webbrowser

I'm trying to make a little app that will use the webbrowser to go to megaupload.com and upload a file

but I'm having trouble filling out the form that has the file you upload, I think it's called uploadform.file.

I can fill out other forms ok, for example the recipient's email form, I use WebBrowser1.Document.uploadform.toemail.Value = "[email protected]"
but this same code isn't working for the file form

It works for me. Are you sure you are attempting to change it after the document has already completed loading?

yes I think so.. I can show you my code

Private Sub Form_Load()
WebBrowser1.Navigate "http://megaupload.com"
End Sub

Private Sub WebBrowser1_DocumentComplete(ByVal pDisp As Object, URL As Variant)
If (pDisp Is WebBrowser1.Object) Then
WebBrowser1.Document.uploadform.file.Value = "C:\test.txt"
End If
End Sub

Well, in this scenario, you can't use WebBrowser1_DocumentComplete because that doesn't wait for embedded or onload objects. Megaupload.com is based on flash. That is an embedded object and therefore might not be loaded. To test my theory, I used the DocumentComplete and a standard button to call the changing of the text input. The DocumentComplete did not work, while I waited to see everything and the button did.

Take a look here to see some solutions to this problem.

I still can't fill out the form when the page is completely loaded, I waited for everything to load then used a button

Private Sub Command1_Click()
WebBrowser1.Document.uploadform.file.Value = "C:\test.txt"
End Sub

Can I see what code you used to fill out that form?

If you're trying to set the Value property of an HTMLInputElement with the TYPE attribute of FILE, you won't succeed.

(e.g. the HTML tag looks similar to: <INPUT TYPE=FILE NAME="uploadfile"> )

The HTMLInputElement's Value property is read only. It can only be assigned by the user bringing up the file selection dialog. From what I've heard, it's a security means to prevent people from creating hidden file upload objects on their forms for discreetly uploading files from your computer.

Thanks, at least now I know what's wrong. So there isn't any workarounds for this problem? If not I guess winsock would be the only way to upload a file then right?

Or create a batch file that will FTP it up.

You could use click() to activate the open dialog window and then send keystrokes to specify the file's path.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PeejAvery

You could use click() to activate the open dialog window and then send keystrokes to specify the file's path.

---

Unfortunately, you can't. Using either the WebBrowser control or an IE object, if you programmatically click the "Browse" button, your program is blocked, waiting for the dialog to be dismissed.

If you launch the Browse dialog from IE itself, it won't block your application and you could send the message to the browse dialog, but for full automation, you couldn't bring up the dialog and specify a file with one single-threaded VB application.

EDIT: And I am wrong. It can be done.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ChaosTheEternal

Unfortunately, you can't. Using either the WebBrowser control or an IE object, if you programmatically click the "Browse" button, your program is blocked, waiting for the dialog to be dismissed.

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I have done it before in older versions of Visual Basic. Hmmm. Maybe there was a trick to doing it. When I get to work, so I can use a PC (I'm a Mac user), I will open one of my older programs to see.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PeejAvery

When I get to work, so I can use a PC (I'm a Mac user), I will open one of my older programs to see.

---

Update: WebBrowser1.Document.uploadform.file.Click works perfectly fine in older versions and in VB6.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PeejAvery

Update: WebBrowser1.Document.uploadform.file.Click works perfectly fine in older versions and in VB6.

---

In VB6, with a Reference to Microsoft Internet Controls (using IE7) and the following code:

Code:

---

Option Explicit

Private WithEvents ie As InternetExplorer

Private Sub Form_Load()
    Set ie = New InternetExplorer
    ie.Visible = True
    ie.Navigate "http://www.htmlcodetutorial.com/forms/_INPUT_TYPE_FILE.html"
End Sub

Private Sub Form_Unload(Cancel As Integer)
    Set ie = Nothing
End Sub

Private Sub ie_DocumentComplete(ByVal pDisp As Object, URL As Variant)
    If ie.ReadyState = READYSTATE_COMPLETE Then
        ie.Document.Forms.Item(1).Children.Item(0).Click
       
        MsgBox "Tinker with it"
    End If
End Sub

---

The message box doesn't show up until the file browser dialog is dismissed.

I can't test IE6, but I wouldn't expect it to react differently.

So use a timer...

Code:

---

Private Declare Function FindWindow Lib "user32" Alias "FindWindowA" (ByVal lpClassName As String, ByVal lpWindowName As String) As Long

Private Sub Form_Load()
    Timer1.Interval = 100
    Timer1.Enabled = True
    WebBrowser1.Visible = True
    WebBrowser1.Navigate "http://www.htmlcodetutorial.com/forms/_INPUT_TYPE_FILE.html"
End Sub

Private Sub WebBrowser1_DocumentComplete(ByVal pDisp As Object, URL As Variant)
    If WebBrowser1.ReadyState = READYSTATE_COMPLETE Then
        WebBrowser1.Document.Forms.Item(1).Children.Item(0).Click
    End If
End Sub

Private Sub Timer1_Timer()
  opendialog = FindWindow(vbNullString, "Choose file")
  If opendialog > 0 Then
    SendKeys "Tinker with it"
    Timer1.Enabled = False
  End If
End Sub

---

For some reason, I believed the Timer control in VB6 was tied to the UI thread and wouldn't trigger if it were blocked.

