Hey everyone! I'm looking for advice on automating some repetitive tasks at work using Chrome. We've got a specific site we must use, and corporate rules prevent us from using any extensions. I've got access to the native JavaScript via the DevTools console, and I'm trying to find a way to streamline a tedious process that takes me about three hours daily.
Basically, I need to navigate through several pages, save some data, and perform actions like clicking buttons, all without losing any of my local variables when the pages reload. I'm currently using a state machine to manage this, but it's getting cumbersome keeping track of page reloads and hard-coding additional cases.
I'm also curious if there's a better way to set this up and what JavaScript concepts I should focus on learning to make my life easier. Any insights would be greatly appreciated!
5 Answers
What specific tasks are you trying to automate? Often, you can utilize JavaScript to scrape data directly from the DOM by targeting specific elements, so if you can describe your workflow a bit more, I might be able to help with a tailored solution!
It sounds a bit impractical. Your management should consider allowing tools like Tampermonkey or even offline installations for custom scripts. The current setup is really holding you back: being expected to achieve all this without automation tools seems unfair.
Totally! I get frustrated too, especially when I try to suggest improvements. They’re often not receptive to changes, which only complicates my work.
You could try loading pages in an iframe and keeping your scripts running in the parent frame. This might help you maintain your data and context. Just watch out for any cross-navigation issues, depending on the site you're working with!
This is actually a promising idea! I’ll see how that goes, thanks for the tip!
Have you considered creating your own extension? As long as you’re working with your own code and it’s not third-party, it might work within your organization’s rules.
I wish! They have full control over the installed extensions, so I wouldn’t even be able to launch my own.
You might consider using automation tools like Puppeteer or Playwright, which can help manage context across page loads. However, with your restrictions, it seems like they won’t suit your needs because of your corporate policies. If you can only rely on JavaScript in DevTools, let’s focus on maintaining state effectively across reloads.
Yeah, I understand software like that is ideal, but unfortunately, our IT keeps a tight lid on any third-party tools, and even automation software is a no-go like you mentioned.
Sure! I need to navigate pages, scrape data, input notes, and simulate button clicks, all while saving my progress without losing data. Hope that clarifies things a bit!