Auto fill out the web form and download in 2nd step

[duzhidian]

Hello:

I need a program, which I can provide it many keywords, and then fill
it with a URL and let it automatically fill the form and then let itr
click the "submit" button.

Now if I use web browser, I will get the second page. I need the
program find the related line and download that link.

Since I need to fill the form thousands time, it's impossible to do it
manually.

What's kind of program can do that?

Thanks.

Z. D.
..

 

[Ben C]

Hello:

I need a program, which I can provide it many keywords, and then fill
it with a URL and let it automatically fill the form and then let itr
click the "submit" button.

Now if I use web browser, I will get the second page. I need the
program find the related line and download that link.

Since I need to fill the form thousands time, it's impossible to do it
manually.

What's kind of program can do that?

There's one called "curl" which does most of it. You will also need to
use a scripting language of some sort to get the link out of the second
page, which can then call curl again to download that.

You might like to look at "twill" as well, although I've never tried
that one.

 

[Beauregard T. Shagnasty]

I need a program, which I can provide it many keywords, and then fill
it with a URL and let it automatically fill the form and then let itr
click the "submit" button.

Anyone who can write PHP/Perl/ASP scripts could write such a program.

Now if I use web browser, I will get the second page. I need the
program find the related line and download that link.

Doing it once manually should provide that link.

Since I need to fill the form thousands time, it's impossible to do
it manually.

Would you mind explaining *why* you need to do this .. thousands of
times .. as what you describe is exactly what spammers do to insecure
web forms. Are you a spammer? Are you participating in some sort of
click fraud scheme?

 

[Jonathan N. Little]

(e-mail address removed) wrote:

Would you mind explaining *why* you need to do this .. thousands of
times .. as what you describe is exactly what spammers do to insecure
web forms. Are you a spammer? Are you participating in some sort of
click fraud scheme?

Sure stinks of such to me, that is why I did not offer any advice. Just
what the world needs another "spammer wantabe"!

 

[Beauregard T. Shagnasty]

Sure stinks of such to me, that is why I did not offer any advice.
Just what the world needs another "spammer wantabe"!

I was waiting to see if anyone offered a similar reply. <g>

There is a persistent spammer who has found one of my contact forms. He
will try about twice a week, sending a group of three .. tests, I guess.
Usually the fields are stuffed with a long list of AOL addresses, even a
radio button field. Naturally, the form does not send to these
addresses, nor to my client; instead, it relays to me so I can see the
folly of his ways, and get a laugh out of it. He is also using zombied
computers from all over the planet to do this.

 

[David Segall]

Would you mind explaining *why* you need to do this .. thousands of
times .. as what you describe is exactly what spammers do to insecure
web forms. Are you a spammer? Are you participating in some sort of
click fraud scheme?

Perhaps he is a "white hat" spammer. I have always wanted to respond
to my email spam by visiting the web site and responding by "buying"
the product in a way that incurs a cost for the spammer. Do the credit
card companies charge for checking a credit card?

 

[Beauregard T. Shagnasty]

Perhaps he is a "white hat" spammer.

Is there such a thing?

I wouldn't consider a person who wants to hit my web form "thousands
time" as wearing a white hat.

I have always wanted to respond to my email spam by visiting the web
site and responding by "buying" the product in a way that incurs a
cost for the spammer. Do the credit card companies charge for
checking a credit card?

Not if you make up a number ... Use one that you see in a tv
commercial - guaranteed to be incorrect. (People really do try to buy
stuff with those numbers.)

Oh, and remember they will have your IP address, if they want to start a
fraud charge.

 

[John Salerno]

Oh, and remember they will have your IP address, if they want to start a
fraud charge.

Do it from a public computer?

 

[Beauregard T. Shagnasty]

Do it from a public computer?

That might work if you wear Groucho glasses and pay in cash...

 

[duzhidian]

Anyone who can write PHP/Perl/ASP scripts could write such a program.


Doing it once manually should provide that link.


Would you mind explaining *why* you need to do this .. thousands of
times .. as what you describe is exactly what spammers do to insecure
web forms. Are you a spammer? Are you participating in some sort of
click fraud scheme?

I am not a sapmmer. I need to download some data from a public web
site and do some research on these data.

 

[Beauregard T. Shagnasty]

I am not a sapmmer. I need to download some data from a public web
site and do some research on these data.

Well, now I am even more curious. Are you expecting to generate a
thousand web pages at once, all with answers you have to read? Or have
the web form send you a thousand emails which will probably clog your
Inbox?

Not to mention abusing the database at this "research" site. And getting
them blocked as a spammer by your ISP for generating a thousand emails
in a few seconds.

I think your task is doomed to failure.

 

[duzhidian]

Well, now I am even more curious. Are you expecting to generate a
thousand web pages at once, all with answers you have to read? Or have
the web form send you a thousand emails which will probably clog your
Inbox?

Not to mention abusing the database at this "research" site. And getting
them blocked as a spammer by your ISP for generating a thousand emails
in a few seconds.

I think your task is doomed to failure.

Why say that? It is a online database which saves millions of data. I
only need thousands of them. I have no other way to access the
database. The only method I can use is to write a program to generate
thousands of queries and fetch the data.

 

[Beauregard T. Shagnasty]

Why say that? It is a online database which saves millions of data.
I only need thousands of them.

A thousand(s) requests in a couple of seconds could crash the server, or
at the very least, block out all other users for some period of time.
Don't be rude.

I have no other way to access the database.

It is, after all, a web site/server.

The only method I can use is to write a program to generate thousands
of queries and fetch the data.

Why don't you write to the webmaster/author/administrator of this site
and ask for recommendations. Mention your plan to force a thousand
requests in a few seconds.

Please advise us of the response. Thanks.

 

[Ben C]

A thousand(s) requests in a couple of seconds could crash the server, or
at the very least, block out all other users for some period of time.
Don't be rude.

That's a good point, it's usually a good idea to make the script sleep
for a few seconds between each request when doing this kind of thing.

 

[David Segall]

Is there such a thing?

I wouldn't consider a person who wants to hit my web form "thousands
time" as wearing a white hat.


Not if you make up a number ... Use one that you see in a tv
commercial - guaranteed to be incorrect. (People really do try to buy
stuff with those numbers.)

What about one of their test numbers or a number that passes the
preliminary checks for validity?

Oh, and remember they will have your IP address, if they want to start a
fraud charge.

It would not be fraud since I would not be receiving or paying for
anything. In Australia, we do not have the extraordinary U.S. laws
that seem to protect the credit card companies as though they were
religions.

 

[John Salerno]

That might work if you wear Groucho glasses and pay in cash...

How about at a library or some place like that?

 

[Beauregard T. Shagnasty]

How about at a library or some place like that?

Depends on the library. Do they log your time via your library card? If
so, the authorities could find out who was using a computer with that IP
address at that certain time, and the library would have your name on
the logs.

I've been in a number of libraries across the US while traveling, to
check email. I always stated to the librarian "I'm from New York
traveling by motorcycle, and would I be able to check my email from one
of your PCs?" They've always said yes. Without showing ID.

OT: Bookstores are also good places to check your mail (no, not the
chain stores, real bookstores).

 

[marika]

Why say that? It is a online database which saves millions of data. I
only need thousands of them.

You are saved