# Accessing URL links inside of Tables **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [May 24, 2008, 11:21pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/accessing-url-links-inside-of-tables/138574 "2008-05-24T23:21:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bluejay](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/5e9695/32.png) [@bluejay](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bluejay)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2008, 11:21pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/accessing-url-links-inside-of-tables/138574/1 "2008-05-24T23:21:05Z")
Hello: This is my first post in this forum. I am a member of a QA/testing team for a software company in NYC. We have decided recently to begin the development of scripting tools to automate repetitive tasks used during our testing cycles. We have decided to use Ruby. Although we have admired Ruby from afar for some time now we have yet to actually make use of it. So far we are coding simple scripts to create user accounts for testing; this activity always absorbs incredible amounts of time and interrupts our testing procedures, hence the need for automation. What we have created in Ruby the last few days has been very exciting and it convinces us of the power and beauty of this language. Working remotely from home today on this project I have been attempting to access the backend Admin controls for the company/site, that is, I’m developing a script to automate this process in order for “users” to be created for our upcoming testing cycle purposes. This process is straight-foward: logging in via a two-step process to ensure security. The script is simple and works up unto the point that I must actually select a link to continue further (after log-in). The following code is an anonymous version of the actual code I am using (real links, passwords, etc altered: 1 require ‘watir’ 2 ie = Watir::IE.new 3 ie.maximize 4 ie.goto('[https://main2.site.org/dev/code.asp](https://main2.site.org/dev/code.asp)) #ie warning page bypass 5 ie.link(:text, “Continue to this website (not recommended).”).click #remote login set 6 ie.text\_field(:name, “who”).set(“tom”) 7 ie.text\_field(:name, “who1”).set(“smith”) 8 ie.text\_field(:name, “what1”).set(“main site”) 9 ie.text\_field(:name, “when1”).set(“today”) 10 ie.button(:value, “go”).click #primary login set 11 ie.text\_field(:name, “nickname”).set(“bluejay”) 12 ie.text\_field(:name, “password”).set(“password1”) 13 ie.button(:value, “Login”).click #select link to continue to User account creation 14 ie.link(:text, ‘OA Management’).click * * * ## Line 14 of the above code is where I am stuck; I have tried many variations of activating the link (‘OA Management’ being the string available in the code I’m referencing). I have researched the different methods all day but with no results. The following snippet is source code indicating the link(last - line): | Manage Registration |   | | ![]() | | - OA Management * * * Thank-you in advance for any help or hints. Regards, Matty D. | ---
**Author:** ![bluejay](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/5e9695/32.png) [@bluejay](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bluejay)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2008, 4:43pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/accessing-url-links-inside-of-tables/138574/2 "2008-05-25T16:43:00Z")
-------- Original-Nachricht -------- > Datum: Sun, 25 May 2008 06:20:48 +0900 > Von: Matty D. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) > An: removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid > Betreff: Accessing URL links inside of Tables > So far we are coding simple scripts to create user accounts for testing; > > ## 3 ie.maximize 10 ie.button(:value, “go”).click Line 14 of the above code is where I am stuck; I have tried many variations of activating the link (‘OA Management’ being the string available in the code I’m referencing). I have researched the different methods all day but with no results. Hello Matty, unfortunately, I can’t help you with Watir, as it’s Windows-specific, but have you looked at — Mechanize ttp://mechanize.rubyforge.org/mechanize/ Rubyful Soup [Rubyful Soup: "The brush has got entangled in it!"](http://www.crummy.com/software/RubyfulSoup/) or, for Windows-software button-clicking : AutoIT (that’s not Ruby, but nice anyway) > **[AutoIt Scripting Language - AutoIt](https://www.autoitscript.com/site/autoit/)** > > AutoIt is a freeware BASIC-like scripting language designed for automating the Windows GUI and general purpose scripting. Best regards, Axel ---
**Author:** ![bluejay](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/5e9695/32.png) [@bluejay](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bluejay)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2008, 4:48pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/accessing-url-links-inside-of-tables/138574/3 "2008-05-25T16:48:53Z")
Axel E. wrote: > -------- Original-Nachricht -------- > > > Datum: Sun, 25 May 2008 06:20:48 +0900 > > Von: Matty D. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) > > An: removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid > > Betreff: Accessing URL links inside of Tables > > > So far we are coding simple scripts to create user accounts for testing; > > > > ## 3 ie.maximize 10 ie.button(:value, “go”).click Line 14 of the above code is where I am stuck; I have tried many variations of activating the link (‘OA Management’ being the string available in the code I’m referencing). I have researched the different methods all day but with no results. > > Hello Matty, > > unfortunately, I can’t help you with Watir, as it’s Windows-specific, > but have you looked at — > > Mechanize ttp://mechanize.rubyforge.org/mechanize/ > Rubyful Soup [Rubyful Soup: "The brush has got entangled in it!"](http://www.crummy.com/software/RubyfulSoup/) > > or, for Windows-software button-clicking : > > AutoIT (that’s not Ruby, but nice anyway) > [AutoIt Scripting Language - AutoIt](http://www.autoitscript.com/autoit3/) > > Best regards, > > Axel Axel: Thank-you very much for your reply and suggestions. Regards, Matty