Scripting and Automating Internet Explorer

Abstract

The flexibility of IE’s command line, COM automation system, and rich API set helps developers, system administrators, and enthusiasts to perform common tasks with batch files and simple scripts. Such scripts can be used to streamline installs across a business, customize the browser, and simplify common management tasks.

In this chapter I provided an overview of techniques used to manage and operate IE through the shell and simple script. I began with an introduction to the command line and the features it provides, followed by a short foray into the little-known but very useful invocation model offered by RunDLL32. Scripting was next, and it was there that I described how you can access a simple-to-understand object model exposed by IE, WSH, PowerShell, and any other language that supports COM automation. I closed by providing a few examples of different tasks the IE object allows you to perform, and other systems, such as WMI, that play nicely with it. If you haven’t already, I hope this overview inspires you to look into scripting as a powerful and everyday development tool.