My final is coming very soon and my professor is asking us for a new project that is unique. One day while surfing the web... I noticed my MSN toolbar "Highlight" which gave me an idea on what project I will submit to my professor.

Please let me know if my idea is too broad or impossible. I want to create a windows application that runs in the background (form less) of any browser (ie.. netscape etc.). The program will Intercept any HTML page that a browser loads from the internet and read this html ...then search for a particular string and then Highlight it (bolded and with different color) before sending to the browser. The text that i need to search in every page can just be declared in a text file or even hard coded in the program, just so i can show something that my search and hightlight feature is working.

Is this possible? I'm only using VB 6.0 right now but i'm willing to go to .NET if i need to... does VB 6.0 capable of this kind of project? or VB.NET? or i need to use something else?

Any help or suggestion will surely be appreciated.

Thanks/Regards
Sidney

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Thanks/Regards
Sidney

ummm.... I was hoping i'll get a reply by the time i come back :D but seems there's none.

Please I really need help on this one, anybody?

Thanks/Regards
Sidney

Don't be offended, it isn't because people are ignoring you, it is probably because no one knows how to do it.

The way I see it, there are 2 ways of doing what you want to do, one is to hook directly into the browser API's and manipulate the HTML using some kind of DOM traversal. However you say you need it to work in any browser, so it would be impossible to code your solution this way to handle every browser ever invented and also provide future compatibility.

The other way is to intercept the browsers request for the web page before the reply is sent to it and change the HTML there and re-send it on to the browser, this would be similar to the way that antivirus program's work, they scan the document (web page, email etc.) for malicious code and filter it out before the browser or email client even sees it.

The problem with these 2 ideas is that I have no idea how it could be done, I wouldn't even know where to start.

Finally, just parsing the HTML looking for text that is displayed would be hard enough, let alone changing the attributes of certain pieces of text. You must remember that some people write very sloppy HTML code that does not conform to the standards, however some browsers still manage to display it correctly, therefore you would need to account for this browser logic as well. Also you would need to consider how CSS and JavaScript (and perhaps VBScript) would affect the display of these pieces of text. You would also need to consider how scripts (e.g. JavaScript) would alter the display and even add to the display after the page has been loaded.

In my (fairly humble) opinion your idea does exist in the realms of impossibility. However if you do crack it then I think I speak for most of the forums users when I ask you to let us know.

Regards
Owain Williams

hi there...

looks like all you need to do is a proxy... that way you will conect the explorer, netscape or whatever to your proxy, do the request, then parse the incoming html and change the text you want...



HTH

Gonzalo

Hi Gonzalo,

Re: proxy, ummm... the application i'm building should be stand alone, its should be install in the client's pc. Is it possible to install a proxy that only works on the pc where it is installed? proxy it self kinda thing?

All I really need to do is intercept all HTML pages... parse it (search for a particulart string) then replace it with something from my list. We will use this project as a proposal to marketing strategy. Please let me know if you need more details why i want this project to be done. I want to inform everybody in advance that I am not planning on building a spyware... I want to help marking people in this school project of mine.

Thanks/Regards
Sidney

yes you can have an stand alone proxy for one pc.. i do one back in the uni for a curse too :)

you intercept the incoming HTML and re parse it...

HTH

Gonzalo

Hi Gonzalo,

Your an angel sent down from heaven :) can you share you code if you have one? i really need this project to be done. oh pls pls pls :)

Thanks/Regards
Sidney

i dont have any code.. it was made in plain C for linux... i throw it away once we done it.. im not very proud of that code...

but i will glad to help you with any problem..

HTH

Gonzalo

wow that's amazing concepts sidney_fuerte !!
Gonzalo --> can i have the sample even thats in C program and the code pls.
( for Sidney_Fuerte ) -- > Even in vb's you can do that, but the speed of your
programs are low, try the API's in a simple program that can capture all IP and imagine with your concepts if you made it in VB 6.0 - Pro

sorry aal.. but like i said i throw it away once i finish it...

HTH

Gonzalo