Extracting financial metrics from HTML using Apps Script functions

Loading data from Talking to Chatbots Dataset reddgr/talking-to-chatbots-chats

😎 function YFgrowth(ticker) {
const url = `https://abcdefg.com`;
const res = UrlFetchApp.fetch(url, {muteHttpExceptions: true});
const contentText = res.getContentText();
const growth5yr = _________________________;
return growth5yr[1];
}



Fill out this function so the returned value is -6.15% (in whichever format), which in the original URL can be found in the HTML fragment below:

Past 5 Years (per annum)-6.15%
🤖 To extract the `-6.15%` value from the HTML content fetched by the `UrlFetchApp.fetch()` method, you will need to parse the HTML to find the specific data. Google Apps Script doesn’t have a built-in HTML parser, but you can use regular expressions (regex) to find the needed information. However, it’s important to note that using regex to parse HTML is generally not recommended for complex HTML structures due to HTML’s complexity and potential variations. For a more robust solution, an external HTML parsing library or API would be preferable, but for straightforward cases or well-structured HTML, regex can suffice.

Given the HTML fragment you’ve shared, you’re looking for the percentage value `-6.15%` that follows a specific table cell with the text “Past 5 Years (per annum)”. Here’s how you can do it:

javascript
function YFgrowth(ticker) {
  const url = `https://abcdefg.com`;
  const res = UrlFetchApp.fetch(url, {muteHttpExceptions: true});
  const contentText = res.getContentText();
  
  // Use a regular expression to find the -6.15% value
  // This regex looks for the specific pattern provided in the HTML fragment
  const regex = /Past 5 Years \(per annum\)<\/span><\/td>(-?\d+\.\d+%)<\/td>/;
  const growth5yr = contentText.match(regex);
  
  // Check if the match was successful and return the matched group, which contains the -6.15%
  if (growth5yr && growth5yr.length > 1) {
    return growth5yr[1];
  } else {
    // Return a default value or error message if not found
    return "Growth data not found";
  }
}

// Note: This function assumes the HTML structure does not change. If the website's HTML structure changes, the regex may need to be updated.



This function uses a regular expression to search through the fetched HTML content for a pattern that matches the table data containing “Past 5 Years (per annum)” followed by the percentage value. The `-?\d+\.\d+%` part of the regex matches a potentially negative decimal number followed by a percent sign, capturing the `-6.15%` as expected. The `match` method returns an array with the full matched string at index 0 and the captured groups (in parentheses) thereafter, hence `growth5yr[1]` contains the `-6.15%`.

Remember, this approach is sensitive to changes in the website’s HTML structure. If the structure changes (e.g., additional classes, changed tags, etc.), the regex might not match anymore, and you’ll need to update it accordingly.
😎 I don’t want excessive text. I’m an intelligent person. I’m only providing instructions. I’m presenting you an example of code snippet that works for a different URL and HTML content. I want you to explain if the HTML I provided before is different so a similar solution would not work in this case. Don’t state anything obvious or simple, I have limited time:

HTML piece to be scrapped:

1.754T


Apps Script code that works for scraping “1.754T”:

function YFmc(ticker) {
const url = `https://abcdefg.com/${ticker}?p=${ticker}`;
const res = UrlFetchApp.fetch(url, {muteHttpExceptions: true});
const contentText = res.getContentText();
const marketcap = contentText.match(/data-test=”MARKET_CAP-value”>(.*?)<\/td>/);
return marketcap[1];
}


Are you sure a similarly simple code like the above would not work for scraping -6.15% out of

Past 5 Years (per annum)-6.15%

?
🤖 Given your requirements and the comparison between the two HTML snippets, a similarly simple approach can indeed work for scraping the `-6.15%` value. The primary difference between the two HTML snippets is the presence of an intermediate `` tag in the target HTML for `-6.15%`. However, this difference does not prevent the use of a regular expression to extract the desired data, as long as the regex is correctly formulated to account for this structure.

