# Using ruby to validate web pages

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-ruby-to-validate-web-pages/126470>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [January 18, 2008, 3:54pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-ruby-to-validate-web-pages/126470 "2008-01-18T15:54:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![twiggystardust](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@twiggystardust](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/twiggystardust)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 3:54pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-ruby-to-validate-web-pages/126470/1 "2008-01-18T15:54:17Z")

</div>

Hi, just wondering if anybody can tell me what’s wrong with this code:

# the Watir gem

require ‘rubygems’

# the Watir controller

require ‘watir’

# set variables

validator = “[http://validator.w3.org/](http://validator.w3.org/)”  
url1 = “[http://www.google.com](http://www.google.com)”  
url2 = “[http://pingmag.jp/2008/01/17/chimpom/](http://pingmag.jp/2008/01/17/chimpom/)”  
url3 = “[http://www.google.com/](http://www.google.com/)”

# open the IE browser

ie = Watir::IE.new

puts “Beginning validation”

ie.goto validator

ie.text\_field(:id, “uri”).set(url1)

puts “Checking URL #1…”

ie.button(:value, “Check”).click

if ie.text.include? “This Page Is Valid”  
puts “URL#1 validates!”  
else  
“URL#1 does not validate!”

```
    end

```

ie.goto validator

ie.text\_field(:id, “uri”).set(url2)

puts “Checking URL #2…”

ie.button(:value, “Check”).click

if ie.text.include? “This Page Is Valid”  
puts “URL#2 validates!”  
else  
“URL #2 does not validate!”

```
end

```

ie.goto validator

ie.text\_field(:id, “uri”).set(url3)

puts “Checking URL #3…”

ie.button(:value, “Check”).click

if ie.text.include? “This Page Is Valid”  
puts “URL#3 validates!”  
else  
“URL #3 does not validate!”

end

```
puts "End of validation"

```

I get results for URL’s #2 and #3, only the ‘Checking URL…’ and ‘End  
of validation’ messages.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![twiggystardust](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@twiggystardust](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/twiggystardust)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2008, 7:20pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-ruby-to-validate-web-pages/126470/2 "2008-01-23T19:20:59Z")

</div>

On Jan 18, 8:54 am, Kate B. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> url1 = “[http://www.google.com](http://www.google.com)”  
> ie.text\_field(:id, “uri”).set(url1)  
> end  
> puts “URL#2 validates!”
> 
> I get results for URL’s #2 and #3, only the ‘Checking URL…’ and ‘End  
> of validation’ messages.

Your are missing the “puts” before the “URL # does not validate”

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![twiggystardust](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@twiggystardust](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/twiggystardust)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2008, 11:35pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-ruby-to-validate-web-pages/126470/3 "2008-01-23T23:35:52Z")

</div>

removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid wrote:

> On Jan 18, 8:54 am, Kate B. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:
> 
> > url1 = “[http://www.google.com](http://www.google.com)”  
> > ie.text\_field(:id, “uri”).set(url1)  
> > end  
> > puts “URL#2 validates!”
> > 
> > I get results for URL’s #2 and #3, only the ‘Checking URL…’ and ‘End  
> > of validation’ messages.
> 
> Your are missing the “puts” before the “URL # does not validate”

If you had 200 pages to validate, you’d have to correct 200 lines of  
code.  
Consider this (untested, I don’t know Watir):

require ‘watir’

# set variables

validator = “[http://validator.w3.org/](http://validator.w3.org/)”  
urls =[]  
urls \<\< “[http://www.google.com](http://www.google.com)”  
urls \<\< “[http://pingmag.jp/2008/01/17/chimpom/](http://pingmag.jp/2008/01/17/chimpom/)”  
urls \<\< “[http://www.google.com/](http://www.google.com/)”

# open the IE browser

ie = Watir::IE.new  
puts “Beginning validation”  
ie.goto validator # maybe this should be in the block.

urls.each do|url|  
puts “Checking " + url  
ie.text\_field(:id, “uri”).set(url)  
ie.button(:value, “Check”).click  
if ie.text.include? “This Page Is Valid”  
puts url + " validates!”  
else  
url + " does not validate!" #!! This line needs a ‘puts’ !!  
end  
end  
ie.close #or something like it  
puts “End of validation”

Both the the list of urls and the code handling this list are now much  
easier to maintain.

Regards,

Siep

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![twiggystardust](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@twiggystardust](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/twiggystardust)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2008, 12:29pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-ruby-to-validate-web-pages/126470/4 "2008-01-24T12:29:26Z")

</div>

Siep,

Wow! Had to add ‘goto validator’ to the block but otherwise worked a  
treat… Thanks very much! 🙂

# the Watir gem

require ‘rubygems’

# the Watir controller

require ‘watir’

# set variables

validator = “[http://validator.w3.org/](http://validator.w3.org/)”  
urls =[]  
urls \<\< “[http://www.catnic.com/](http://www.catnic.com/)”  
urls \<\< “[http://pingmag.jp/2008/01/17/chimpom/](http://pingmag.jp/2008/01/17/chimpom/)”  
urls \<\< “[http://www.google.com/](http://www.google.com/)”

# open the IE browser

ie = Watir::IE.new  
puts “Beginning validation”

urls.each do|url|  
puts “Checking " + url  
ie.goto validator # maybe this should be in the block.  
ie.text\_field(:id, “uri”).set(url)  
ie.button(:value, “Check”).click  
if ie.text.include? “This Page Is Valid”  
puts url + " validates!”  
else  
puts url + " does not validate!" #!! This line needs a ‘puts’ !!  
end  
end  
ie.close #or something like it  
puts “End of validation”

I’m very new to Ruby (programming in general, actually) but I wonder if  
there is a way to incorporate this into a webpage? This might not seem  
much but is going to make my job as a tester a little easier!