This document aggregates the work completed so far, detailing improvements across the crawler's core components and optimization efforts.
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Crawler Engine (src/crawlerEngine.ts)
- Loads URLs using Playwright.
- Logs page titles and tracks AJAX requests with retry mechanisms and detailed error/time logging.
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Page Analyzer (src/pageAnalyzer.ts)
- Extracts interactive elements such as links and forms from the page.
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Entry Point (src/index.ts)
- Initiates the crawling process.
- Accepts a URL as a command-line argument (defaults to "https://example.com").
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Core Features:
- AJAX Handling:
- Efficient correlation of requests and responses with robust error management.
- Element Interaction:
- Implements multiple click strategies: standard click, JavaScript-triggered click, and position-based click.
- Configuration Options:
- Supports proxy configuration, SSL/HTTPS handling, customizable timeouts, domain control, and detailed logging.
- AJAX Handling:
- Improved logging and debugging for form interactions to handle issues more effectively.
- Introduced a global
InteractionTrackerto prevent duplicate processing of forms and interactive elements. - Enhanced URL normalization by sorting query parameters and consistent formatting within the
UrlQueue, thereby reducing redundant URL processing.
- Addressed repeated interactions by refining deduplication logic in the
UrlQueueclass. - Improved URL tracking with enhanced state checks and normalization to avoid looping over already processed URLs.
- Strengthened error tracking and recovery mechanisms for better reliability during crawling.
- Optimized detection of interactive elements, especially for JavaScript links and elements with action/onClick handlers.
- Implemented fallback strategies to interact with elements effectively:
- Standard browser click
- JavaScript-initiated click
- Position-based click
- Added post-interaction analysis to rescan pages for any new interactive elements, ensuring thorough processing.
- Implement deep crawling through enhanced URL queue and state management.
- Further refine dynamic interaction processing and error recovery mechanisms.
- Continue optimizing performance while ensuring robust handling of all interactive elements.
- ✅ Basic crawler setup with Playwright
- ✅ Configuration system with customizable options
- ✅ Page analysis and element detection
- ✅ Smart element interaction system
- ✅ AJAX request handling and monitoring
- ✅ Proxy support with HTTPS error handling
- Implemented smart AJAX request tracking
- Dynamic network activity monitoring
- Efficient request/response correlation
- Response content and timing capture
- Automatic retry mechanisms for failed requests
- Smart click strategies with multiple fallbacks:
- Standard click
- JavaScript click
- Position-based click
- Efficient waiting strategy:
- Network idle detection (300ms threshold)
- Response-based progression (500ms after responses)
- Short polling intervals (50ms)
- No artificial delays
- Removed unnecessary fixed delays
- Smart timeout handling based on network activity
- Efficient request queue monitoring
- Early progression when responses are received
- Optimized retry mechanisms
- Comprehensive error capture
- Failed request tracking
- Detailed timing information
- Response status monitoring
- Connection error handling
- Proxy support with SSL/HTTPS handling
- Customizable timeouts
- Domain scope control
- Screenshot capabilities
- Logging levels
- Single-page crawling (depth management pending)
- Basic form interaction
- Limited JavaScript event handling
- Implement depth-first crawling
- Enhance form interaction capabilities
- Add JavaScript event simulation
- Improve error recovery mechanisms
- Add concurrent page handling