From 57ff09d2eefefa2462a2af0175e3e8164c7bc828 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Sadeep Madurange Date: Mon, 5 Jan 2026 21:10:33 +0800 Subject: Sharpen Bumblebee post. --- _site/log/bumblebee/index.html | 50 ++++++++++++++++++++---------------------- 1 file changed, 24 insertions(+), 26 deletions(-) (limited to '_site/log/bumblebee') diff --git a/_site/log/bumblebee/index.html b/_site/log/bumblebee/index.html index f1881aa..5f5c3b0 100644 --- a/_site/log/bumblebee/index.html +++ b/_site/log/bumblebee/index.html @@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ - Bumblebee: browser automation + Bumblebee: web script synthesizer @@ -37,44 +37,42 @@
-

BUMBLEBEE: BROWSER AUTOMATION

+

BUMBLEBEE: WEB SCRIPT SYNTHESIZER

02 APRIL 2025

-

Built with Andy Zhang for an employer. Tool to automate web scraping script -generation.

+

Work project. Browser session-to-code conversion.

-

Manual script authoring took hours. Scripts poorly optimized, CPUs maxed -constantly, cloud costs excessive.

+

Architecture: C# WinForms host, embedded browser, code editor. Browser +extension rejected due to security policy and shallow event control.

-

Initially considered browser extension. Desktop app won—extensions don’t give -deep event control. Company policy blocked extensions anyway.

+

Tool evaluation:

-

First prototype: C# Win Forms + CefSharp.

+
    +
  • CefSharp: Discarded. API lacked elegance.
    • +
  • WebView2: Selected. Better WinForms integration. Hard dependency on +Microsoft Edge–acceptable for corporate Windows environments.
    • +
-

Second prototype: C# Win Forms + WebView2. Packaging and distribution more -complex, but the API is well-designed; integrates well with Win Forms.

+

Implementation:

-

Microsoft Edge required. Portability not a concern, only need to target -controlled Windows environments. Choosing WebView2 over CefSharp.

+
    +
  1. Interception: Injected JS hooks; internal browser event monitoring +(pop-ups/downloads).
    2. +
  2. Transformation: Event → Token → Instruction Table → String.
    3. +
  3. Optimization: Parallel event/text lists processing; rendered +in Scintilla.NET
    4. +
-

Embed Scintilla.NET editor for -overriding generated script.

+

Bug: Manual mid-session overrides desync code/event lists, bypassing optimizer. +Linear lists inadequate for state synchronization. Need to rethink data +structures; look to compiler Abstract Syntax Trees (AST) for intermediate +representation.

-

Code generation sequence: Inject JavaScript to intercept client-side events. -Capture internal browser events (pop-ups, file downloads). Event -raised → parsed into a token → insert to list → interpret event → look up -instruction from a table → form instruction with event args → insert text to a -parallel list → run both lists through optimizer → update Scintilla editor.

- -

Limitation: manual overriding via Scintilla editor mid-session causes the code -list to go out of sync with the event list. Optimizer can’t handle this yet.

- -

Note to self: need to rethink the event/text list data structures in the -context of the optimizer–look to compilers for inspiration maybe?

+

Verdict: Serves its purpose.

by W. D. Sadeep Madurange

-- cgit v1.2.3