MiniBrowser
What is MiniBrowser?
MiniBrowser is an integrated tool which provides an easy way to:
- Record Check-Macros to monitor password protected pages
- Determine cookies for specified pages
- Determine the field PostData for web pages that need the POST command
MiniBrowser is placed in the Tools menu, but it can also be accessed from several places in the bookmark properties, for example to record a Check-Macro.
Option "Use Internet Explorer directly"
By default, MiniBrowser downloads the entered URL with an internal method and displays the page (that's the same way how WebSite-Watcher checks pages for updates). If a page cannot be displayed with that technology, you can enable the option "Use Internet Explorer directly". In that case MiniBrowser uses the embedded Internet Explorer to download and display pages with all Internet Explorer settings and features, for example Javascript support which is not supported by the internal technology.
Server Authentication
If a server requires Server Authentication to access a page, you have to enter the fields Username and Password. Server Authentication is a special technique to protect pages from public access. You can identify that type of login, when a small dialog pops up where you have to enter username and password. In the bookmark properties you can enter these fields in the Advanced+Server Authentication section.
See also chapters Server Authentication and Web based logins / Check-Macros.
Check-Macros
Check-Macros are used by WebSite-Watcher to check password protected pages and for pages which require several steps to get the target page.
A Check-Macro can be recorded interactively and stores all steps you make when you login and surf to the page you want to watch. WebSite-Watcher repeats all these steps when you check a bookmark for updates.
As there are so many different solutions how a login can work, WebSite-Watcher supports 3 different techniques which can be used to record a macro.
- Record dynamic values
The dynamic method tries to save only entered form fields and use everything else from the web page when a bookmark is checked (for example dynamically generated session IDs).
This method works usually for pages without Javascript. If a page requires Javascript, you can check the option "Use Internet Explorer to access websites". In the bookmark properties you can use the internal check technology or the Internet Explorer/Browser technology to check the bookmark.
- Record static values
The static method stores everything as it is available while recording the macro. This method will not work for pages with Session-IDs or other dynamic values. You should use this method only when the dynamic method doesn't work.
This method works usually for pages without Javascript. If a page requires Javascript, you can check the option "Use Internet Explorer to access websites". In the bookmark properties you can use the internal check technology or the Internet Explorer/Browser technology to check the bookmark.
- Internet Explorer Macro
This method goes a completely different way and records only the entered data and mouse clicks. When the macro is executed, the start url is loaded in a hidden Internet Explorer window and the recorded steps are played. Use this method when the other methods fails or when a page requires Javascript.
When checking the bookmark, the check technology "Internet Explorer/Browser" is used.
That sounds probably very technical yet, but to make things easier to understand you have simply to try another record option if a macro doesn't work. Best way is to start with method #1, if it doesn't work, then try method #2 and method #3.
Session-ID which is located in the path of an URL
In some cases a page inserts a dynamic Session-ID into the path of an URL which is not available as a variable (from URL parameters or cookies).
For example http://www.aignes.com/download/00938-8837-8872/files/file.htm where 00938-8837-8872 is the Session-ID. If you have such a case, you need this feature to handle the dynamic Session-ID which is located in the path of the URL. Do not use this feature for URLs which have the format http://www.aignes.com/index.htm?sessionID=9987-2234123
You have to know the syntax of the Session-ID, then you can define a Regular Expression which extracts the Session-ID from the URL. Don't add a leading and a trailing Slash, MiniBrowser will do that automatically.
Typical examples:
- \d+\-\d+\-\d+
will find a Session-ID with format 123-456-789 (exact two minus characters)
- \d[0-9,a-z,-]+
Session-ID with format 1sij9-13j8-1234 (leading number, then numbers, characters and/or minus characters)
- files/\d+
Session-ID with numbers after the path "files", eg. files/123666354