# How to input info in fields on a HTTP page? **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [November 29, 2006, 4:31pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-input-info-in-fields-on-a-http-page/77665 "2006-11-29T16:31:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![combas](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/aca169/32.png) [@combas](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/combas)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2006, 4:31pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-input-info-in-fields-on-a-http-page/77665/1 "2006-11-29T16:31:03Z")
I am trying to figure out how to retrieve reports from a web server. The problem is the reports dont just exist already, you have to fill in a bunch of info in a little java applet and the server generates it then you can download it. The applet has a few tabs for things like date, locations, report details, and output name. So normally I log into the page (which I think I can figure out, found plenty of examples) then start filling in the fields of each tab. Then I click a link to run/download the report and it pops up the usual “Open/Save As/Cancel” dialog. So basically I’m kind of lost after I log into the page. I guess the heart of my question would be how to interact with the java applet on the page so I can fill in the fields, second to that would be how to accept the download without being prompted with the dialog box or just handle it in the background. I have been searching around for a little while this morning but all the examples have mainly to do with downloading pictures or something like that which I understand. If you could point me in the direction of any resources that might help me out with this I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks -a ---
**Author:** ![combas](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/aca169/32.png) [@combas](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/combas)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2006, 9:09pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-input-info-in-fields-on-a-http-page/77665/2 "2006-11-29T21:09:49Z")
Okay I got some code working to login to the site Im interested in, but this led me to a new question. How can I keep this session alive once logged in? After login I need to follow a link on the page in order to start posting data to get my reports but I believe the connection is closing as soon as it posts the login data. I think this requires a stand alone http object which then processes each request but I havent had any luck getting this code to work like that. I was also thinking that I may need to make further requests inside the start block but that would depend on the case of ‘res’ so I didnt think that was the right track. Here is the code I have now, any input would be really appreciated. ` require 'net/http' require 'uri' url = URI.parse(‘http://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx/servlet/PortalLogIn/’) req = Net::HTTP::Post.new(url.path) req.set_form_data( {“command” => “login”, “cpny” => “xxx”, “usr” => “xxx”, “pwd” => “xxx” } ) res = Net::HTTP.new(url.host).start { |http| http.request(req) } ` `case res when Net::HTTPSuccess, Net::HTTPRedirection puts “OKAY it worked!” puts res.body else res.error! end ` ---
**Author:** ![combas](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/aca169/32.png) [@combas](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/combas)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 10:57am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-input-info-in-fields-on-a-http-page/77665/3 "2006-11-30T10:57:18Z")
On 29 Nov 2006, at 20:09, Alex C. wrote: > Okay I got some code working to login to the site Im interested in, > but > this led me to a new question. How can I keep this session alive once > logged in? After login I need to follow a link on the page in order to > start posting data to get my reports but I believe the connection is > closing as soon as it posts the login data. I think this requires a > stand alone http object which then processes each request but I havent > had any luck getting this code to work like that. At the risk of incurring the ire of another Paul :-), you may be better off using an external library that can handle this for you. I have used Mechanize in similar situations with great success. The problem you are facing, most likely, is that you need to carry out further actions to maintain the session. This is often something like receiving and replying with a cookie. I’d be interested to see if there is a simple way to do this, outside of using Mechanize. Paul ---
**Author:** ![combas](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/aca169/32.png) [@combas](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/combas)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 7:06pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-input-info-in-fields-on-a-http-page/77665/4 "2006-11-30T19:06:42Z")
Paul L. wrote: > At the risk of incurring the ire of another Paul :-), No chance of that – I have no emotional investment in that issue. In fact I am starting to find it rather funny. I tend to offer an alternative when a library causes more problems than it solves, something that happens with surprising frequency. In any case, I realized today I have been making a mistake. I’ve been saying, “Why not write your own code?” This is like mentioning abortion to a fundamentalist – that’s a bad idea, regardless of what one intends to say about abortion. So from now on, I will say, “Why not write your own library?” It’s all the same – libraries are written using code, and the boundary between a piece of code and a library is located as precisely as the boundary between abortion and the rhythm method. It’s not about reality, it’s about avoiding trigger words. People who think outside the box don’t care which words are used to describe reality, but not everyone thinks outside the box. This entire library/code issue is not only becoming rather funny, but it possesses a huge element of irony, located as it is in a newsgroup for a language that was written to get around the limitations of existing libraries. ---
**Author:** ![combas](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/aca169/32.png) [@combas](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/combas)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 11:15pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-input-info-in-fields-on-a-http-page/77665/5 "2006-11-30T23:15:40Z")
## [http://wtr.rubyforge.org/](http://wtr.rubyforge.org/) could be what you’r looking for. It’s a “Web Application Testing in Ruby” library, as of now it only works in IE. There is a project for firefox, but its still in the early stages. ``` Ilya!~ ```