How to use auto fill functionality for website whose source code cannot be altered?

Question

1.00/5 (2 votes)

See more:

I have a website whose source code cannot be changed.It has several forms which has repetitive fields so for reducing manual filling of repetitive fields i want auto fill functionality.I will have another website from where data will be stored and this data is used to fill form on first website. can anyone please suggest the possible ways.

What I have tried:

i have tried using javascript but was not able to do because of absence of source code.

Posted 14-May-16 6:02am

diksha30

Updated 19-May-16 6:22am

Add a Solution

Comments

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 14-May-16 14:39pm

If you cannot modify the Web site, none of your concerns are even relevant. It works as it works, that's all.

If you are not filling in data but use some client-side software to operate on those existing pages, it's also nearly irrelevant, because you can send any HTTP request at all, without filling in any data at all. Besides, there are products automating such work, but you did not mention that you are developing something like this, so I'm not sure if you need an advice on this topic.

And, finally, auto-fill from the stored data is the usual functionality of some browsers. This is up to the customers, who decide what to use.

The main problem with this question is that we don't know what's your personal role in this story. What do you want to achieve? If you want to improve your own filling-in experience, this would be pretty much off-topic question. If you want to improve experience of your customer, the question is irrelevant because the site is already developed and you cannot change it. If you develop some client-side software project unrelated to this particular site (which you cannot modify), it would be good if you explained it.

—SA

diksha30 14-May-16 23:17pm

I already have a website which is completely developed and whose source code is not available for changes.There is a long set of form fields which needs to be filled.Many form fields requires same answers.So to avoid this manual filling of repetitive fields, I want auto fill functionality. What I am thinking of doing, I will make one other website which will have form with just required fields.this data will be stored somewhere.This data will be used to fill the form fields in my already developed website.So I wanted to ask by any means is it possible.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 14-May-16 23:26pm

You don't understand what you are talking about. I already asked, "filling by who?" Your customers? Let's say, you already developed a "bad" site and you cannot change it. That's it. You cannot make if good.

Of course you can develop another Web site, which could provide better user experience. But then using the old site through it would be a remarkable abuse. Also, you should understand that a Web site is not filling anything on a client side, no matter what it is. You only can relay "new" HTTP requests to the requests to the "old" site, generating some additional data on the fly. Yes, you can, but… this is so abominate that I don't even want to discuss those "buts"…

Also, the whole situation where you think that you cannot modify old site; and yet you think that you can create a brand new site and direct the users to it, instead of the old one. Do you understand what is that? This is the organizational anti-pattern.

—SA

ZurdoDev 19-May-16 12:49pm

Actually, I think you are misunderstanding OP. All the OP wants to do is fill out a webform via code, to automate it. That's very simple.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 19-May-16 13:04pm

I think I'm not misunderstanding it, I'm not understanding.

I do understand that it is for automating.
To automate filling data in available site, you need another application which automates it. Do you understand what this application should be? Now read the previous inquirer's comment and see "I will make one other website". Another Web site used to automate some original Web site, seriously? :-)

Can you see my point now?

—SA

ZurdoDev 19-May-16 13:09pm

I posted a solution using Visual Basic. It can easily be changed to C#.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 19-May-16 13:21pm

Of course, it can be, but why do you think it can help the inquirer? Please see my today's comments.
—SA

ZurdoDev 19-May-16 13:31pm

Because all the OP wants to do is automate filling in a webform.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 19-May-16 14:42pm

Yes, I understand that, but I think it based on misunderstanding of how it could be done.
—SA

ZurdoDev 19-May-16 14:58pm

Well, rather than focus on what he misunderstands I chose to give him an option for what he did want.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 19-May-16 15:13pm

This is not always possible. First of all, we don't know what the user wants really, what are the real, not illusionary goals. Not everything is possible.

So far, what the inquirer wants looks contradictory. If the site cannot be modified, it effectively means that the users should be able to keep their links and use it. This is a big question if the inquirer can communicate to all existing users and offer them using something else.

It seems that the inquirer thinks that it would be possible. If he develops a new site, without any modifications to the old one, it means that the users should be informed about it, but there is no mechanism to inform them on the old site, where no information can be added. (Generally, not supported site is absurd, but let's continue anyway.) So, the inquirer should at least inform the users of the new site somehow. But I already explained that using "new" site for auto-filling "old" side, would defeat the purpose of the old site (forget the technical issues).

