On a WebPage opened by a Macro, how do perform a TAB action?

Question

I was able to code a macro that opens an IE session, then navigates to a URL.  These parts work.

The problem I need to solve is I need to perform a Tab action through the input text boxes.  I am able to locate the input tag, issue a Click action, set the value.  However, in order for Web app to work, I need to Tab off of the field after I set the value.

I have not found the Property that I can use to do this action.

The properties that I use in the Macro are:

sZipKmRadius.Value = "" 'Set the value of this field to NULL

sZipMileRadius.Focus 'Sets the Focus to this element

sZipKmRadius.Click 'Clicks on the element.

Does anybody know how to tab off of the field

Answer 1

If the DOM does not provide a Tab method, I think you are stuck with a keystroke poker....

Did you try Sendkeys "{TAB}",True ?

Answer 2

Forgive me on this but you introduced a few terms that I am not familiar with.  I am a noivice at this.

DOM =  Dynamic Object Model?

How would I found out what methods are in this DOM?  How would I found out what DOM I am using.

What code would represent "Sendkey "{TAB}",True"  or is that the actual code?  If that is the actual code, then would that appear after I set the field to the value?

Below is my series of Subroutines:

Sub Control_Web_Access()
Dim appIE As Object 'This is the IE session
Dim sURL As String 'This is the actual URL of the Web Page
Dim sZipMileRadius As Object  'This the number of miles for the radius around the Zip Code
Dim sZipKmRadius As Object  'This the number of miles for the radius around the Zip Code
Dim DisplayApp As Boolean
Dim WebPageInputTag As Object 'each Tab that is labeled as Input
Call GetIE(appIE)
sURL = "http://www.freemaptools.com/find-zip-codes-inside-radius.htm"
DisplayApp = True
Call WebPageSession(appIE, sURL, DisplayApp)
'Hunt for a field:
'Set sZipMileRadius = appIE.Document.getElementsByName("tb_radius_miles")
Set sZipMileRadius = appIE.Document.getElementsByTagName("INPUT")
'If Not sZipMileRadius Then
'    ' fill in first element named "tb_radius_miles", assumed to be the login name field
'    sZipMileRadius(0).Value = "50"
'End If
For Each WebPageInputTag In sZipMileRadius
    If WebPageInputTag.Name = "tb_radius" Then
'        WebPageInputTag.Value = ""
        WebPageInputTag.Click
        Set sZipKmRadius = WebPageInputTag
    End If
    If WebPageInputTag.Name = "tb_radius_miles" Then
        Set sZipMileRadius = WebPageInputTag
        WebPageInputTag.Click
'        WebPageInputTag.Value = "50"
        sZipKmRadius.Click
    End If
    If WebPageInputTag.Name = "goto" Then
        WebPageInputTag.Value = "44122"
    End If
Next WebPageInputTag
sZipKmRadius.Value = ""
sZipMileRadius.Focus
' sZipMileRadius.Tab
sZipMileRadius.Value = "50"
sZipKmRadius.Click
End Sub
Sub GetIE(IESession As Object)
    On Error Resume Next
    Set IESession = CreateObject("InternetExplorer.Application")
End Sub
Sub WebPageSession(IESession As Object, sURL As String, Display As Boolean)
With IESession
    .Navigate sURL
    ' uncomment the line below if you want to watch the code execute, or for debugging
    .Visible = Display
End With
 
' loop until the page finishes loading
Do While IESession.Busy
Loop
End Sub

Answer 3

DOM = Document Object Model....and you are effectively using it in this app.

Put the sendkeys statement where these are located:

' sZipMileRadius.Tab

I think this will work since you have the html control's Focus.

Answer 4

OK, I followed your suggestion

I put the code:

appIE.SendKeys "{TAB}", True

Is this correct?  When I do this I get an error 438:

Object doesn't support this property or method (Error 438) So, now what are my options?

Answer 5

SysWizard suggested to use only SendKeys

IE does not sipport the method.It is a vb statement.

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Best Regards,
Asadulla Javed, Kolkata
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Answer 6

Why do you  need to use the TAB key?  I can extract any information from the webpage without using the tab.