I guess I'm wrong. And I'm glad to be proven wrong rather than falsely believe I was right.

EDIT: Doesn't seem to work with an IE object, though. Works fine with a WebBrowser control.

thanks everyone, but now I have a new problem.. this program I'm making runs in the background (with me.hide), so sendkeys wouldn't work..

I searched the forum and found some code but can't get it to work

Code:

---

Private Sub Timer1_Timer()
  opendialog = FindWindow(vbNullString, "Choose file")
  If opendialog > 0 Then
    hEdit = FindWindowEx(opendialog, 0&, "Edit", vbNullString)
    Call SendMessage(hEdit, WM_SETTEXT, 0&, "C:\test.txt")
    Timer1.Enabled = False
  End If
End Sub

---

I also downloaded winspy++ to check if the name of the editbox was "Edit" and I'm pretty sure it is

But you wouldn't send the messages to the Edit window. You would send them to the Choose file window.

Code:

---

Private Sub Timer1_Timer()
  opendialog = FindWindow(vbNullString, "Choose file")
  If opendialog > 0 Then
    SendMessage opendialog, WM_SETTEXT, 0&, "C:\test.txt"
    Timer1.Enabled = False
  End If
End Sub

---

Edit: Also, have you declared WM_SETTEXT?

I don't think that's right.. you can't just send WM_SETTEXT to the choose file window
what if it had multiple editboxes? it woudn't know which one to type in
I tried your code and it didn't work

And yes, at the top I have

Code:

---

Private Declare Function FindWindow Lib "user32" Alias "FindWindowA" (ByVal lpClassName As String, ByVal lpWindowName As String) As Long
Private Declare Function FindWindowEx Lib "user32" Alias "FindWindowExA" (ByVal hWnd1 As Long, ByVal hWnd2 As Long, _
ByVal lpsz1 As String, ByVal lpsz2 As String) As Long
Private Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32" Alias "SendMessageA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal wMsg As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, _
lParam As Any) As Long
Private Const WM_SETTEXT = &HC

---

Quote:

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Originally Posted by adsfdg

I tried your code and it didn't work

---

Well, I am on holiday today (Monday) and will have check some code back at the office on Tuesday. Or maybe someone will cover it before me.

It's a lot more complicated. FindWindowEx can only find children directly under the window you're looking in. The Edit control isn't a first child. The actual hierarchy (from Windows XP and IE7's open dialog) goes:

#32770 "Choose file:"
ComboBoxEx32 ""
ComboBox ""
Edit ""

So you have to look in that order:

Code:

---

Private Sub Timer1_Timer()
  Dim opendialog As Long
  Dim hEdit As Long
  Dim hCombo As Long
  opendialog = FindWindow(vbNullString, "Choose file")
  If opendialog > 0 Then
    Do
      hCombo = FindWindowEx(opendialog, 0&, "ComboBoxEx32", vbNullString)
      If hCombo > 0 Then hCombo = FindWindowEx(hCombo, 0&, "ComboBox", vbNullString)
      If hCombo > 0 Then hEdit = FindWindowEx(hCombo, 0&, "Edit", vbNullString)
    Loop While hEdit = 0
    Call SendMessage(hEdit, WM_SETTEXT, 0&, ByVal "C:\test.txt")
    Timer1.Enabled = False
  End If
End Sub

---

You also have to pass the string ByVal or else it gets chewed up when it actually goes in to the text field.

This code could be improved upon, as there are a few potential pitfalls. And the open dialogs could be different depending on the application (not as likely) and the version of Windows (much more likely).

thanks, that worked. but now I can't figure out how to press enter!

Code:

---

        Call SendMessage(hEdit, WM_SETTEXT, 0&, ByVal "C:\test.txt")
        Call SendMessage(hEdit, WM_LBUTTONDOWN, VK_RETURN, 0)
        Call SendMessage(hEdit, WM_LBUTTONUP, VK_RETURN, 0)

---

it looks pretty simple.. but I can't figure out why it won't work
I even tried postmessage

Quote:

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WM_LBUTTONDOWN
The WM_LBUTTONDOWN message is posted when the user presses the left mouse button while the cursor is in the client area of a window.

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Can't exactly replicate pressing Enter with a mouse click on an edit box.

I tried WM_KEYDOWN and WM_KEYUP in it's place, but the dialog wouldn't dismiss. You may just have to find the Open button and send the WM_LBUTTONDOWN and WM_LBUTTONUP to simulate a click on it.

I got it to close using the Open button.. but now I'm trying to figure out how to know when it's finished uploading

I don't think the page reloads or anything, they just use javascript to change part of the page and show you your download url (I think..)

I thought about using a timer to check when the length of downloadurl > 0, but I can't seem to access WebBrowser1 from my timer, or anything outside WebBrowser1_DocumentComplete

I used WebBrowser1.Document.getElementById("downloadurl").Value

At this point, you'll just have to see how it acts when you do an upload and see if the page redirects or just updates something on the page.

If it does redirect, you can use DocumentComplete (at this point, you'd have to have it check the URL to know whether it should do an upload or read the results), if it doesn't, you'll have to watch some object on the page for what you're waiting for.

does anyone have any ideas? I need it to close when it's done uploading
the page doesn't redirect to anything..