modifying the display of a website

[adhoc334]

Hi. I'm in the planning stage of a project that's meant to personally provide a quicker browsing experience of my university's library, grade reporting program (eLearning), and other websites that can only be accessed through accounts made for university students (through a security system called Shibboleth). I need help on how to go about modifying (read: minimalizing) the display of a website.

The final program will be very minimalistic. The browser UI would appear to be more of a small box that contains the bare minimum of an HTML page needed to access and, for example, download a journal article from the library. For comparison, it'd probably look more like a tree diagram than a website after the modification.

In sum, I pretty much want to see only a search bar and the search's results in my browser (continuing with the online library example).

I'm lucky in that there would be very minimal graphical processing (just the occasional .gif), but I'm not so lucky because, from what I've gathered, I'm going to end up picking-and-choosing from an HTML file.

So how do I create a browser that does this?

[ra4king]

Is this Java??

[adhoc334]

ra4king,
yes.

[ra4king]

Do you need Javascript help? Because your question is only about HTML.

[adhoc334]

ra4king,
Java can parse HTML, I just need to know where to start or if there are any quick pointers/related projects.

Thank you for consideration, though.

[ra4king]

I don't really understand what you need. You asked how to create a browser(?) that does this. Do you mean a program? If you need HTML parsing, look here.

[Fortu]

If you want to make a browser, then start by making a window that can be maximized or however you want it to be, and then add things to it that you want it to do. I can't tell you anything more about it mainly because I don't know what you're really trying to do.

[adhoc334]

To put it simply, I want to create a browser that only displays certain parts of an HTML page. (Does that clarify well enough?)

It needs to be a browser, however. Only a browser can access my university's login system, store the necessary cookies, etc.

[ra4king]

So you want a Java browser that only shows some parts of an html file?? That sounds like overkill :P
Maybe you want a server-side program that picks and chooses which parts of the HTML to send back to the client?

[adhoc334]

Hmm, I really like that idea. I think that'd be much better than just a browser (although I still need the cookie functionality. I don't want to send login information to a server-side program and risk my password.).

I'll think this through with that in mind, thank you!

[ra4king]

You're welcome :)

[ra4king]

@Vivian, this is not the thread to post your introduction. Try starting a new thread in the "Introductions" forum.