How do I turn a web-based calculator into a callable program?

Question

There is a free, online calculator on a web page that I want to access from a C# program. The calculator is very simple -- just an HTML table. There is no JavaScript or Flash. I want to be able to turn this page into a method that I can call. The method would presumably call the web page, enter the appropriate numbers, read the result, and then return the result.

What is the best way to do this?

Answer 1

I would try loading the web page with WebBrowser class, if it's a server side calculator you should figure out the GET/POST parameters to give input and choose desired functionality (you could do this by analyzing the HTML source) and request the answer page. If it is a client side calculator, you should use the DOM parser (look at HTMLDocument class).

If this calculator is really simple, I would consider re-implementing it or try to find a pre-written component, I think it should be easier (you could have the javascript source in case of client side calculator).