How do I create an IHTMLDocument2 using a string from TIdHTTP?

Question

I download a URL with IdHTTP.Get, and I need to search the HTML tags and extract some data.

How I can convert the string that IdHTTP.Get returns into an IHTMLDocument2?

Tristram

thanks but this article used twebbrowser and I wont use webbrowser. because I don't need html rendering I just need HTML text for extracting data, and speed is very important for me. – Tristram

Answer 1

I Googled this problem and I can find a good code for this:

Idoc := CreateComObject(Class_HTMLDOcument) as IHTMLDocument2;
try
  IDoc.designMode := 'on';
  while IDoc.readyState <> 'complete' do
    Application.ProcessMessages;
  v := VarArrayCreate([0, 0], VarVariant);
  v[0] := MyHTML;
  IDoc.Write(PSafeArray(System.TVarData(v).VArray));
  IDoc.designMode := 'off';
  while IDoc.readyState <> 'complete' do
    Application.ProcessMessages;

  ParseHTML(IDoc);
finally
  IDoc := nil;
end;

Regards

Tristram

What about to use the stream way to load the document ? The IdHTTP has the Get method overload allowing you to receive response to stream (actually is used in the one returning you the string). – Urbannal

I would not use that code. all the designMode and Application.ProcessMessages to check readyState is not needed. You don't need to switch to designMode=on in order to be able to write to a IHTMLDocument. I strongly suggest you use @Keeper's code. – Shuntwound

@kobik, interesting is that this, and even Keeper's code fails on IHTMLDocument2::write line with Invalid argument on Windows 7, Delphi 7 (Personal) with imported MSHTML type library. The very same happens with PSafeArray(VarArrayAsPSafeArray(VarArrayOf([HTMLWideString]))). – Urbannal

@TLama, I usually declare document as OleVariant and create it via late binding, e.g.: document := CreateComObject(CLASS_HTMLDocument) as IDispatch and simply use document.write(<WideString>). Maybe this is why I never encountered this problem(?)... – Shuntwound

@kobik, it works with type library shipped with Delphi, but doesn't if you import it by yourself (Windows 7). Even more strange is that they're same for IHTMLDocument2 interface. – Urbannal

@Urbannal Why won't this execute javascript? Doc.Write – Opt

@Urbannal Can we chat? :) – Opt

@Urbannal Its regarding the EmbeddedWB Memory&Handle leaks – Opt

Answer 2

Try this one:

uses
  ... Variants, MSHTML, ActiveX;

var Cache: string;
    V: OleVariant;
    Doc: IHTMLDocument2;
begin
  ...

  Cache := IdHTTP.Get(url);
  Doc := coHTMLDocument.Create as IHTMLDocument2; // create IHTMLDocument2 instance
  V := VarArrayCreate([0,0], varVariant);
  V[0] := Cache;
  Doc.Write(PSafeArray(TVarData(v).VArray)); // write data from IdHTTP

  // Work with Doc
end;

Scolecite