Listing Page Plugin Spec

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Project
Listing Page Plugin Spec
Project logo 02.png
Project Information
Has title Listing Page Plugin Spec
Has owner Rex Bone
Has start date
Has deadline date
Has project status Active
Has sponsor Kauffman Incubator Project
Has project output Tool
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Plugin Overview

Faced with the problem of no standardization across incubator and accelerator websites, there is a design feasibility question concerning automating the extraction of information. A browser plugin with user guidance could serve as a fundamental first step towards total mechanization of the process. See LP_Extractor_Protocol for a comprehensive introduction to potential methods.

The focus of this design is to create a tool which allows for the quick identification of HTML markings on a webpage and subsequent reduction to a DSL for useful data extraction. Multiple options will be considered, including allowing the user to visually 'draw' a grid, either via dragging or marking vertices, and mouse-over. Attention will be given to potentially viable technical resources as well as usability.

Current List of sites to examine: E:\projects\accelerators\The File to Rule Them All.xlsx

(E:\projects\Kauffman Incubator Project\02 Identify the client listing page\Listing Page Classifier)


Sample Webpage:

Image taken from 500kobe.com

Technical Specifications

HTML Layout Variations

HTML tree structure differs by site and web developer preference. A look at examples of accelerator websites reveals the following methods of organizing company data:

Each "views-row" tag represents a starting extraction point
  1. div tag, class parameter

In certain cases, the existing style guide may be utilized for ease of extraction.

If the user highlights one section, the label can be extracted and then used to locate the remaining start-ups.


Browser Choice

  • Firefox
  • Chrome
  • Internet Explorer

Programming Language & Frameworks

  • Python
  • Node.js

User Input Styles

  • Drag + Drop
  • Marking Vertices
  • Mouse-Over

Current Problems

  • "Infinite Scroll" webpages: Potentially impossible to account for incubator websites which display company lists in an infinite scroll style. Would require multiple instances of user input.