I have a need for a simple search script

Lizard

I want a bot that can repeatedly refresh a specific URL until it detects a specific text phrase, at which point it beeps (preferable), flashes, or otherwise alerts me.

So if for instance there's a thread about breakfast food, I can leave it refreshing every few seconds/minutes until someone later mentions delicious waffles, at which point I hear the beep while in the kitchen eating waffles and rush in to quote him and say "OMG I LUV WAFFLES!!!1 BLUEBERY OR STRWBERY?!?"

Naturally, the real application will be considerably more practical, but the concept is the same.

It seems like an awfully simple concept but I can't for the life of me figure what I'm looking for. Any help?

Janin

What OS, programs, and libraries do you have installed/are willing to install? If you are willing to install Python, it's easy. If you use UNIX/Linux/Mac and have curl or wget, you could write a shell script. I don't know if Windows comes with any built-in application for downloading a web page, but if it does you could use batch files or something.

Lizard

Sorry, Windows. I'm open to adding additional junk.

If there's a really good Linux solution I have a Knoppix CD I could run off of when I'm doing this.

I was hoping for something like a FireFox plugin.

Lizard

So someone suggested Greasemonkey, and gave me this code

#!/bin/sh
secs=30
UA="some user agent that isn't a known robot"

while [ "" == "$(wget --user-agent="$UA" --quiet "$1" -O- | grep "$2")" ] ; do
sleep $secs
done

# some kind of alert here
mpg321 alert.mp3

But apparently I'm more of a retard that I suspected because I haven't the slightest clue how to set it up.

Janin

Well, that's not a Greasemonkey script, that's a UNIX shell script.

Lizard

I'm sorry for my ignorance here, I was hoping it was something simple like some obscure shareware macro program.

My only experience with bots is watching "Robocop" 27 times.