How do I fill in a web site form using data from a CSV file?: IE8

by: tovvenkiPosted on 2009-08-14 at 04:11:28ID: 25096779

Hi,
why are you generating csv files from the database and passing it to the web page. You can access the database using ado.net and populate the fields
if this is third party database or if it is the requirement You can use Ado.Net to read the csv file and then populate the data to the fields.

DataTable dt = new DataTable();
OdbcConnection cn = new OdbcConnection(@"Driver={Microsoft Text Driver (*.txt; *.csv)};Dbq=" + your CSVFolder);
OdbcCommand cmd = new OdbcCommand();
cmd = new OdbcCommand("Select * from [your.csv]", cn);
cmd.CommandType = CommandType.Text;
OdbcDataAdapter adp = new OdbcDataAdapter();
adp.SelectCommand = cmd;
cn.Open();
adp.Fill (dt);

now from the data table you can get the data and populate your fields

Thanks and regards,
Venki

by: Ray_PaseurPosted on 2009-08-14 at 05:31:45ID: 25097265

What programming language are you using to generate the forms?

by: sahinmanPosted on 2009-08-14 at 07:19:51ID: 25098312

I am collecting the data with a VB6 program and storing in an Access database. My plan was to export (to a CSV file) the required data to be entered into the web site and then find a way to populate the web site from the CSV file. I can write the necessary VB6 code but don't know how to populate the web site fields with the data.

by: Ray_PaseurPosted on 2009-08-14 at 07:24:14ID: 25098354

I mean on the server, "What programming language are you using to generate the forms?" - is it a PHP machine? Cold Fusion? ASP.net? etc. The forms are presented in HTML, but if you have a programming language available it may be easy to automate the production of the forms with the fields prepopulated.

by: sahinmanPosted on 2009-08-14 at 09:06:45ID: 25099620

It is a secure, government web site. I am not involved with the development of the site so I don't know what the programming language is. The data is submitted to a secure government database.

by: Ray_PaseurPosted on 2009-08-14 at 09:08:22ID: 25099645

What is the page of the site you want to submit data to. Please post the entire URL so we can see the form fields. Thank you.

by: sahinmanPosted on 2009-08-14 at 11:52:07ID: 25101189

Since it's a secure site, I cannot give you the user name and password to the site. I have attached screen-shots of the web pages if that helps. The data from page 1 is 'Saved' with a button control and then data is also entered on the 2nd page. Page 1 is more challenging because it uses (2) buttons to open other forms to enter data. Note: all data is example data only. I hope this helps.

ECT-Page1a.jpg
- 237 KB
First page after manually entering data
ECT-Page1.jpg
- 277 KB
First page to populate, uses other forms to gather data
ECT-Page2.jpg
- 327 KB
2nd page to enter, blue boxes indicate manually entered data

by: Ray_PaseurPosted on 2009-08-15 at 11:56:06ID: 25106462

Thanks, the pictures are helpful in trying to understand the REAL intent. It appears you are trying to enter data into the FGIS-Online program of GIPSA, a part of the US Department of Agriculture. But without the URLs so we can see the source of the HTML forms, there is nothing else we can do for you. If you want to make up a simple test form and an associated CSV we can work with the hypothetical test case, but please read on...

You need to hire a developer to do this work; it requires a careful one-for-one mapping of the numerous fields from the CSV into the POST string to send the data to the GIPSA online application. That is not technically difficult, just time consuming. It would not be very costly - probably little more than a few days effort. You will need to know the expected values for each of the fields - get that from the Government in writing before you start paying the developer, or you will have a payroll that is doing nothing while you wait for a response from USDA. You will probably also want a test case engine or a "sandbox" to test your application development before you actually put data into the government data base.

However you will wind up with a "brittle" application - one that could break at any moment when the government changes the form. Since this is part of a data-collection program that was started last year and is still in a state of "flux" I would advise against depending on an automated posting algorithm for your business processes.

You should check the terms of use carefully, since it appears that the Government does not want you to use automated data entry, or else they would have provided you with an API to receive XML (or something like it).

Best of luck with it, ~Ray

by: sahinmanPosted on 2009-08-16 at 00:20:21ID: 25108076

Wow! What great information. You have provided me with what I need to proceed. THANKS!

by: sahinmanPosted on 2009-08-16 at 00:22:15ID: 31615462

Thanks! I am the novice and you are the Expert!

by: Ray_PaseurPosted on 2009-08-16 at 07:30:46ID: 25109121

Thanks for the points - glad I was able to help a little, ~Ray

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How do I fill in a web site form using data from a CSV file?

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