vbscript using InStr to find info that varies within a URL - url

Question

I have a project where the user pulls up a specific URL where the values for Dept, Queue, and Day change by what hyperlink they choose. For example, they would click on a hyperlink and the URL would be something like:
http://www.myworkplace.com/UserPlatform/User/Process.aspx?Dept=DeptOne&Queue=18&Day=0
The next hyperlink could be:
http://www.myworkplace.com/UserPlatform/User/Process.aspx?Dept=DeptFive&Queue=13&Day=9.
I would like to use InStr to find Dept, Queue, and Day within the URL, then set their values to variables, such as UDept, UQueue, and UDay. Depending upon these values, the user can then copy a specific ID number that can only be found on the URL with these values. The end result would be a search for the URL:
http://www.myworkplace.com/UserPlatform/User/Process.aspx?Dept=UDept&Queue=UQueue&Day=UDay
Here's my code so far:
Option Explicit
Dim objIE, objShell, objShellWindows
Dim strIDNum, strURL, strWindow, strURLFound, WShell, i
strURL = "http://www.myworkplace.com/UserPlatform/User/Process.aspx?Dept=DeptOne&Queue=18&Day=0"
strWindow = "Workflow Process"
Set objIE = CreateObject("InternetExplorer.Application")
Set objShell = CreateObject("Shell.Application")
Set objShellWindows = objShell.Windows
Set WShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
strURLFound = False
'To fix item not found error
For Each objIE in objShellWindows
Next
For i = 0 to objShellWindows.Count - 1
Set objIE = objShellWindows.Item(i)
On Error Resume Next
If InStr(Ucase(objShellWindows.Item(i).LocationURL), Ucase(strURL)) Then
If InStr(Ucase(objShellWindows.Item(i).FullName), "IEXPLORE.EXE") Then
If Err.Number = 0 Then
If InStr(objShellWindows.Item(i).document.title, (strWindow)) Then
strURLFound = True
Exit For
End If
End If
End If
End If
Next
WShell.AppActivate strWindow
WScript.Sleep 300
strIDNum = objIE.document.getElementByID("ID_PlaceHolder").value
Thank you in advance to anyone who can help me with this.

Answer 1

Have you considered using a regular expression?
dim re, s
dim matches
s = "http://www.myworkplace.com/UserPlatform/User/Process.aspx?Dept=DeptFive&Queue=13&Day=9"
Set re = new RegExp
re.Pattern = ".*?Dept=(\w+)&Queue=(\d+)&Day=(\d+)$"
Set matches = re.Execute(s)
Dim uDept, uQueue, uDay
uDept = matches(0).submatches(0)
uQueue = matches(0).submatches(1)
uDay = matches(0).submatches(2)
Msgbox join(array("uDept = " & uDept, "uQueue = " & uQueue , "uDay = " & uDay), vbNewLine)
' Output:
' uDept = DeptFive
' uQueue = 13
' uDay = 9
To replace you can also use a Regular Expression:
Set re = new RegExp
s = "http://www.myworkplace.com/UserPlatform/User/Process.aspx?Dept=DeptFive&Queue=13&Day=9"
newDept = "DeptFourtyTwo"
newQueue = 404
newDay = 12
re.Pattern = "(Dept=)\w+"
newUrl = re.Replace(s, "$1" & newDept)
re.Pattern = "(Queue=)\d+"
newUrl = re.Replace(newUrl, "$1" & newQueue)
re.Pattern = "(Day=)\d+"
newUrl = re.Replace(newUrl, "$1" & newDay)
msgbox newUrl
' output:
' http://www.myworkplace.com/UserPlatform/User/Process.aspx?Dept=DeptFourtyTwo&Queue=404&Day=12
' Alternatively you can replace everything at once if the order and presence of
' parameters is guaranteed:
re.Pattern = "(Dept=)\w+(&Queue=)\d+(&Day=)\d+"
MsgBox re.Replace(s, "$1DeptFourtyTwo$2404$312")

Answer 2

This only using Instr and Mid Function's
s="http://www.myworkplace.com/UserPlatform/User/Process.aspx?Dept=DeptFive&Queue=13&Day=9"
a = InStr(s, "?") 'We get the value until ?
d1 = Mid(s, a)
c1 = InStr(d1, "=")
c2 = InStr(d1, "&")
d2 = Mid(d1, c2 + 1)
d3 = Mid(d1, c1 + 1, (c2 - c1) - 1) 'value of Dept is d3
c3 = InStr(d2, "=")
c4 = InStr(d2, "&")
d5 = Mid(d2, c4 + 1)
d4 = Mid(d2, c3 + 1, (c4 - c3) - 1) 'value of Queue is d4
c6 = InStr(d5, "=")
d6 = Mid(d5, c6 + 1) ' Value of Day is d6
Hope this helps