Your solution is based on creation of the System.Windows.Forms application with required functionality. But I failed to pull any information on what the auto-filling information can or cannot be. The whole idea of Web is multi-platform. If all users could use platform-specific Internet applications on the same platform, Windows, most of the Web technologies would not be needed. So, I just don't know if your solution is applicable or not. Anyway, it's hard to answer if the goals are illusionary or just not clear to the inquirer himself.

—SA

ZurdoDev 19-May-16 15:20pm

I think it is pretty clear what the OP wants, "for reducing manual filling of repetitive fields i want auto fill functionality."

And if you say we don't know what the user wants, why did you upvote a solution that said this is impossible? ;)

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 19-May-16 17:42pm

If fail to understand it. Saying "for reducing..." is not enough. Based on what?
I up-voted the solution because it's helpful as a first step.

Let's say, there are two things, what the user thinks he want, and what he really needs. First thing is impossible, as formulated, so the answer is good enough. Note that I started to talk to the inquirer earlier, but did not decide to formally answer.

—SA

diksha30 14-May-16 23:43pm

See the thing is I want to cache the data from one form on a webpage designed by me and want to auto fill that same data on the identical form on another website. What could be the possible ways for that

3 solutions

Add a Solution

Add your solution here

Treat my content as plain text, not as HTML

Preview 0

…

Existing Members

Sign in to your account

...or Join us

Download, Vote, Comment, Publish.

Your Email
Password
Forgot your password?

Your Email
This email is in use. Do you need your password?
Optional Password

I have read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Please subscribe me to the CodeProject newsletters

When answering a question please:

Read the question carefully.
Understand that English isn't everyone's first language so be lenient of bad spelling and grammar.
If a question is poorly phrased then either ask for clarification, ignore it, or edit the question and fix the problem. Insults are not welcome.
Don't tell someone to read the manual. Chances are they have and don't get it. Provide an answer or move on to the next question.

Let's work to help developers, not make them feel stupid.

This content, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Code Project Open License (CPOL)

Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter · Answer 1 · 2016-05-14T22:45:00

Solution 1

If you can not touch the code (you have not code as I understood from comments), you can not do nothing...
Even for the most basic version of auto complete, you have to edit the HTML code (attribute of the input element[^])... and for more sophisticated completition, you will need code on the server or the client...
So - no way!

Posted 14-May-16 22:45pm

Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter

Comments

ZurdoDev 19-May-16 12:23pm

I believe OP wants to fill in the form via code.

Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter 19-May-16 12:28pm

Maybe you right, but as long as OP can't touch the code the answer is the same - no way...

ZurdoDev 19-May-16 12:31pm

No, not at all. You can write code to automate filling in web forms. A simple google search yielded the link I posted in my solution. It's not hard at all.

Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter 19-May-16 12:33pm

Pay attention to the opening: I have a website whose source code cannot be changed.

ZurdoDev 19-May-16 12:38pm

I'm not sure where the disconnect is, but if the user just wants to automate the filling in of a web form (which I believe he does) then the opening statement means nothing.

Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter 19-May-16 12:41pm

Probably...
Hopefully OP will come back one day and will choose the right answer...

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 19-May-16 13:20pm

Ryan, Peter,

Pay attention for inquirer's "What I am thinking of doing, I will make one other website..." Auto-filling one Web site, using another one, "new" Web site? Could it be serious? Even though it could be possible to relay "new" HTTP request to "old" site adding some extra data, in practice it would fully defeat the purpose of the "old" site.

For auto-filling, some application is needed. Auto-filling would have nothing to do with Wen development. I failed to pull any information from the inquirer on what this application could be, except the idea of that "new" site. Ryan, you probably just bought the inquirer's misconception.

So, I agree with the Peter's answer and up-voted it.

—SA

ZurdoDev · Answer 2 · 2016-05-19T06:22:00

Solution 3

Here is a video tutorial of how to do this in VB. Visual Basic: HOW TO Auto Fill Out Web Forms - YouTube[^]

Posted 19-May-16 6:22am

ZurdoDev

DualcoreMax · Answer 3 · 2016-05-19T06:12:00

Solution 2

you have to edit the html code to use autofill basically.

Posted 19-May-16 6:12am

DualcoreMax

Updated 19-May-16 6:13am

Comments

ZurdoDev 19-May-16 12:23pm

I believe OP wants to fill in the form via code.