Extracting Data from a Page Using Visual Web Ripper
Extracting Data from a Page Using Visual Web Ripper
The entire idea behind using Visual Web Ripper is normally to extract either certain elements from a web page or all elements. There are several ways to set up the template to extract the data and an extraction project might include all elements on a page or only selected elements. However, to do it correctly the template must be set up the first time.
First, a template is created and given a meaningful name. Select New Project from the file menu. Then insert the Start URL for the data extraction page into the editor. Clicking enter enables the built-in browser to pull up the web page. The browser navigates and captures almost any element of a web page while you view it just as if you were browsing the site.
Selecting Elements to Capture
When you click on an element in a web page while viewing it through the editor, the element is displayed with a yellow highlight. In the editor interface, verify that the right type of content capture is selected. For instance, clicking on a block of text highlights it yellow in the browser. In the editor, you might see a choice of HTML Capture and Text Capture. Select the one you wish to capture on the page. Name and save the element. Images are dealt with in much the same way.
You may select elements to capture in any of the following ways:
Left click only on any html element and then select new from the elements editor
Right click on a selected html block and from the context menu select Add Content
shift left-clicking on any HTML element on the web page
Choose whichever method is most comfortable to use. You do not need to leave the Visual Web Ripper window since the browser is displayed directly below the editor.
Fully Customizable Extraction
You configure each step of the extraction process as well as how the page navigation is handled. Most of this is done simply by clicking and selecting the correct options from the elements or capture windows or using context menus. The power and the familiarity of the web browser is combined with a data extraction tool that can be as complex as needed or as basic and user friendly as required. The true power of the Visual Web Ripper lies in its scalability and though it takes only a short time to learn the basics, the programmer can spend as long as they like developing new ways to use this powerful tool.