Logging onto a web site with Excel using IE

The frustrating thing is that this code used to work until Microsoft "improved" IE.

The site is proprietary, so that is a hindrance. I get one of the following error messages depending on when I run the code:

Method Busy of object 'IWebBrowser2' failed.

or

Automation error
Unspecified error

or

Automation error
The Interface is unknown

the error occurs on: Do While .Busy Or .readyState <> 4

Here is the full code:

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I have noticed lots of issues with IE too... often I have had to add a wait time to ensure the next part of my code will work, it is like interacting with IE is sluggish and somehow the object is not always available. Your code SHOULD work of course, but maybe the loop is too fast and VBA can't address the IE object that quickly? I ended up with this (slower and less efficient, but don't get those errors):

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My 2 second wait time is arbitrary, I chose 2 to be safe... but my application runs automatically at night so I can afford wait times that might be inconvenient in a "Live" scenario

I got past the initial hurdle and I even added the loop as you suggested and extended it to 10 seconds.

Now I get "Interface is Unknown" on Set doc = IE.document

I have defined doc as an object and an HTMLDocument and it doesn't matter. As I said, the code used to work.

I see you have a messagebox coming up... did you remove that? does it work with the message box? I just wonder because that would act as ANOTHER wait after the loop last checked the busy state...

Alternatively, but requires a reference to Microsoft Internet Controls added:

Change

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to

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No guarantees this will work, but worth a shot.

The message boxes are removed as I get far enough into the code to execute them. This code has been fighting me line-by-line.

The code is heavily commented with all the things I tried, but didn't work. Apparently this incantation in combination with late binding works. Thanks for the tip. I now have to move onto the next step" navigating to a "tab" (no, not that kind of tab, but a tab that is on the form that is within the current tab) .

I obviously can't see the page and its code, but typically each "Tab" in the form has an ID. For example when I navigate tabs on the program I run overnight, though usually the "next" button takes me through the tabs when submitting data, I sometimes have to go to a specific tab. One of these tabs submits taxes, and after having found the ID for that tab ("TaxTab"), I use this code:

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I've eliminated most of the code. I also added in some line breaks to make it legible. Also I had to remove anything that looks like HTML since I can't post Highlighted is the link I want to click. I think this is a "collection" of some kind. I have a vague notion of what collections are, and the specific link I want is a member of it. I tried setting setCustomLinks to an object and when I take the length of that object, it is zero (code posted after HTML).

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This is what I attempt. My understanding is that "length" returns the number of elements. Of course I may be looking at the wrong thing.

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I tried your code assuming that the link name is "Device Performance" If I define Lnk as a variant I get a type mismatch error. If I define it as an object, I get an object required error on the set Lnk = line.

P.S. If I try Set Lnk = doc.getElementByTagName(LinkName) I get an object not supported error message.

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If you right-click on a tab, and choose "inspect element", you hopefully would find a section of code that has a link to a javascript action? Something like href="javascript:..." since it looks like the form is javascript based..

you can use

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to execute what would happen if you clicked on such a tab. It is hard to be more specific since I can't see the site, but maybe it helps you some...

Odd tried to edit the above post and got a new post... disregard this one.

@Arkadi - I would show you the results of the inspect element, but when I copy and paste it, it looks nothing like the screen. Also I see hundreds of < script type="text/javascript > most are immediately followed by < /script > How do I know which one to select? Also can you mock up what the syntax would look like. ie.navigate "javacript xyz?" What do I put for xyz?

I captured what I think are the important part of the inspection: something that references dashboard_page_7_tab and the java script that comes immediately before it about 75 lines above.

The second picture came out blurry. Here is the line with the javascript

< script src="res/b_mozilla/common/componentheader.js" type="text/javascript" >< /script >

The unfortunate thing about this effort is that what I call a tab for lack of any other name, the rest of the world thinks I am talking about TAB as in a new window in the same instance of IE - this is making a web search impossible. Is there any other name for this thing?

Id be curious what is showing on the <td> above and below the one you expanded...
It is hard to know exactly how to handle this, since I do have some experience with this but am not an expert either...
The top row on your second image has an href... I was hoping to see something like that associated with clicking on the tab you want... the xyz in your code would then be the quoted part after the = sign... including the quotes. But it does not look like that applies here, unless the other parts of the page code reveal something.

As far as google, you would want to make sure you qualify "tab" by adding "table". For example: vba ie click table tab

Thanks for all the help. I'm converting an old program that worked with a prior version of the BI tool we are now doing. In that version, "tabs" were actually links. If I can break through this barrier then The next page has true links and I could probably adapt my code. I suspect the solution has something to do with that dashboard_page_7_tab, but I don't know how to get to that. GetElementByID doesn't work with it.

Your other post just came in. I'll look at table tab.

I think as well as excel files, you can attach text files... could always put the code into a text file if pasting wasn't working.

I was trying to copy from the inspector to notepad. It wasn't working. You cannot select all and copy.