Here’s a tailored regex pattern for the `-6.15%` case, adapted from your working example for “1.754T”:

javascript
function YFgrowth(ticker) {
  const url = `https://abcdefg.com/${ticker}?p=${ticker}`;
  const res = UrlFetchApp.fetch(url, {muteHttpExceptions: true});
  const contentText = res.getContentText();
  // Adjusted regex to match the provided HTML structure and capture -6.15%
  const growth5yr = contentText.match(/Past 5 Years \(per annum\)<\/span><\/td>(-?\d+\.\d+%)/);
  return growth5yr ? growth5yr[1] : "Growth data not found";
}



This code snippet follows the same logic as your working example for “1.754T” but adjusts the regex pattern to match the provided HTML snippet for `-6.15%`. The regex is designed to look for the specific text “Past 5 Years (per annum)” followed by the `
` HTML structure, capturing the percentage value that follows.

This approach assumes that the HTML structure around the target data is consistent. If the structure is reliably similar, then this method will work effectively for your case.
😎 this works. Now I want to extract 265.05% from here:

Total Debt/Equity (mrq)265.05%


🤖 To extract `265.05%` from the provided HTML snippet using Google Apps Script, you can adapt the previously discussed approach with a regular expression tailored to match the new structure. The target data is now within a `` element that follows a `` and possibly other elements (`` in this case), with specific class attributes.

Here’s how you can do it:

javascript
function YFdebtEquityRatio(ticker) {
  const url = `https://abcdefg.com/${ticker}?p=${ticker}`;
  const res = UrlFetchApp.fetch(url, {muteHttpExceptions: true});
  const contentText = res.getContentText();
  // Regex adjusted to match the new HTML structure and capture 265.05%
  const debtEquityRatio = contentText.match(/Total Debt\/Equity<\/span>\s*\(mrq\)]*><\/sup><\/td>(\d+\.\d+%)/);
  return debtEquityRatio ? debtEquityRatio[1] : "Debt/Equity data not found";
}



This function uses a regex pattern that looks for the text “Total Debt/Equity” inside a `` tag, followed by ” (mrq)” and a `` tag (which might contain attributes, hence the use of `[^>]*` to skip over them), and then captures the numeric percentage value in the following `` element with specific class attributes. The `\s*` allows for any whitespace characters that might exist between the HTML tags, ensuring the regex remains flexible enough to match the HTML structure as provided.

The key here is crafting the regex to navigate through the HTML’s specific structure to find and capture the desired data. This method continues to leverage the simplicity and effectiveness of regex for straightforward HTML data extraction, bearing in mind the usual caveats about potential changes in the webpage’s structure.
😎 shouldn’t we include in the call to contentText.match? The previous version did not work
🤖 Given your feedback, including the specific `` in the regex pattern can indeed improve the accuracy and specificity of the match, ensuring that the exact structure of the HTML snippet is accounted for. Adjusting the regex to explicitly include this part of the tag can help in cases where the HTML structure closely follows this pattern.

Here’s how you can adjust the function to include `` in the regex:

javascript
function YFdebtEquityRatio(ticker) {
  const url = `https://abcdefg.com/${ticker}?p=${ticker}`;
  const res = UrlFetchApp.fetch(url, {muteHttpExceptions: true});
  const contentText = res.getContentText();
  // Updated regex to explicitly include 
  const debtEquityRatio = contentText.match(/Total Debt\/Equity<\/span>\s*\(mrq\)<\/sup><\/td>(\d+\.\d+%)/);
  return debtEquityRatio ? debtEquityRatio[1] : "Debt/Equity data not found";
}



This updated regex pattern now explicitly matches the `` tag as part of the sequence leading up to the percentage value, ensuring that the script looks for the precise structure as provided in your HTML snippet. This should increase the likelihood of successfully matching and extracting the `265.05%` value under the given conditions.

Remember, the effectiveness of this regex depends on the consistency of the HTML structure across different pages or data points you’re trying to scrape. If the structure is consistent, this method should work well. If the structure varies significantly, you may need to adjust the regex or consider a more flexible parsing approach.
😎 It didn’t work. Can you try updating the script for more flexibility?

