After navigating to your webpage and waiting for it to load, if you run this line of code:
Debug.Print TypeName(IE.Document.getElementsByClassName("slds-form"))
You will see that in the Immediate Window you get something like JScriptTypeInfo when in fact you were expecting a DispHTMLElementCollection.
To fix this you will need to add a reference to Microsoft HTML Object Library. If you don't have it in the list then simply browse for mshtml.tlb type library:
Now the above line of code could become:
Dim doc As HTMLDocument
Set doc = IE.Document
Debug.Print TypeName(doc.getElementsByClassName("slds-form"))
which now prints DispHTMLElementCollection correctly to the immediate window.
If you use the doc variable, all the functionality like doc.getElementsByClassName or doc.getElementById will work.
Last thing that needs fixing is the waiting. There are at least 4 reasons why Do While objIE.Busy = True or objIE.readyState <>4: DoEvents: Loop does not work:
- Immediately after navigating and waiting, a script can be triggered that forces the browser to be busy again so we need to wait again
- The document itself needs to be checked for readyState
- The IE Object can get disconnected
- The IE Object does not get updated after certain actions
To fix this, just drop the following code into a standard code module. Call the module LibIE as it will act as a supporting library:
Option Explicit
Option Private Module
Public Enum IEFlags
navOpenInNewWindow = 1
navNoHistory = 2
navNoReadFromCache = 4
navNoWriteToCache = 8
navAllowAutosearch = 16
navBrowserBar = 32
navHyperlink = 64
navEnforceRestricted = 128
navNewWindowsManaged = 256
navUntrustedForDownload = 512
navTrustedForActiveX = 1024
navOpenInNewTab = 2048
navOpenInBackgroundTab = 4096
navKeepWordWheelText = 8192
navVirtualTab = 16384
navBlockRedirectsXDomain = 32768
navOpenNewForegroundTab = 65536
End Enum
#If VBA7 Then
Public Declare PtrSafe Sub Sleep Lib "kernel32" (ByVal dwMilliseconds As Long)
#Else
Public Declare Sub Sleep Lib "kernel32" (ByVal dwMilliseconds As Long)
#End If
'Creates an instance of InternetExplorer
Public Function CreateIEBrowser(Optional ByVal mediumSecurity As Boolean = False) As InternetExplorer
Const maxLoops As Long = 1000
'
Dim IE As InternetExplorer
Dim loopsCount As Long
'
'If there is another instance of IE that is trying to shut down, then a new
' instance cannot get created and a -2147023706 error is thrown:
' "A system shutdown has already been scheduled. Automation Error"
'If a new instance is not created then loop and wait/pause between tries
On Error Resume Next
Do While loopsCount < maxLoops And IE Is Nothing
If mediumSecurity Then
Set IE = New InternetExplorerMedium
'If the library reference is missing then use (late binding):
'Set IE = CreateObject("new:{D5E8041D-920F-45e9-B8FB-B1DEB82C6E5E}")
Else
Set IE = New InternetExplorer
'If the library reference is missing then use (late binding):
'Set IE = CreateObject("InternetExplorer.Application")
End If
loopsCount = loopsCount + 1
Sleep 10
Loop
On Error GoTo 0
'
Set CreateIEBrowser = IE
End Function
'Check if IE got disconnected
Public Function IsIEDisconnected(ByVal IE As InternetExplorer) As Boolean
IsIEDisconnected = (IE Is Nothing) Or (TypeName(IE) = "Object")
End Function
'Waits for an IE browser to be idle
Public Sub WaitIE(ByVal IE As InternetExplorer _
, Optional ByVal timeoutSeconds As Long = 60 _
)
If IsIEDisconnected(IE) Then Exit Sub
If timeoutSeconds < 0 Then timeoutSeconds = 0
'
Const waitMilliPerLoop As Long = 10
Dim maxTotalLoops As Long
Dim maxInnerLoops As Long
Dim innerLoopsCount As Long
Dim outerLoopsCount As Long
'
maxTotalLoops = timeoutSeconds * 1000 / waitMilliPerLoop
maxInnerLoops = maxTotalLoops / 10
'
#If VBA7 Then
Dim storedHandle As LongPtr
#Else
Dim storedHandle As Long
#End If
'
'Although the browser may look like it's not busy anymore and the state is
' "Complete", it might happen that the page must trigger a script
'Thus, two loops are required:
' - an inner loop to track if IE is busy and ready state is complete
' while making sure it times-out after a pre-defined number of loops
' - an outer loop which runs the inner loop and then pauses for a few
' milliseconds (to allow the scripts on page to fire) and checks the IE
' status again
storedHandle = IE.hwnd
Do While (IE.Busy Or IE.ReadyState <> READYSTATE_COMPLETE _
) And outerLoopsCount < maxTotalLoops
innerLoopsCount = 0
Do While (IE.Busy Or IE.ReadyState <> READYSTATE_COMPLETE) _
And innerLoopsCount < maxInnerLoops
Sleep waitMilliPerLoop
innerLoopsCount = innerLoopsCount + 1
