Automated Internet - Alternatives to Busy and ReadyState?

I've run into a problem with automating internet explorer.

I have been using

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for some time.However I have a page I regularly access which has a link that uses javascript to launch a password window. This password window can meet the busy and readystate criteria well before it finishes loading. (And yes, it is the child window busy and readystate that I've been checking)

Up to now I have been working around this by hardcoding a 12 second delay - but this is frustrating as sometimes the window loads in ~2 seconds so you are sitting there for 10 seconds waiting for the code to catch up. A few instances 12 seconds isn't enough and the code encounters an error as it is trying to process a page control that isn't loaded.

Therefore I need an alternative method to test that the password window has completed loading before the code continues. Unfortunately I can't provide the webpage that launches that password window (as much as I know it would greatly improve the quantity of replies). But if anyone has an idea for me to test I'd be interested.


(I suppose I could try using a Sleep loop to check for the existence of a known control on the password window - but I'll shelve that idea as a last resort. It seems extremely inefficient)

Hello mc84excel,

If you are using Internet Explorer to access your web pages, the problem is Internet Explorer runs asynchronously with the VBA code. This makes it virtually impossible to sync the execution of one with the other.

An alternative is to use the MSXML2 library. It will require more work on your end but it can run in sync with VBA.

Thanks for the suggestion.

I know a little of XML but not enough to deal with this particular site.

I have since solved this by doing a Sleep loop and checking if the documents locationName = preset string. Messy but it works.

Hello mc84excel,

You're welcome. Glad you got it working.

Now that you know there is another way, you should start learning how to use this library of functions. Especially if you want to delve deeper into using web automation.