHTMLDocument2 & a
IHTMLDocument4 typed reference to your document object. It is a pain but

it

is part of the price of COM interop.
So, something like

IHTMLDocument2 myDocument = <get your document>;
IHTMLDocument4 myDocument4 = (IHTMLDocument4 )myDocument;

should do the job of giving you both typed references.

"Sunny" <su******@icebe rgwireless.com> wrote in message
news:ee******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP09.phx.gbl...

Thanks Daniel,
but I'm a little bit confused, because all examples so far I have found

are

using IHTMLDocument2 interface, so I'm worried about compatibility,

i.e. on

what systems is available 5, and on what 2 ?
Also, you are talking about PIA, are there official PIAs, maybe I'm

not searching right, but I can not find any. I just made a reference to the mshtml.dll, and VS .net had made some interop assembly, but because MS

are providing official PIAs for some products (I know for sure there are for Office XP), I wondered are there any for mshtml.
I'll try to search again, and also to post this question in other groups also, but one little :) push will be very helpful :)

Thanks again
Sunny

P.S. If there is any other way to solve may problem - I'm open to any
suggestion :)

"Daniel O'Connell" <on******@comca st.net> wrote in message
news:Ng******** ***********@rwc rnsc52.ops.asp. att.net...
> Well, I'm no mshtml expert, but you might be able to get away with just > using IHTMLDocument4. createDocumentF romUrl to load the document directly > from the url into an IHTMLDocument class (any given html document class > should support IHTMLDocument through IHTMLDocument5) I'm not sure if

it'll

> work, but you can try.
>
> If there is a mshtml specific newsgroup, you should be able to ask there as
> the managed mshtml is just a PIA wrapper around the com objects. I'm

sure

> the talent pool in relation to mshtml would be far greater there.
> "Sunny" <su******@icebe rgwireless.com> wrote in message
> news:ut******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP09.phx.gbl...
> > Hi all,
> > I have to get a HTML content of a given URL, to inspect links and

images

> and
> > to change something in there, and to save the result. I have done it > already
> > with:
> > System.Net.WebC lient source = new System.Net.WebC lient();
> >
> > StreamReader mr = null;
> >
> > try
> >
> > {
> >
> > mr = new StreamReader(so urce.OpenRead(s Url));
> >
> > sWebPage = mr.ReadToEnd();
> >
> > }
> >
> > catch
> >
> > {
> >
> > oParent.PagesDo ne++;
> >
> > return;
> >
> > }
> >
> > finally
> >
> > {
> >
> > if (mr != null)
> >
> > mr.Close();
> >
> > }
> >
> > After that I make a lot of IndexOfs' and Replaces to change the

things

I

> > want, and as it is sooooo ugly :( and slow.
> >
> > So I decided to see if I can use MSHTML's IHTMLDocument2 interface, and

> just
> > to find and change values I need, but ... so far I couldn't

imagine how

to
> > place the string in the IHTMLDocument2 object and how to retrieve

it from
> > there after that in order to save it.
> >
> > Any clues will be highly appreciated.
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> > Sunny
> >
>
>