Which browser does the function ''webread'' use when it opens a webpage?

I'm trying to work with the html text of a webpage with a specific broswer. If applicable I would like to select the browser ''webread'' uses just like the function ''web'' allows it. Unfortunately, I cannot access the html text with the ''web'' function.

Moreover, if I can select the browser I want with the ''webread'' function, I would also like the access the webpage just as if I was using a VPN (I want to do a websearch and get results from another country).

Thank you

Answer 1

[Mark Sherstan]

I believe this should solve your problems. Solution was found here:

[a, h] = web('http://google.com')
CurrentLocation= get(h, 'CurrentLocation')  % Gives you location of current page
htmlText = get(h, 'HtmlText')  % Gives you html content of current page

[Jerome Gosselin]

Outputs a & h are empty when typing [a, h] = web('http://google.com', '-browser') (to select the browser to use). And when typing [a, h] = web('http://google.com'), PropertyValue 'CurrentLocation' doesn't exist. So my problems are not solved.

[Mark Sherstan]

As per documentation for output h found here:

Handle to the most recent MATLAB web browser, returned as a scalar instance of the associated Java® class. If you specify the '-browser' option to open the page in a system browser, h is empty, ''.

If you add a delay without specifying the browser you can get the html info:

[a, h] = web('http://google.com')
CurrentLocation= get(h, 'CurrentLocation')  % Gives you location of current page
pause(1)
htmlText = get(h, 'HtmlText')  % Gives you html content of current page

[keensword keensword]

great! where can I find all the properties of this handle?

[Mark Sherstan]

https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/web.html

https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/get.html

[Nicholas Fugal]

This doesn't address the question of using a browser other than the Matlab browser. I have a similar problem, but I need to use the system browser for authentication purposes. Using the matlab browser simply isn't an option.

Any hope for me getting the html contents of a web page using the system browser?

[Rik]

@Nicholas Fugal, I doubt there exists a supported solution. Any solution would require Matlab to have access to the actual contents of Chrome/Firefox/Edge, which would require a severe security issue in those browsers.