Web based logins / Check-Macros

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What are web based logins?

Web based logins are logins where the fields for username and password are placed within a web page (other than logins with Server Authentication where a small window pops up to enter username and password).

Most password protected pages use a web based login. These logins don't work with a standardized technique, it's dependent from the server and the webmaster how the login technique is implemented.

WebSite-Watcher and web based logins

Unfortunately there is no general way to automate web based logins. To handle web based logins, WebSite-Watcher supports a technique called Check-Macros. A Check-Macro can be recorded interactively with the integrated tool MiniBrowser 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 a bookmark is checked for updates.

To record a macro, you have to click the Check-Macro button in the bookmark properties. This will start MiniBrowser and a dialog where you have to enter the Start-URL of the macro.

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

GET / POST dialogs during macro recording

For each URL which is opened during macro recording, a dialog pops up (only for the methods "Record dynamic/static values"). This dialog contains the used download technique (GET or POST), the URL and some additional parameters (for example the values after filling out a form). Normally you can press the GET button to continue recording (or the POST button in case of the POST command). Only if you are performing a logout, you have to check the appropriate checkbox in that dialog.

Demos and Videos

To make things more understandable, you can find some videos at http://www.aignes.com/support.htm. These videos show how Check-Macros can be used to login to a password protected page or how a search query can be performed

Create a new bookmark
Press the "Check-Macro" button in the bookmark properties
A window pops up, enter the Start-URL of the macro
Click the button "Start recording"
Surf to the page you want to watch (for each step a dialog pops up where you can normally continue by clicking the GET or POST button)
When you have reached the page you want to watch, press the OK button at the bottom of the MiniBrowser window (if you want to perform a logout, you have to do this before. You have to select the "logout" checkbox in the dialog that pops up for each URL)
The OK button at the bottom of the dialog will stop recording and return to the bookmark properties
Click the "Check Now" button to check the page