How to download a webpage using javascript

Question

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Can Javascript read the source of any web page?

I want to download a file using javascript and parse it. I need a function like php's file_get_contents(). I looked for it, but I couldn't find anything.

Update: Thanks for solutions, but I forgot to write that AJAX doesn't suite this problem, because I don't have any access to the remote address and have cross-domain requesting problem. I can't setup any php proxy either, because my host blocks access to fopen. I would prefer a pure javascript solution.

PS: Sorry, but the question was really a duplicate (I didn't know that) and the solution provided here perfectly suits this problem.

Do you want to download a file or a webpage? A webpage is a set of multiple files. Also what context do you want the code in. A browser plugin, a webpage script or a server side javascript? — Caimen, Sep 26 '12 at 19:38
@Caimen: I want to download an HTML file. By that means, it's only a file, because I just need to parse it and I don't need the styling, etc. — MMS, Sep 26 '12 at 19:48

score 8 · Answer 1 · answered Sep 26 '12 at 19:43

8

Look into the XMLHttp Request

http://www.w3schools.com/xml/xml_http.asp

or the load, $.get, $.post and $.ajax methods of JQuery.Here is a sample

var request = new XMLHttpRequest(); 
request.open("GET", 'http://www.url.com');
request.onreadystatechange = function() { 
if (request.readyState === 4 && request.status === 200) {

//response handling code

}
};
request.send(null); // Send the request now

answered Sep 26 '12 at 19:43

geekman

2,224
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two things: [w3fools](http://w3fools.com/) and [some real documentation](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/DOM/XMLHttpRequest) – jbabey Sep 26 '12 at 19:57
1

yep but i dont think beginners would read documentation. I don't know bout you. But w3schools got me started. Hell, I am going to the documentation link, thanks . – geekman Sep 26 '12 at 20:03
4

beginner's should absolutely read documentation. – jbabey Sep 26 '12 at 20:11
1

well i have tried that with php when i was 17, it all looked like french. – geekman Sep 26 '12 at 20:13
2

that's because [it's php](http://me.veekun.com/blog/2012/04/09/php-a-fractal-of-bad-design/) ;) – jbabey Sep 26 '12 at 20:15
dude it says i-love-php here :D – geekman Sep 26 '12 at 20:18

jonr · Answer 2 · 2012-09-26T22:24:25.693

Short question, short answer: You probably want to play around with some Ajax. Either by calling a local php script making a file_get_contents() and returning it the the page, or directly calling an external URL. Your browser might not allow you to do this though.

Added: You updated your question saying you prefer a pure javascript solution. I don't think you can since you're trying to fetch something that is not JSONP. Also, you say your host blocks fopen(), I used to be on a hosting where they did the same. I was surprised to find they did NOT block the use of sockets, here's my workaround:

$server = "www.example.com";
$path = "/path/index.html";
$type = "HTTP/1.1";

$fp = fsockopen($server, 80, $errno, $errstr, 30);
if (!$fp) echo "$errstr ($errno)<br />\n";
else {
    $out  = "GET $path $type\r\n";
    $out .= "Host: $server\r\n";
    $out .= "User-Agent: Mozilla 4.0\r\n";
    $out .= "Connection: Close\r\n\r\n";
    fwrite($fp, $out);
    $contents = "";
    while (!feof($fp)) $contents .= fgets($fp, 128);
    fclose($fp);
    echo $contents;
}

I realize you didn't want a PHP proxy solution, I think you might have no other choice. Give it a try, works great for me. If your hosting also is blocking fsockopen() you might be out of luck.

score 2 · Answer 3 · answered Sep 26 '12 at 19:38

2

Have a look at XMLHttpRequest. It asynchronously downloads a file from the web.

If you plan on using jquery, have a look at .ajax(), which wraps XMLHttpRequest.

answered Sep 26 '12 at 19:38

Gung Foo

13,392
5
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score 1 · Answer 4 · answered Sep 26 '12 at 19:59

Iframe: Place an invisible iframe on your page,

<iframe id="frame1" style="display:none"></iframe>

Trigger a download [click or some other eventt handler etc], and set the URL of the Iframe. For example , "/location/file"

var iframe =  document.getElementById("frame1");
iframe .src = "/location/file";

This will trigger download from the browser.

Another approach will be to to simply navigate to the download url, browser figures out that MIME type cannot be displayed and will present a download dialog. Use

window.location.href = "/location/file";

`What if it's an HTML file?` – no ai please May 29 '21 at 01:03 — no ai please, May 29 '21 at 01:03

How to download a webpage using javascript

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