How can I Python web scrape a CSV download button that uses a JavaScript function?

Question

I am trying to Python web scrape this webpage daily for a school project: https://thereserve2.apx.com/myModule/rpt/myrpt.asp?r=206

I would like to have this Python script NOT open up a browser window to perform this action. I am trying to get better at Python and would like to learn ways of scraping without going the Selenium route.

In the top right, there is a download as TXT button, which calls a JavaScript function to retrieve the full data from this report. I would like to be able to mimic that request from Python and retrieve the produced txt file and then save it to a specific path.

So far, I've opened up the Network tab in the Chrome Developer Tools and recorded what the button click is doing. It appears to be sending a post request to the URL https://thereserve2.apx.com/myModule/include/rptdownload.asp with the data below.

I am trying to mimic that same post request in Python so that I can get the txt file that the request would generate.

from urllib import request, parse

data_dict = {
        'Data':'Stamp_1',
        'Title':'Retired Offset Credits',
        'Exclude':',rhid,ftType,Other Attributes here,Make Public,ahid,',
        'Columns':'all,Account Holder,Quantity of Offset Credits,FacilityName,Email,Status Effective',
        'Masks':'|||||MM/DD/YYYY',
        'ClassMasks':',,#.0,,,',
        'Headings':',,,Project Name,,',
        'FormatType':'txt'
        }

data = parse.urlencode(data_dict).encode()
req =  request.Request('https://thereserve2.apx.com/myModule/include/rptdownload.asp', data=data_dict)
resp = request.urlretrieve(req, 'download.txt')

This isn't working - I'm getting a "TypeError: expected string or bytes-like object." I feel like I'm getting close here, but I just can't seem to translate the post request into the file download or table pull that I desire. Any help would be super appreciated.

Answer 1

Needed the cookie as well to make it work~

import requests
from io import StringIO
import pandas as pd

data = {
    'myFilter': '',
    'Data': 'Stamp_0',
    'Title': 'Retired Offset Credits',
    'Exclude': ',rhid,ftType,Other Attributes here,Make Public,ahid,',
    'Columns': 'all,Account Holder,Quantity of Offset Credits,FacilityName,Email,Status Effective',
    'Masks': '|||||MM/DD/YYYY',
    'ClassMasks': ',,#.0,,,',
    'Headings': ',,,Project Name,,',
    'Parameters': '',
    'ParametersOriginal': '',
    'SortORder': '',
    'FormatType': 'txt',
    'ReplaceExpression': '',
    'ReplaceValue': '',
}

cookies = {
    'ASPSESSIONIDCGTRQSDS': 'DFDMDAFDFEPACLKJAAPHHBDH',
}

# Get the file
response = requests.post('https://thereserve2.apx.com/myModule/include/rptdownload.asp', cookies=cookies, data=data)

# Look at the file
df = pd.read_table(StringIO(response.text), sep=',', on_bad_lines='warn')
print(df.head())

# Write the file
with open('download.txt', 'wb') as f:
    f.write(response.content)

Output:

   Vintage                 Offset Credit Serial Numbers  Quantity of Offset Credits Status Effective Project ID                                       Project Name                     Project Type Protocol Version         Project Site Location Project Site State Project Site Country  Additional Certification(s) CORSIA Eligible                  Account Holder         Retirement Reason             Retirement Reason Details  Unnamed: 16
0     2021   CAR-1-US-888-4-666-TX-2021-6665-1 to 17444                       17444       12/09/2021     CAR888                           Angelina County Landfill  Landfill Gas Capture/Combustion      Version 3.0                        Lufkin              TEXAS                   US                          NaN              No  Element Markets Emissions, LLC  On Behalf of Third Party                                   NaN          NaN
1     2021   CAR-1-US-1247-37-234-MT-2021-6653-1 to 110                         110       04/20/2022    CAR1247  Bluesource - Carroll Avoided Grassland Convers...     Avoided Grassland Conversion      Version 1.0             Valley County, MT            MONTANA                   US                          NaN              No                     Cool Effect     Environmental Benefit                                   NaN          NaN
2     2021  CAR-1-MX-1282-42-938-PU-2021-6736-1 to 1604                        1604       02/17/2022    CAR1282       Captura de carbono en San Rafael Ixtapalucan                    Forestry - MX      Version 1.5        San Rafael Ixtapalucan             PUEBLA                   MX                          NaN              No                Cultivo Land PBC  On Behalf of Third Party  Meta / Facebook Sustainability Goals          NaN
3     2021     CAR-1-MX-1282-42-938-PU-2021-6734-1 to 5                           5       02/17/2022    CAR1282       Captura de carbono en San Rafael Ixtapalucan                    Forestry - MX      Version 1.5        San Rafael Ixtapalucan             PUEBLA                   MX                          NaN              No                Cultivo Land PBC  On Behalf of Third Party  Meta / Facebook Sustainability Goals          NaN
4     2021   CAR-1-MX-1415-42-938-OA-2021-6719-1 to 213                         213       12/06/2021    CAR1415  Carbono, Agua y Biodiversidad Indígena Capulálpam                    Forestry - MX      Version 2.0  Capulálpam de Méndez, Oaxaca             OAXACA                   MX                          NaN              No                     Cool Effect     Environmental Benefit                                   NaN          NaN