Excel and the World Wide Web Straight to the Point

Book excerpt: Learn to automate web data extraction in Excel using VBA, Selenium, and Power Query. Master static and dynamic queries, JSON parsing, and browser automation, tackling modern web challenges seamlessly. Key Features Practical techniques for web-to-Excel integration using VBA, Selenium, and Power Query Clear solutions for handling modern web challenges, including browser limitations and JSON data Comprehensive coverage of static queries, dynamic queries, and advanced browser automation Book DescriptionThis book is a comprehensive guide for integrating web data into Excel, ideal for both beginners and experienced users. It begins by introducing essential concepts like HTML and JSON, laying the foundation for web data extraction. Readers start by performing static and dynamic web queries directly in Excel, building confidence in handling foundational tasks. As the journey continues, the book explores advanced automation using VBA and Selenium. Readers learn to interact with web elements, handle authenticated requests, and navigate modern challenges like working with iframes, downloading files, and creating PDFs. Key techniques, including using XPath and CSS selectors, are explained to streamline data extraction. Chapters also address overcoming VBA’s limitations with modern browsers like Microsoft Edge, providing practical solutions. In the final chapters, Power Query is introduced as a powerful tool for connecting and transforming web data. Readers explore both direct and advanced methods to integrate Excel with web sources efficiently. By the end, readers will master practical workflows, combining VBA, Selenium, and Power Query to automate and simplify web data extraction in Excel.What you will learn Perform static and dynamic web queries directly in Excel Automate browser interactions with Selenium and VBA Extract and parse JSON data for web-based Excel workflows Integrate Power Query to manipulate and load web data efficiently Handle authenticated web requests and modern browser challenges Apply advanced XPath and CSS selectors for precise data scraping Who this book is for This book is designed for data analysts, Excel enthusiasts, and developers who need to integrate web data with spreadsheets. A basic understanding of Excel and VBA is required, while prior experience with Power Query or Selenium is helpful but not mandatory.