Using PythonCaller to Open HTML page created by FeatureWriter

If you need to access the page after it has been written, it might be that a shutdown script will work better than a PythonCaller, but the principle is the same.

These two modules should give you a good starting point:

For opening URL resources: urllib2 and tutorial

For parsing HTML, here's one way: HTMLParser

Tons of examples out there if you google a bit.

Thanks for the quick reply.

Before I read your suggestion I tried this using a networks share path to the html file:

import urllib
urllib.request.urlopen("//alxapfs23/RSALVALE$/2016/DGN_Conversions/Solution/output/Helloworld.htm").read()

And I got this error:

2016-07-21 07:20:09|   1.2|  0.1|ERROR |Python Exception <AttributeError>: 'module' object has no attribute 'request'

2016-07-21 07:20:09|   1.2|  0.0|ERROR |Traceback (most recent call last):

  File "<string>", line 3, in <module>

AttributeError: 'module' object has no attribute 'request'




2016-07-21 07:20:09|   1.2|  0.0|ERROR |Error executing string `import urllib 




urllib.request.urlopen("//alxapfs23/RSALVALE$/2016/DGN_Conversions/Solution/output/Helloworld.htm").read()'

2016-07-21 07:20:09|   1.2|  0.0|FATAL |Factory proxy not initialized

2016-07-21 07:20:09|   1.2|  0.0|FATAL |f_17(PythonFactory): PythonFactory failed to process feature

2016-07-21 07:20:09|   1.2|  0.0|ERROR |BADNEWS: A fatal error has occurred. Check the logfile above for details (dynafact.cpp:315)

2016-07-21 07:20:09|   1.2|  0.0|INFORM|=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

2016-07-21 07:20:09|   1.2|  0.0|INFORM|Feature output statistics for `FFS' writer using keyword `W_1':

2016-07-21 07:20:09|   1.2|  0.0|STATS |=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

2016-07-21 07:20:09|   1.2|  0.0|STATS |                               Features Written

2016-07-21 07:20:09|   1.2|  0.0|STATS |=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

2016-07-21 07:20:09|   1.2|  0.0|STATS |==============================================================================

2016-07-21 07:20:09|   1.2|  0.0|STATS |Total Features Written                                                       0

2016-07-21 07:20:09|   1.2|  0.0|STATS |=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

2016-07-21 07:20:09|   1.2|  0.0|ERROR |A fatal error has occurred. Check the logfile above for details

2016-07-21 07:20:09|   1.2|  0.0|ERROR |(stftrans.cpp:293) - (simptran.cpp:769) - (stftrans.cpp:323) - (pipeline.cpp:992) - (fctwriter.cpp:673) - (fctwriter.cpp:697) - (factory.cpp:1183) - (..\..\foundation\framework\engine\stfspec.h:229) - (factory.cpp:1146) - (pipeline.cpp:1149) - (pipeline.cpp:760) - (..\..\foundation\framework\engine\stfspec.h:229) - (factory.cpp:539) - (fcttee.cpp:232) - (fcttee.cpp:259) - (..\..\foundation\framework\engine\stfspec.h:229) - (factory.cpp:1146) - (pipeline.cpp:1149) - (pipeline.cpp:760) - (..\..\foundation\framework\engine\stfspec.h:229) - (factory.cpp:539) - (fcttee.cpp:239) - (fcttee.cpp:259) - (..\..\foundation\framework\engine\stfspec.h:229) - (factory.cpp:1146) - (pipeline.cpp:1149) - (pipeline.cpp:765) - (factory.cpp:539) - (fctcreat.cpp:500) - (factory.cpp:1146) - (pipeline.cpp:1149) - (pipeline.cpp:760) - (..\..\foundation\framework\engine\stfspec.h:229) - (factory.cpp:539) - (dynafact.cpp:315)

2016-07-21 07:20:09|   1.2|  0.0|INFORM|FME Session Duration: 1.4 seconds. (CPU: 0.5s user, 0.4s system)

2016-07-21 07:20:09|   1.2|  0.0|INFORM|END - ProcessID: 12844, peak process memory usage: 72108 kB, current process memory usage: 72104 kB

I fixed the fatal error by inserting the code in the def processFeature that comes by default with the PythonCaller.

The URL still did not open but the good thing is my translation ran without failure.

def processFeature(feature):
    response = urllib2.urlopen('file:////alxapfs23/RSALVALE$/2016/DGN_Conversions/Solution/output/Helloworld.htm')
    html = response.read()
    pass

def processFeature(feature):
    response = urllib2.urlopen('file:////alxapfs23/RSALVALE$/2016/DGN_Conversions/Solution/output/Helloworld.htm')
    html = response.read()
    pass

It depends on what you mean by "open" the URL. Your code does open the URL and reads the contents it into an object (variable) you create called "html" on line 3, but then you let FME continue withouth doing anything with neither the object or the contents.

Maybe you mean that you want to open the html page in your default browser? If so that's much easier, look e.g. here: https://pythonconquerstheuniverse.wordpress.com/2010/10/16/how-to-open-a-web-browser-from-python/

@david_r, I found that link too and almost gave up on it after frustratingly trying every possible combinations of network share path. I gave up on the PythonCaller and instead used the Shutdown script you suggested then used sample code on that link.

Here's my final code, which also includes the path that worked for me

import fme

import webbrowser

# open a public URL, in this case, the webbrowser docs

# open an HTML file on my own (Windows) computer

Thanks a lot... now I have to learn HTMLReportGenerator and then test the File and Path transformer to parameterize the path after the feature writer creates my html to use in the shutdown script.

Good to hear you made it work. For reference, if you need to find the "URL" path of any file, just drag and drop it into your browser. You can then just copy the link from the address bar.