Set IE = GetIEByHandle(storedHandle)
Loop
outerLoopsCount = outerLoopsCount + innerLoopsCount
Set IE = GetIEByHandle(storedHandle)
Loop
Do While IE.Document.ReadyState <> READYSTATE_COMPLETE _
And outerLoopsCount < maxTotalLoops
Sleep waitMilliPerLoop
outerLoopsCount = outerLoopsCount + innerLoopsCount
Set IE = GetIEByHandle(storedHandle)
Loop
End Sub
'Returns an Internet Explorer object by providing the window handle
' (if the handle exists in the collection of opened shell windows)
#If VBA7 Then
Public Function GetIEByHandle(ByVal hwnd As LongPtr) As InternetExplorer
#Else
Public Function GetIEByHandle(ByVal hwnd As Long) As InternetExplorer
#End If
If hwnd = 0 Then Exit Function
'
Dim tempObj As Object
Dim IE As InternetExplorer
'
On Error Resume Next
For Each tempObj In GetShellWindows()
If tempObj.hwnd = hwnd Then
Set IE = tempObj
Exit For
End If
Next tempObj
On Error GoTo 0
'
Set GetIEByHandle = IE
End Function
Private Function GetShellWindows() As ShellWindows
Const maxLoops As Long = 1000
'
Dim collShellWindows As ShellWindows
Dim loopsCount As Long
'
On Error Resume Next
Do While loopsCount < maxLoops
Set collShellWindows = New ShellWindows
If Not collShellWindows Is Nothing Then
If collShellWindows.Count > 0 Then Exit Do
End If
loopsCount = loopsCount + 1
Sleep 1
Loop
On Error GoTo 0
Set GetShellWindows = collShellWindows
End Function
'Returns the first found opened Internet Explorer instance
Public Function GetOpenedIE() As InternetExplorer
Const maxLoops As Long = 1000
'
Dim tempObj As Object
Dim IE As InternetExplorer
'
On Error Resume Next
For Each tempObj In GetShellWindows()
If tempObj.Name = "Internet Explorer" Then
Set IE = tempObj
Exit For
End If
Next tempObj
On Error GoTo 0
'
Set GetOpenedIE = IE
End Function
'Navigate a URL inside a specific InternetExplorer instance
Public Sub NavigateUrl(ByVal IE As InternetExplorer _
, ByVal Url As String _
, ByVal flags As IEFlags _
, Optional ByVal postData As Variant _
, Optional ByVal headers As Variant _
)
If IsIEDisconnected(IE) Then Exit Sub
'
#If VBA7 Then
Dim storedHandle As LongPtr
#Else
Dim storedHandle As Long
#End If
'
'The Navigate command (depending on configuration and IE security) causes the
' IE object to lose the reference to the actual instance of InternetExplorer
storedHandle = IE.hwnd
'
IE.Navigate Url:=Url, flags:=flags, postData:=postData, headers:=headers
Sleep 10
'
'Please note that the initial window might have been destroyed
' and a new one created (with a new handle) which requires a different approach,
' like storing a collection of window handles from ShellWindows collection
' (before Navigate command) and comparing them with the handles after the
' Navigate command. Not implemented
Set IE = GetIEByHandle(storedHandle)
End Sub
Here is a demo method that uses the above LibIE library:
Option Explicit
Public Declare PtrSafe Function ShowWindow Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As LongPtr, ByVal nCmdShow As Long) As Long
Const SW_MAXIMIZE As Long = 3
Sub Demo()
Dim IE As InternetExplorer
Dim flags As IEFlags: flags = navNoHistory + navNoReadFromCache + navNoWriteToCache 'Or whatever you need
'
On Error GoTo ErrorHandler
Set IE = LibIE.CreateIEBrowser(mediumSecurity:=False)
'
'Maybe try medium security settings
'If IE Is Nothing Then Set IE = LibIE.CreateIEBrowser(mediumSecurity:=True) 'Uncomment if needed!
'
'Maybe get an already opened instance
'If IE Is Nothing Then Set IE = LibIE.GetOpenedIE() 'Uncomment if needed!
'
If IE Is Nothing Then
MsgBox "Cannot create IE"
Exit Sub
End If
'
IE.Visible = True
IE.Silent = True
'
'Maybe Maximize
'ShowWindow IE.hwnd, SW_MAXIMIZE 'Uncomment if needed!
'
LibIE.NavigateUrl IE, "https://myturnvolunteer.ca.gov/s/#search", flags
LibIE.WaitIE IE
'
Dim doc As HTMLDocument
Set doc = IE.Document
'
With doc.getElementsByClassName("slds-form")(0)
.elements("input-13").Value = "MyFirstName"
.elements("input-14").Value = "MyLastName"
.elements("input-15").Value = "MyZipCode"
.elements("input-16").Value = "MyEMail"
.elements("input-17").Value = "MyPhone"
.elements("agreedToTermsConditions").Checked = True
End With
'
Stop 'Go and inpect the results in the browser!
Clean:
If Not LibIE.IsIEDisconnected(IE) Then IE.Quit
Exit Sub
ErrorHandler:
Resume Clean
End Sub
I've added some extra lines that you can uncomment for getting an already opened IE browser or maximizing the IE window.
Set device = objIE.document.getEementsByClassName("slds-input")(0)but I still get an error, "Application-defined or object defined error" – user3390169 Mar 10 '21 at 15:54