How to select values from dropdown options?

[shahin]

Hi there!! I've written a script which is able to surf a webpage ,put certain values in two dropdown boxes, click on the search button and produce valid results. As I've never worked with dropdown selection programmatically, I don't understand the proper way to deal with it. What I've done so far is input two hardcoded values in two respective search boxes and produced the search results. How can I do the same using dropdown option and not obviously with hardcoded values?

Here is the script I've tried so far with:

Sub Dropdown_Items()

    Dim IE As New InternetExplorer, html As HTMLDocument
    Dim posts As Object, post As Object, elem As Object

    With IE
        .Visible = True
        .navigate "https://www.sptv.ch/trainersuche"
        Do Until .readyState = READYSTATE_COMPLETE: Loop
        Set html = .document
    End With

    Application.Wait (Now() + TimeValue("00:00:005"))

    For Each post In html.getElementsByTagName("input")
        If InStr(post.Value, "Einsatzbereiche") > 0 Then post.Value = "Golf"
    Next post

    For Each posts In html.getElementsByTagName("input")
        If InStr(posts.Value, "Region") > 0 Then posts.Value = "Bern"
    Next posts

    For Each elem In html.getElementsByTagName("input")
        If InStr(elem.Value, "Suchen") > 0 Then elem.Click
    Next elem

    Application.Wait (Now() + TimeValue("00:00:005"))

    IE.Quit
End Sub

Btw, the link of that webpage is already available in my script. The two dropdown boxes can be seen if you press the two images attached below. I've already marked with pencil to let you know the two search (dropdown) fields. Search input can be anything but that should be selected from the dropdown option. I've uploaded the second image only to show that how a dropdown box looks like when it is selected. Thanks in advance.

 

[Marc L]

Hi !

When you read the webpage code,
you must see some option value= for each choice and
find out the parent element as the dropdown box
or as usual just using webbrowser inspector tool …

Just freeze an Object variable for this Select element, stop the execution
and foresee its properties in VBE Locals window :
you must find out selectedIndex and Value properties …
Or for each <option value= just a boolean Selected property
often in case of multi selection available …

Sometimes the onchange event must be raised
once the Value property filled …
​

 

[Chihiro]

As always, study the site structure before you jump to code.
Below is the element you need to loop through to get option value (for one of the dropdown).

<select class="upme-search-input chosen-search-filter upme-search-multiselect upme-search-meta-einsatz" name="upme_search[einsatz][]" placeholder="Einsatzbereiche" data-placeholder="Einsatzbereiche" multiple="multiple" style="display: none;">
    <option value="">Einsatzbereiche</option>
    <option value="Antara">Antara</option>
    <option value="Aquafit">Aquafit</option>
    <option value="Ausdauer">Ausdauer</option>
    <option value="Beckenbodentraining">Beckenbodentraining</option>
    <option value="Body-Combat">Body-Combat</option>
    <option value="BodyArt">BodyArt</option>
    <option value="Boxen">Boxen</option>
    <option value="Ernährungsberatung">Ernährungsberatung</option>
    <option value="Fettverbrennung">Fettverbrennung</option>
    <option value="Fitness">Fitness</option>
    <option value="Golf">Golf</option>
    <option value="Gymnastik">Gymnastik</option>
    <option value="Herz-Kreislauf Training">Herz-Kreislauf Training</option>
    <option value="Jogging">Jogging</option>
    <option value="Krafttraining">Krafttraining</option>
    <option value="Massage">Massage</option>
    <option value="Mentaltraining">Mentaltraining</option>
    <option value="Pilates">Pilates</option>
    <option value="Powerplate">Powerplate</option>
    <option value="Rehabilitation">Rehabilitation</option>
    <option value="Rückentraining">Rückentraining</option>
    <option value="Schwangerschaftsgymnastik">Schwangerschaftsgymnastik</option>
    <option value="Seniorenturnen">Seniorenturnen</option>
    <option value="Stressmanagement">Stressmanagement</option>
    <option value="Stretching">Stretching</option>
    <option value="Testing">Testing</option>
    <option value="Trainingsberatung">Trainingsberatung</option>
    <option value="(Nordic-) Walking">(Nordic-) Walking</option>
    <option value="Yoga">Yoga</option>
</select>

 

[shahin]

@sir chihiro, right you are. Now, I always study any particular web structures very carefully with which I work on before attempting to code. You perhaps noticed that my provided script also works but that is not my goal actually. I intended to do the same with dropdown selection. The thing is I am really helpless in this case to move on following your guideline because of lack of proper knowledge on it. Every time when I try to think like you said and Marc L also suggested, I end up doing something like i did in my provided script. This is it. Btw, I tried to follow some scripts I came across while traversing related issues in Stackoverflow but none of them worked out. Probably I was unable to follow them in the right way.

 

[Marc L]

It seems this webpage is not usual coded for these dropdowns :
it's the first time I see a Span object for each choice instead of a text !
I just succeed to activate (open) a dropdown but failed to select any option
(no much time to find out), maybe it's via some event …

As this webpage is just a form to query data,
better is to study the web request used, far efficient than piloting IE.

To learn to pilot IE with dropdown, better is to use a classic webpage …
​

 

[shahin]

Thanks Marc L for your finding. This webpage is not that important for me. It seems i need to get a webpage with well-structured elements. However, as i don't know how to work with dropdown selection, I'm kinda worried if it will be difficult to deal with.

 

[Marc L]

How can I do the same using dropdown option and not obviously with hardcoded values?

If that just means to read the list of a dropdown (?) in order to use it
within a VBA procedure, you already had all the necessary !
Just by pointing the element (a select object)
for example by its name or its Id and read its children items (option) or
via a collection from getElementsByTagName upon this element …

The better initial presentation, the better & quicker solution !
​