Python-Compatible Headless Browser with JavaScript Functionality Needed

Other Questions Headless Browser
1

I’m looking for an easy-to-use headless browser, as I’m relatively new to Python and programming in general. My goal is to access a webpage, fill out a login form that utilizes JavaScript, and then extract information by searching for specific criteria, selecting checkboxes, and downloading files. JavaScript support is essential for these tasks. I would prefer to implement this via Python and want to ensure that the final script can be converted using py2exe for distribution to other users. I came across Windmill, which seems like a possible solution, but I’m still uncertain. I would appreciate any recommendations or insights!

2

To accomplish your tasks with Python in a headless browser that supports JavaScript, I recommend using Playwright. It's a modern solution that provides powerful browser automation capabilities. Here's a quick guide to help you get started:

  1. Installation: Install Playwright with: 
    pip install playwright
playwright install
  2. Basic Script: Write a script to control the browser. The following example logs into a webpage: 
    from playwright.sync_api import sync_playwright

    with sync_playwright() as p:
    
browser = p.chromium.launch(headless=True)
    
page = browser.new_page()
    
page.goto(‘https://example.com/login’)
    
page.fill(‘input[name=“username”]’, ‘your-username’)
    
page.fill(‘input[name=“password”]’, ‘your-password’)
    
page.click(‘button[type=“submit”]’)
    
page.wait_for_selector(“#welcome”)  # Adjust to the specific element on the landing page
    
print(page.inner_text(‘#criteria’))  # Example to extract specified criteria
    
browser.close()

  3. Conversion to Executable: To convert your script to an executable, use pyinstaller: 
    pip install pyinstaller
pyinstaller --onefile your_script.py
    Ensure you follow any additional steps for specific file handling in Playwright.

This approach is efficient and provides a comprehensive way to handle your requirements with minimal complexity. Playwright's functionality will meet your needs effectively, particularly for JavaScript support. By using this method, you can automate your tasks efficiently and deliver your results quickly.

3

For your use case involving a headless browser with JavaScript functionality, I suggest considering Selenium with a headless browser setup. While often known for its use in UI testing, Selenium can also effectively handle web scraping and form submissions with JavaScript support. Here’s a practical approach to get you started:

  1. Installation: Start by installing Selenium alongside the browser driver like ChromeDriver for Chrome. 
    pip install selenium

    For ChromeDriver, download it from the official site and ensure it’s in your system PATH or specify the path while initializing.

  2. Script Setup: Here’s how you can set up a basic login form submission with JavaScript capabilities using Selenium:
    3. from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.chrome.options import Options

    options = Options()
    
options.headless = True
    

    browser = webdriver.Chrome(options=options)
    
browser.get(‘https://example.com/login’)
    

    browser.find_element_by_name(‘username’).send_keys(‘your-username’)
    
browser.find_element_by_name(‘password’).send_keys(‘your-password’)
    
browser.find_element_by_css_selector(‘button[type=“submit”]’).click()
    

    Wait for the page to load and select elements
    

    browser.implicitly_wait(10)  # or use WebDriverWait for better control
    

    Example interaction
    

    checkbox = browser.find_element_by_css_selector(‘input[type=“checkbox”]’)
    
checkbox.click()
    

    Perform actions like file download here
    

    browser.quit()

  3. Conversion to Executable: To distribute your script, py2exe or similar tools like pyinstaller can be utilized. Here is the pyinstaller method: 
    pip install pyinstaller
pyinstaller --onefile login_script.py

    Ensure ChromeDriver is addressed in the package specifications if needed.

This method will allow you to perform the needed tasks with robust support for JavaScript through Selenium. It’s a relatively straightforward option for programmatic interaction with web pages, particularly for beginners.