Opening a page in a new window and using JS to see inside

JavaScript
1

Hi folks,

Here’s a puzzler for you :slight_smile:

I want to create a new window with a page loaded inside and use javascript in the calling page to examine the contents of the new page (after waiting a couple of seconds) and based on what the new page holds branch off in different directions. Its almost a bit like page scraping but client side on my PC through the browser.

How would I accomplish this, I know the basics of javascript (very basics) and thought something along the lines of this might work:


<html> 
<script language="javascript"> 


function openwindow() 
{ 
winobj = window.open("http://www.google.com","tester1","height=200,width=400,status=yes,toolbar=no,menubar=no,location=no");
} 


function chkstuff() 
{ 
newstuff = winobj.document.getElementById("body").value;
alert(newstuff);
}

</script> 


<body> 
<form name=frm> 
<input id=text1 type=text> 
<input type=button onclick="javascript:openwindow()" value="Open window.."> 
<input type=button onclick="javascript:chkstuff()" value="Chkstuff"> 
</form> 
</body> 
</html>

But it doesnt and Ive not really done much coding in the last while (before I was doing more PHP stuff).

Could someone lead me in the right direction on this one please.

many thanks,

Rik

PS: That code above was just me trying to access the page thats loaded up and ALERT it up on screen, just in case anyone thought I was completely crazy :slight_smile:

2

javascript alone cannot read or write to a page from a different domain than the one with the script.

3

Are you trying to access the DOM of an external webpage? Javascript can’t do this alone, but PHP can help. You can use this function in PHP to put a webpage’s DOM in your page.


<div id="anothersite">
<?php
echo file_get_contents("http://www.google.com/");
?>
</div>

That will throw an external webpage’s markup into your webpage. With CSS, you can even hide the div from sight like this


#anothersite {
display: none;
}

From there, you can access the DOM just as you would access anything else in your webpage. Good luck!

4

Ah well there lies my problem LOL

Knew it wouldnt be that easy :slight_smile:

Thanks for the help guys, mucho appreciated.

Rik

5

Only if the opened page is on the same domain as the opener :slight_smile:

6

I thought that if a script opened a new child window it could then read the contents of that child window though?