asked on Best method for proprietary web automation
We are looking at some different methods for automating web tasks. Clicking buttons, filling forms, etc. I could use C# since I'm good at C++ or maybe something like Selenium, but we think we may make some useful stuff that other people would be willing to pay for. So I don't really like the C# idea since it's only going to work on Windows computers.
Ideally, the users wouldn't need to download anything, but if they need to it's okay.
We just need the ability to have the users be authenticated with us before they were allowed to use any of the scripts.
So they log in with us, then log in to whatever website that they want to do automated stuff on (like click a button 100 times really fast if you saw my other question), then they do automated stuff.
What would be the best tool for this job?
Ideally, the users wouldn't need to download anything, but if they need to it's okay.
We just need the ability to have the users be authenticated with us before they were allowed to use any of the scripts.
So they log in with us, then log in to whatever website that they want to do automated stuff on (like click a button 100 times really fast if you saw my other question), then they do automated stuff.
What would be the best tool for this job?
ProgrammingWeb Development.NET Programming
Last Comment
TommySzalapski
You should know that major websites are working hard to prevent you from automating access to their sites. They are mostly using more and more javascript to do logins and other kinds of forms. The idea is that most automation can't run the javascript so people can't automate the logins and forms.
ASKER
Manual login is fine. We're not trying to write survey robots or anything, just save people some time and/or make stress testing easier. Currently, we're wanting to run a lot of it against our own websites anyway.
>We just need the ability to have the users be authenticated with us before they were allowed to use any of the scripts.
I would use social log in. You can write this on your own or use a service http://www.gigya.com/social-login/.
It sounds like you want to provide a service others can use and purchase that from you. It would be a good idea if your own site was the service and then you can use any server side code you want or api's. Then for your clients that are buying the service from you can simply download a bit of javascript to embed on their site that ultimately talks to yours.
It is becoming more common for sites that use API's to access or submit data as if you were doing this from their front end portal. Your service would simply make it easy for would be webmasters and developers. On your end, all the api's would be programmed.
I think you have a good idea.
I would use social log in. You can write this on your own or use a service http://www.gigya.com/social-login/.
It sounds like you want to provide a service others can use and purchase that from you. It would be a good idea if your own site was the service and then you can use any server side code you want or api's. Then for your clients that are buying the service from you can simply download a bit of javascript to embed on their site that ultimately talks to yours.
It is becoming more common for sites that use API's to access or submit data as if you were doing this from their front end portal. Your service would simply make it easy for would be webmasters and developers. On your end, all the api's would be programmed.
I think you have a good idea.
ASKER
That's just so they can log in with Facebook or whatever. That doesn't tell me what language I should be using to automate web pages from another web page.
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ASKER
That really doesn't answer the original question. I can't publish APIs for this. The end users wouldn't know what to do with one. Also I still don't know any good cross-OS tool for web automation.
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ASKER
I said "Ideally, the users wouldn't need to download anything, but if they need to it's okay."
Okay, so javascript is probably the best bet for a browser based solution. Pretty limited, but might do some tasks.
I've done some web automation in .NET, so I guess I'll just keep fiddling around and see what happens.
Okay, so javascript is probably the best bet for a browser based solution. Pretty limited, but might do some tasks.
I've done some web automation in .NET, so I guess I'll just keep fiddling around and see what happens.