Scraping a javascript pop-up menu

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vodkasushi
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Joined: Wed Apr 18, 2012 2:57 pm

Scraping a javascript pop-up menu

Post by vodkasushi » Fri Apr 20, 2012 1:21 pm

How may I select elements from a javascript menu that pops up when I mouse over it and dissappears when I mouse off it - I can't activate selection mode without clicking it, so that forces me to mouse off the menu.

e.g. http://www.giantbomb.com/ can't touch the menus...

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Re: Scraping a javascript pop-up menu

Post by webmaster » Sat Apr 21, 2012 2:03 am

You can activate selection mode with F4. Just make sure the browser is selected (not the address bar). This site will still close the menu for some reason. Probably has a timer or some other way to detect that the mouse is not over the menu anymore. But it does take a fraction of a second to close after activating F4 which is enough time to select at least one item (the menu will close but you'll see in the selection panel that the item is still selected). So you can create your kind with one item and then add more items the same way with the Add selection to this kind button.

I was able to create a kind this way on the site you sent, but if for some reason it would be just not possible at all to select these elements with the mouse you'd still be able to select any other element and then navigate through the elements tree with the arrows in the selection panel until you hit the elements you need.
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vodkasushi
Posts: 11
Joined: Wed Apr 18, 2012 2:57 pm

Re: Scraping a javascript pop-up menu

Post by vodkasushi » Mon Apr 23, 2012 8:53 am

Ah thanks, didn't know there was a hotkey for Selection Mode. Currently I've been navigating the DOM using the buttons on the Selection Window, it's working so far but is a little cumbersome. Would be nice if Right-click did something specific to Helium rather than it being the browser menu, but I guess that's a future development thing :)

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