Companies today use screen scraping tools for a variety of purposes, including collecting competitive information, capturing product specs, moving data between legacy and new systems, and keeping inventory or price lists accurate.
Because of their popularity and reputation as being extremely efficient tools for quickly gathering applicable display data, screen scraping tools or browser add-ons are a dime a dozen: some free, some low cost, and some part of a larger solution. Alternatively, you can build your own if you are (or know) a programming whiz. Each tool has its potential pros and cons, however, to keep in mind as you determine which type of tool would best fit your business need.
Program-your-own screen scraper
Pros:
Using in-house resources doesn't require additional budget
Cons:
Properly creating scripts to automate screen scraping can take a significant amount of time initially, and continues to take time in order to maintain the process. If, for instance, objects from which you're gathering data move on a web page, the entire process will either need to be re-automated, or someone with programming acumen will have to edit the script every time there is a change.
It's questionable whether or not this method actually saves time and resources
Free or cheap scrapers
Pros:
Here again, budget doesn't ever enter the picture, and you can drive the process yourself.
Some tools take care of at least some of the programming heavy lifting required to screen scrape effectively
Cons:
Many inexpensive screen scrapers require that you get up to speed on their programming language—a time-consuming process that negates the idea of efficiency that prompted the purchase.
Screen scraping as part of a full automation solution
Pros:
In the amount of time it takes to perform one data extraction task, you have a completely composed script that the system writes for you
It's the easiest to use out of all of the options
Screen scraping is only part of the package; you can leverage automation software to automate nearly any task or process including tasks in Windows, Excel automation, IT processes like uploads, backups, and integrations, and business processes like invoice processing.
You're likely to get buy-in for other automation projects (and visibility for the efficiency you're introducing to the organization) if you pick a solution with a clear and scalable business purpose, not simply a tool to accomplish a single task.
Cons:
This option has the highest price tag because of its comprehensive capabilities.
Looking for more information?
Here are some options to dig deeper into screen scraping, and deciding on the right tool for you:
Watch a couple demos of what screen scraping looks like with an automation solution driving the process.
Read our web data extraction guide for a complete overview.
Try screen scraping today by downloading a free trial.
Source: https://www.automationanywhere.com/screen-scrapers
Because of their popularity and reputation as being extremely efficient tools for quickly gathering applicable display data, screen scraping tools or browser add-ons are a dime a dozen: some free, some low cost, and some part of a larger solution. Alternatively, you can build your own if you are (or know) a programming whiz. Each tool has its potential pros and cons, however, to keep in mind as you determine which type of tool would best fit your business need.
Program-your-own screen scraper
Pros:
Using in-house resources doesn't require additional budget
Cons:
Properly creating scripts to automate screen scraping can take a significant amount of time initially, and continues to take time in order to maintain the process. If, for instance, objects from which you're gathering data move on a web page, the entire process will either need to be re-automated, or someone with programming acumen will have to edit the script every time there is a change.
It's questionable whether or not this method actually saves time and resources
Free or cheap scrapers
Pros:
Here again, budget doesn't ever enter the picture, and you can drive the process yourself.
Some tools take care of at least some of the programming heavy lifting required to screen scrape effectively
Cons:
Many inexpensive screen scrapers require that you get up to speed on their programming language—a time-consuming process that negates the idea of efficiency that prompted the purchase.
Screen scraping as part of a full automation solution
Pros:
In the amount of time it takes to perform one data extraction task, you have a completely composed script that the system writes for you
It's the easiest to use out of all of the options
Screen scraping is only part of the package; you can leverage automation software to automate nearly any task or process including tasks in Windows, Excel automation, IT processes like uploads, backups, and integrations, and business processes like invoice processing.
You're likely to get buy-in for other automation projects (and visibility for the efficiency you're introducing to the organization) if you pick a solution with a clear and scalable business purpose, not simply a tool to accomplish a single task.
Cons:
This option has the highest price tag because of its comprehensive capabilities.
Looking for more information?
Here are some options to dig deeper into screen scraping, and deciding on the right tool for you:
Watch a couple demos of what screen scraping looks like with an automation solution driving the process.
Read our web data extraction guide for a complete overview.
Try screen scraping today by downloading a free trial.
Source: https://www.automationanywhere.com/screen-scrapers
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