Browser macros are extremely easy to create and are extraordinarily useful. You can think of them as smart bookmarks, because not only do macros identify the web page that you need to access but they also define what needs to be done once you download the page. The limiting factor is that, so far, the macros cannot make decisions based on the content they download. You’ll learn how to write smart macros, which make decisions, in the next chapter.
In the past, you may have written script-based webbots that have had success in dealing with AJAX or the other challenges described earlier. You may have even employed a network packet sniffer to analyze your own web traffic between your webbot and the target website and developed a webbot to mimic the traffic patterns of the target website. You are encouraged to try this technique, but it will probably only make you appreciate the ease with which the same thing can be done in iMacros. The fact remains, however, that if you want to mimic exactly what happens in a browser, it is best to focus on writing macros that control an actual browser.
So far, only simple macros have been described, but how many applications can you think of for using what you’ve learned up to this point? Can you write a browser macro to check specific eBay auctions? What can you do with browser macros and Craigslist.org? Do you have routine, daily online tasks that can be automated with iMacros? Alternately, what is the disadvantage of using browser macro to log into your online bank account and check your account balances?
The next chapter explores a series of iMacros hacks that extend the functionality of iMacros well beyond its intended use.