FM Web Scraping

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FM Web Scraping

• FMPUG Dallas Chapter

Taylor Made Services FileMaker
Presentation March 6, 2009 Dallas Texas
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What is FM Web Scraping?
FileMaker Web Scraping is the copying of source
code from an http file. It is the same thing as
going to a web page and viewing the source
code. It is also the same thing as copying an
http file, which is usually an html or txt file.
It is not what a web browser displays!
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Scrape vs. View

• Use Web Viewer when all you need is to view the
  information.
• Scrape a page when you need to store or
  manipulate data from that page.

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Skill Set Needed

• Understanding of HTML Pages
• Familiarity with Calculations, and in particular,
  Text Functions
• Knowledge of Variables
• Ability to Create Scripts

Software Needed FileMaker 8.5 or higher
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Web Viewer Object

• Create a Layout
• Add a Web Viewer Object
• Give the Object a Name

Web Page With Object Name
URL Code scraped From Web Page
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Create URL

• Open Web Viewer Setup
• Enter URL or URL calculation into the Web
  Address

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Create URL

• Search for desired data in Web Page
• View the Source Code and locate the desired data
• Text Calculation Time

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Do you want to Store the Source Code?

• You can have it refresh the data each time it
  loads the web viewer.
• Fresh Data, but doesnt load quickly
• You can have a calculation or script step save
  the source code into a text field.
• Loads Quickly, but might not be fresh data

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Text Calculations from Source Code

• Result can be scraped with
• GetLayoutObjectAttribute(html source
  content)
• Result can be a direct calculation from the
  source code
• Delay issues
• Calculate warning if whole page not loaded

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Challenges

• Web pages do not load quickly and script steps
  need delays built into them to allow the load
  times.
• Web Pages change!
• Build in Warning Calculation
• Is the URL available to all users?

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