Parse HTML using DOM without browser

[spikepl]

If I have an XML file, I can load it into an XML document and parse it.

For an HTML file, I have been unable to find similar parsing methods - that is, using DOM and not involving a browser (other than simply treating the file as text). I'd prefer to avoid the browser control because it is different for a number of different Access versions, so the only option remaining that I see is to run Internet Explorer with visibility off.

Can one parse HTML using the DOM without a browser? If yes how? If no, and you know that for sure, then please say so, so I stop chasing Nirvana

TIA

 

[jdraw]

spike,

I have not done the html DOM, but have found this link at various times when working with any parsing and XML. According to his write ups you can create an HTML DOM. He comes from an Excel background, but vba is vba.

Good luck.

I'm interested in anything you find or develop, especially working examples/samples.

There does not seem to be a site with lots of vba Access DOM examples.

 

[spikepl]

Last time I looked into it, I was unable to parse HTML without a browser. Also, the HTML I have is not digestible by XML. :-(

I guess I just do as previously and parse it as text.

If you want to see an Access DOM/HTML example, I made one here:http://www.access-programmers.co.uk/forums/showpost.php?p=1168458&postcount=11

 

[spikepl]

It is possible to parse HTML without a browser - see 2nd link in this thead: http://www.access-programmers.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=268689

 

[darbid]

I know this question is old.

Recently I had similar questions (but I was using Vb.net so I had a few more classes at my disposal) and I came up with the answer, NO it was not possible. I was a little surprised I could not get it into some xml class.

In the end once I got the HTML I just used string methods to find what I wanted.

 

[BlueIshDan]

you may be able to load this driver
Not sure though

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa468547.aspx

 

[darbid]

you may be able to load this driver
Not sure though

It is worth a try, but I am pretty sure you will not get the HTML text into the XML class.

 

[spikepl]

I've implemented the browser-less HTML-parsing method I link to in VBA and it's been working just fine ever since.

 

[darbid]

that looks good. Now I have to decide if I will change over to it or not.