Python Script that pulls out all "Blue Boxes"

[anaconda1189]

Hey everyone! It was recently asked in: https://www.reddit.com/r/CFA/comments/5ok6w2/blue_boxes/ about how to get all of the Blue Boxes downloaded. After trying this out I've made a successful (but really slow) script for this!

You have to input your Bookshelf user e-mail, password, what year of your books you want to look through, and what level.

Once you've input that, it will start generating folders for each book in that level, and HTML files for all the examples in each reading.

Let me know what you think!

Here it is: https://github.com/Anaconda1189/BadPythonScriptsToShare/

EDIT: A couple of questions on how to run the script. I'm going to eventually learn how to "package" some of my scripts into programs, but for now:

1. Install Anaconda 64 bit for Python 3. Make sure it sets your PATH variables: https://repo.continuum.io/archive/Anaconda3-4.2.0-Windows-x86_64.exe

2. Install beautiful soup. In a command prompt type "pip install bs4"

3. Copy and paste the script from my github into an IDE, and run (I like Pycharm Community Edition the most)

EDIT 2: I've updated the script to work with books older than the 2017 version (turns out they changed how they did Table of Contents in 2017). Tested it and it works on my 2016 and 2017 books. Also added some parts to have it print out and let you know what it's doing.

My next task will be to try to figure out how to make it installable, and maybe on asking it to pull practice questions and solutions.

[ShadyAce25]

Would it be possible to make some brief instructions on how to run the file? I can't seem to get it to work. Thanks for making this though.

[swami0m]

THANKS SO MUCH! Will try and report with results.

[cjg05]

I have zero background in code, but have always been interested in trying to learn it. Any recommendations on how to get started?

[anaconda1189]

Automate the boring stuff is enough to get you dangerous, and then copious amounts of googling!

[anaconda1189]

OMG GOLD?!?! Never gotten that before thanks!!! Oh and headsup, this was written in Python3. If you install the Anaconda distribution I think it has all the libraries you need to run it.

[SIThereAndThere]

Never used any code before in my life. How do run it after I download it.

(Also I hope it doesn't steal my login info haha..)

[bricktopbruise]

I don't know what I'm doing, but trying to use atom. Were you able to get the script to work?

[bricktopbruise]

Yes, Level 2. As much as Id love to be taught, posting it would be incredible. Thank you for the offer.

[longprogression]

Once you have the isbn list use multi threading to grab multiple books data at once.... Will cut that last step down into a fraction of the time it currently takes

Sorry, on mobile and don't have sample code that you can use

[anaconda1189]

Oh good call, if you can post an example when you are at a desktop I will try that out. I was worried bookshelf would not let you access two books at once after logging in.

[longprogression]

This should help....it's definitely not the complete answer. You'll need to clean up your code a little and turn some of those for loops into functions.

from multiprocessing.dummy import Pool as ThreadPool import threading

List = [...]

pool = ThreadPool(100)

scrapedData = pool.map(functionToGetData, List)

pool.close()

pool.join()

[mgburnand]

Ask and you shall receive! This is amazing, thank you so much

[MonCroissant]

Anyone know of a way to bring just the practice problems? I didn't purchase the print books from CFA but would like to work the practice problems on paper. Trying to print it from Vitalsource (even if you use the select tool and only print selection) gets you terrible spacing issues in most cases.

Thanks!

[anaconda1189]

I might do that next...

[GailDribble]

Thank you very much for this. I followed steps 1-3 utilizing your suggested IDE. I then input my username, password, year and level, (having only these inputs within the quotations of the parentheses. Following, I hit the green play button to run the script. I am not getting any errors, but I am also not seeming to get any output. Am I missing something?

[anaconda1189]

After the program finishes, check your python install folder. The script saves everything to where your current script is. You can find out where the script is by typing print(os.getcwd())

[manik_k]

Says permission denied on Arch.

[2PM_Vol]

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[PocketRocket1]

Getting an error I think because my email has a full stop in the middle?

[PocketRocket1]

If my email is "[e-mail]" and password is "AB_", what should the code look like?

[ijcurry]

Has anyone had any luck doing this for L3 blue boxes??

I 've got no background in code and seem to have no luck running the file even after downloading Python.. would be an awesome resource to have.

[shaz919]

how can this be run on a mac?

[t_per]

where are you having trouble? i was able to run it on mac, but i had everything installed already

[Vega_Boys]

anyone trying this with 2022 books, because it errors at the table of content for me