IE9- "document.getElementsByClassName" problem

tinfanide · #1 01-11-2012, 07:15 AM

Code:

Function w(cName As String, q As String)

On Error Resume Next
Dim IE As New InternetExplorer
IE.Visible = False
IE.navigate "http://hk.dictionary.yahoo.com/dictionary?p=" & q
Do
DoEvents
Loop Until IE.readyState = READYSTATE_COMPLETE
Dim html As HTMLDocument
Set html = IE.document

Dim y As Integer
y = -1

Do Until y > html.getElementsByTagName("div").Length
    y = y + 1
    If html.getElementsByTagName("div")(y).ClassName = cName Then _
      
       w = html.getElementsByTagName("div")(y).innerText
    End If
Loop

IE.Quit
On Error GoTo 0


End Function

Well, I've originally written a set of VBA codes with the use of "document.getElementsByClassName" but it does not work in my users' computers on which they've installed IE9- (mine is IE9)

I thought ClassName only works in IE9 so I tweaked the code above a bit and hoped to have a workaround. It works. It is far from perfect, though.

(Use of "document.getElementsByClassName" can save me work on looping the tags to find where the classname is.

I wonder if there's a direct approach for it. (I can do it in JS but very good in VB)

macropod · #2 01-11-2012, 10:06 AM

Hi tinfanide,

The document.getElementsByClassName parameter is available in IE9 / HTML5. So, if it's not working on your users' PCs, it would seem that either their IE9 installation is faulty or they don't actually have IE9 installed.

tinfanide · #3 01-12-2012, 06:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by macropod

Hi tinfanide,

The document.getElementsByClassName parameter is available in IE9 / HTML5. So, if it's not working on your users' PCs, it would seem that either their IE9 installation is faulty or they don't actually have IE9 installed.

Code:

Option Explicit

Function GetElementsByClassName1(cName As String, q As String)


Dim IE As New InternetExplorer
IE.Visible = True
IE.navigate "http://hk.dictionary.yahoo.com/dictionary?p=" & q
Dim html As HTMLDocument
Set html = IE.Document

Do Until IE.readyState = 4

Loop
    
    Dim Result
    Dim tag
    Dim tags As Object
    Set tags = html.getElementsByTagName("*")

    Result = Array()


    For Each tag In tags
        If tag.className = cName Then
            ReDim Preserve Result(UBound(Result) + 1)
            Set Result(UBound(Result)) = tag
        End If
    Next tag

    GetElementsByClassName1 = Result(0).getElementsByTagName("div")(0).innerText
    
IE.Quit
End Function

GetElementsByClassName.xlsm
Could ya please debug the code for me?
It seems that I cannot pass the arguments directly "strings" (with reference to the error help in Excel)
It's beyond what I know about VBA.

tinfanide · #4 01-12-2012, 06:50 AM

Well, I've made another try and the result was more weird.

GetElementsByClassName.xlsm

If I debug it in VBA Editor, it returns the results in each cell.
But when I run it as a macro, it does not return any value.

tinfanide · #5 01-12-2012, 07:18 AM

Just fix it.

Code:

Sub WebDictQuery()

Dim x As Integer
Dim Query As String
For x = 1 To 3
   Cells(x, 3).Value = GetElementsByClassName("pronunciation", Cells(x, 1).Value)
Next x

End Sub

Function GetElementsByClassName(className, q)
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Dim IE As Object
Set IE = CreateObject("InternetExplorer.Application")
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
IE.Visible = False
IE.navigate "http://hk.dictionary.yahoo.com/dictionary?p=" & q

Do Until IE.readyState = 4

Loop
    
    Dim Result
    Dim tag
    Dim tags As Object
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
    Set tags = IE.document.getElementsByTagName("*")
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
    Result = Array()

    For Each tag In tags
        If tag.className = className Then
            ReDim Preserve Result(UBound(Result) + 1)
            Set Result(UBound(Result)) = tag
        End If
    Next tag

    GetElementsByClassName = Result(0).getElementsByTagName("div")(0).innerText
    
IE.Quit
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Set IE = Nothing
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
End Function

The key is late binding. I might have got it wrong, though. Earlier I used to use early binding for the Internet Explorer Object (don't know if I may get it right or wrong...) It reports an error in the line

Code:

Set html = IE.Document

But when it is set with late binding, nothing wrong happens.

macropod · #6 01-13-2012, 12:43 AM

Hi tinfanide,

I'm not familiar with IE automation. However, when I test your funnction with:

Code:

Sub Test()
GetElementsByClassName1 "pronunciation", "dog"
End Sub

it fails every time at 'Set html = IE.Document' with the error message "Runtime Error '2147467259 (80004005)': / Automation Error / Unspecified Error". You can fix that by moving the
'Set html = IE.Document' after the 'Loop' line. Speaking of which your 'Do Until ... Loop' should have a 'DoEvents' statement, like:

Code:

Do Until IE.readyState = READYSTATE_COMPLETE
  DoEvents
Loop

After moving the 'Set html = IE.Document' line, the code runs to completion OK, but there is still no sound - which is what I gather you're intending to get.

Your code would also be more efficient with:

Code:

Result = Array(0)
For Each tag In tags
  If tag.className = cName Then
    Set Result(0) = tag
    Exit For
  End If
Next tag
GetElementsByClassName1 = Result(0).getElementsByTagName("div")(0).innerText

and even moreso if you dispense with the array:

Code:

For Each tag In tags
  If tag.className = cName Then
    GetElementsByClassName1 = tag.getElementsByTagName("div")(0).innerText
    Exit For
  End If
Next tag

None of which resolves the underlying problem, but might help with the project overall.

PS: I'm moving the thread to the Excel forum, as you've posted in the Word vba forum and your attachment shows this is really for Excel.

tinfanide · #7 01-14-2012, 08:05 AM

Yes, thanks for your input.
I've forgotten the use of Exit For and without this it'll make the application work unnecessarily after it finishes its job.
Yes, the use of array here is not necessary.
The most amazing part is that "set" has to be placed after the loop event.

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