Programatically Login

[Zachary Burns]

I'm trying to scrape a page that requires me to login to it. I'm not sure
if it uses cookies or not to track if I'm logged in, could it be using
viewstate?

Anyway, can I do this using the HttpRequest and HttpResponse methods?

I didn't see anything on google groups about this that was of any help.
Does anybody have a C# snippet that might put me on the right path?

Zack

[Frisky]

Yes, it could use view state or session state, or cookies to track whether
you are logged in.

If it is view state or session state, then you can enter the information on
the login page and it will track you until your session ends.

If it is a cookie, then when you login you will have to capture the cookie
and send it in subsequent requests. You will also have to worry about the
expiration and/or the system rejecting or not using your cookie. In other
words, if you go directly to a URL and you are redirected to a login page,
your program will have to be smart enough to know which page it got and what
to do based on the page.

Also, what if they simply change the login and/or other pages? How will you
know if they changes a page, and for example added a new field between
username and password called favorite color to the form?

Hope this helps...

Frisky

"Zachary Burns" <za**********@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:%2****************@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...

I'm trying to scrape a page that requires me to login to it. I'm not sure
if it uses cookies or not to track if I'm logged in, could it be using
viewstate?

Anyway, can I do this using the HttpRequest and HttpResponse methods?

I didn't see anything on google groups about this that was of any help.
Does anybody have a C# snippet that might put me on the right path?

Zack

[Zachary Burns]

Ok. I found out it is a cookie and that is getting passed around after I
log in.

Is there a way to capture a cookie and pass it around using
WebRequest/Response once I log in?

Zack

"Frisky" <Fr***********@NorthPole.Net> wrote in message
news:O3**************@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...

Yes, it could use view state or session state, or cookies to track whether
you are logged in.

If it is view state or session state, then you can enter the information
on the login page and it will track you until your session ends.

If it is a cookie, then when you login you will have to capture the cookie
and send it in subsequent requests. You will also have to worry about the
expiration and/or the system rejecting or not using your cookie. In other
words, if you go directly to a URL and you are redirected to a login page,
your program will have to be smart enough to know which page it got and
what to do based on the page.

Also, what if they simply change the login and/or other pages? How will
you know if they changes a page, and for example added a new field between
username and password called favorite color to the form?

Hope this helps...

Frisky

"Zachary Burns" <za**********@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:%2****************@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...

I'm trying to scrape a page that requires me to login to it. I'm not
sure if it uses cookies or not to track if I'm logged in, could it be
using viewstate?

Anyway, can I do this using the HttpRequest and HttpResponse methods?

I didn't see anything on google groups about this that was of any help.
Does anybody have a C# snippet that might put me on the right path?

Zack

[Frisky]

Yes.

Use HttpResponse.Cookies
(http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...okiestopic.asp)
to get the cookies from the page. Once you capture them, use
HttpRequest.Cookies
(http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...okiestopic.asp)
to send them back to the page or to send them to page initially to keep from
having to log in.

What each cookie does, and what data it stores is application independent.
So, you won't be able to interpret their cookies. However, whatever cookies
you get back in a response, you will most likley need to send back to them
in each request. Even if this is on a different day for a brand new request.
Normally, the browser would do this for you. But, if you are going to play
browser, you must store the cookies and use them later when you call the
page again.

Frisky

"Zachary Burns" <za**********@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:Om**************@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...

Ok. I found out it is a cookie and that is getting passed around after I
log in.

Is there a way to capture a cookie and pass it around using
WebRequest/Response once I log in?

Zack

"Frisky" <Fr***********@NorthPole.Net> wrote in message
news:O3**************@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...

Yes, it could use view state or session state, or cookies to track
whether you are logged in.

If it is view state or session state, then you can enter the information
on the login page and it will track you until your session ends.

If it is a cookie, then when you login you will have to capture the
cookie and send it in subsequent requests. You will also have to worry
about the expiration and/or the system rejecting or not using your
cookie. In other words, if you go directly to a URL and you are
redirected to a login page, your program will have to be smart enough to
know which page it got and what to do based on the page.

Also, what if they simply change the login and/or other pages? How will
you know if they changes a page, and for example added a new field
between username and password called favorite color to the form?

Hope this helps...

Frisky

"Zachary Burns" <za**********@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:%2****************@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...

I'm trying to scrape a page that requires me to login to it. I'm not
sure if it uses cookies or not to track if I'm logged in, could it be
using viewstate?

Anyway, can I do this using the HttpRequest and HttpResponse methods?

I didn't see anything on google groups about this that was of any help.
Does anybody have a C# snippet that might put me on the right path?

Zack