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Using VB to fill in and submit an HTML form

I am trying to create a login page for Hotmail but am getting "Run-time error 438 Object doesn't support this property or method". On the "IE.document.All.Item("XXX").Value" line's.
I have included Microsoft Internet Controls" in the References(also tried in components). And have tried with and without the HTML object Library.
When I look at MSDN http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/workshop/browser/webbrowser/reference/objects/InternetExplorer.asp
It says it is read only??? Yet I have found several mentions to doing it this way on this and other sites????
This should be an easy question for someone but I am sure lost.
What am I missing? Thanks
Tom Jaeger

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Option Explicit

Public WithEvents IE As InternetExplorer
Public WithEvents doc As HTMLDocument

Private Sub Form_Load()
Set IE = CreateObject("InternetExplorer.Application")
IE.Navigate "www.hotmail.com"
IE.Visible = True

End Sub

Private Sub IE_DocumentComplete(ByVal pDisp As Object, URL As Variant)
If (pDisp Is IE) Then
'Url could change so take care of it ;)
If InStr(1, URL, "login.passport.net/uilogin.srf?id=2", vbTextCompare) Then
IE.document.All.Item("login").Value = "email" 'replace with your id

IE.document.All.Item("passwd").Value = "pass" 'replace with your password

IE.document.All.Item("submit1").Click
End If
End If
End Sub
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zzzzzooc

The below uses no references or components. You can access the Form and it's elements directly as below. readystate 4 is "Complete".

Private Sub Form_Load()
Dim oIE As Object, sURL As String
sURL = "http://login.passport.net/uilogin.srf?id=2"
Set oIE = CreateObject("InternetExplorer.Application")
oIE.Visible = True
Call oIE.Navigate("www.hotmail.com")
Do Until oIE.LocationURL = sURL And oIE.readystate = 4
DoEvents
Loop
oIE.document.Form1.login.Value = "email@email.com" 'replace with your id
oIE.document.Form1.passwd.Value = "pass" 'replace with your password
oIE.document.Form1.submit1.Click
End Sub

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

aelatik

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aelatik

Instead of IE.document.All.Item("login").Value

you use IE.document.Form1.login.value

This applies to other objects to..

thomasjaeger

ASKER

Thanks Aelatik,
I am going to accept your answer... but I am stumped as to why there were refrences to the
IE.document.All.Item("login").Value = "email"
all over the net when the correct way is
IE.document.Form1.login.Value = "email"

any thoughts? Normally I wouldn't care but I am learning so I like to know what I did wrong and why.
Thanks
Tom J

aelatik

I really can't explain it. Sometimes it does work with IE.document.All.Item("login").Value = "email"
It depends on the website i guess. Try it on Google for example. Your method should work fine there...

Option Explicit

Public WithEvents IE As InternetExplorer
Public WithEvents doc As HTMLDocument

Private Sub Form_Load()
Set IE = CreateObject("InternetExplorer.Application")
IE.navigate "www.google.com"
IE.Visible = True
End Sub

Private Sub IE_DocumentComplete(ByVal pDisp As Object, URL As Variant)
If (pDisp Is IE) Then
IE.document.All.Item("q").Value = "searchtext"
End If
End Sub

amit1978

looking for same

zzzzzooc

>> but I am stumped as to why there were refrences to the (etc etc)

There are multiple input-elements on the hotmail sign-in page with the names of "login" and "passwd" so you can't get one of the objects without specifying the form. You could have used to Forms collection within the document-element and then accessed the input-elements from that. The other method just accesses the elements directly.

Btw, my first comment showed the correct method to use. aelatik just double-posted it using your own example.

vbplus

thomasjaeger,

The All array encompasses every element that has an id attribute, while the forms array is for 'in form' tags only, so if your form tag, such as <input type=...>, has an id then you can retrieve a reference to it via the all array.