---

jdweng

Answer 7

Hi Daniel,

Thanks for posting in the MSDN Forum.

Do you solved your issue? If you have solved it, would you please share your experience here?

Have a good day,

Tom

---

Tom Xu [MSFT]
MSDN Community Support | Feedback to us

Answer 8

How did you do that?

When I do:

1.  Enter the data (the miles and zipcode)

2.  Press the Go button within the macro, I receive nothing back.

Would you be able to post at least the important parts of the macro here on the forum?

Answer 9

I thought this was going to be real easy.  It wasn't.  the code below should solve all your problems

'add reference : Microsoft Internet Controls
Sub Control_Web_Access()
Dim appIE As Object 'This is the IE session
Dim sURL As String 'This is the actual URL of the Web Page
Dim sZipMileRadius As Object  'This the number of miles for the radius around the Zip Code
Dim sZipKmRadius As Object  'This the number of miles for the radius around the Zip Code
Dim DisplayApp As Boolean
Dim WebPageInputTag As Object 'each Tab that is labeled as Input
Call GetIE(appIE)
sURL = "http://www.freemaptools.com/find-zip-codes-inside-radius.htm"
DisplayApp = True
Call WebPageSession(appIE, sURL, DisplayApp)
Set sRadius = appIE.Document.getElementById("tb_radius")
sRadius.Value = 50 * 1.609344
Set sRadius = appIE.Document.getElementById("tb_radius_miles")
sRadius.Value = 50
Set zipcode = appIE.Document.getElementById("goto")
zipcode.Value = "44122"
Set tb_radius = appIE.Document.getElementById("tb_radius")
tb_radius.Click
Set sZipMileRadius = appIE.Document.getElementsByTagName("INPUT")
For Each WebPageInputTag In sZipMileRadius
   If WebPageInputTag.Name = "Go" Then
      
      WebPageInputTag.Click
      finish = False
      output = Null
      Do
         Do While appIE.readyState <> 4 Or _
            appIE.Busy = True
      
            DoEvents
         Loop
         
         Set output = appIE.Document.getElementById("tb_output")
         If output.Value <> "" Then
            If output.Value <> "" Then
              finish = True
            End If
         End If
         
      Loop While finish = False
      Exit For
   End If
Next WebPageInputTag
zipcodes = output.Value
zipcodearrays = Split(zipcodes, ",")
End Sub
Function GetIE(IESession As Object) As Object
    On Error Resume Next
    Set IESession = CreateObject("InternetExplorer.Application")
End Function
Sub WebPageSession(IESession As Object, sURL As String, Display As Boolean)
With IESession
    
    ' uncomment the line below if you want to watch the code execute, or for debugging
    .Visible = Display
    .Navigate sURL
End With
 
' loop until the page finishes loading
Do While IESession.readyState <> 4 Or _
      IESession.Busy = True
      
      DoEvents
Loop
End Sub

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jdweng

Answer 10

Uh, what specifically made this work ? Was it the ReadyState loop test ?

Also, can you explain this code: ?

If output.Value <> "" Then
   If output.Value <> "" Then
      finish = True
   End If
End If

Answer 11

I made a number of changes to the original code.  I used getElementById instead of getElementsByTagName to uniquely identify some of the objects.  A webpage has a combination of HTML code and Java code and you must wait for both to complete before searching for objects.  So I test for a combination of readyState <> 4 and (actually an "or" in the code) appIE.Busy = True.  In some cases these two test are not enough.  So I add additional code to make sure objects fully load like the code I added in this example.

I also found setting the KM radius to "" and putting the radius in mides didn't work.  so I enter both the miles and km.

---

jdweng

Answer 12

Nicely done Joel. Clearly, controlling web pages requires a constant check for the ReadyState Property.

Answer 13

Wow!  It worked!

I finally was able to apply the fixes you made to my macro and test it.

I have 1 final question.

How can you find out the number of element that were created after you do this statement:

zipcodearrays = Split(zipcodes, ",")

I really do appreciate your help on this!  I now have 1 happy user and 1 entire happy department!