Total Debt/Equity (mrq)265.05%
🤖 To enhance flexibility and ensure the script can handle slight variations in the HTML structure, you can update the regex to be more accommodating. This involves making parts of the pattern optional or more general to match different possible variations.

Here’s an updated version of the function:

javascript
function YFdebtEquityRatio(ticker) {
  const url = `https://abcdefg.com/${ticker}?p=${ticker}`;
  const res = UrlFetchApp.fetch(url, {muteHttpExceptions: true});
  const contentText = res.getContentText();
  // More flexible regex that accounts for potential variations in the HTML structure
  const debtEquityRatio = contentText.match(/Total Debt\/Equity<\/span>\s*\([^)]*\)]*><\/sup>\s*<\/td>(\d+\.\d+%)/);
  return debtEquityRatio ? debtEquityRatio[1] : "Debt/Equity data not found";
}



Changes made for flexibility:
– `\([^)]*\)`: Matches the “(mrq)” part more flexibly, allowing for any characters within the parentheses, accommodating different texts or empty parentheses.
– `]*><\/sup>`: Matches the `` tag with any attributes, not just `aria-label=””`. This allows for any content within the `` tag or additional attributes that might be present.
– `\s*`: Allows for any amount of whitespace where it’s used, giving flexibility in handling variations in whitespace in the HTML.
– `class=”[^”]*”`: Matches any class attribute value for the `` element containing the percentage, rather than specifying the exact classes. This ensures the pattern matches even if additional classes are added or the order changes.

This version aims to be more robust against minor variations in the HTML structure, increasing the chances of successfully extracting the `265.05%` value. However, it’s still important to remember that regex parsing for HTML has its limitations, especially if the structure changes significantly or becomes more complex.
😎 Enterprise Value/EBITDA 14.58

Can you write the code to scrape 14.58?

🤖 For extracting the value `14.58` from the provided HTML snippet, you can adapt the previously discussed approach with a flexible regex pattern. This pattern will account for variations and directly target the structure surrounding the “Enterprise Value/EBITDA” text and its corresponding value.

Here’s how you can do it:

javascript
function YFEVtoEBITDARatio(ticker) {
  const url = `https://abcdefg.com/${ticker}?p=${ticker}`;
  const res = UrlFetchApp.fetch(url, {muteHttpExceptions: true});
  const contentText = res.getContentText();
  // Regex tailored for "Enterprise Value/EBITDA" value extraction
  const evToEbitdaRatio = contentText.match(/Enterprise Value\/EBITDA<\/span>\s*]*><\/sup>\s*<\/td>(\d+\.\d+)/);
  return evToEbitdaRatio ? evToEbitdaRatio[1] : "EV/EBITDA data not found";
}



This function uses a regex pattern designed to find the text “Enterprise Value/EBITDA” within a `` tag, followed by a `` tag (which might have any attributes, hence the `[^>]*` to match any character except the closing angle bracket), and then captures the numeric value in the following `` element. The regex is constructed to be flexible with spaces (`\s*`) and to match any class attributes for the `` tag by using `[^”]*`.

The captured group `(\d+\.\d+)` is designed to match a numeric value with a decimal point, corresponding to the “14.58” value you’re interested in. This method provides a general solution for scraping structured numeric data from HTML content using Google Apps Script and should work for the given structure, assuming the HTML does not undergo significant changes.
😎
127,243,000


write the function that gets the numeric value (in this case 127,243,000) for the third element labeled data-test=”fin-col” 😎
Total Debt to Equity MRQ 265.99%

Can we extract the 265.99% from this HTML?
🤖 To extract the value `265.99%` from the provided HTML snippet, you can use Google Apps Script along with a regular expression that matches the structure of the HTML. The given HTML structure involves nested `` elements with specific class attributes leading up to the percentage value.

Here’s a Google Apps Script function that does this:

javascript
function extractDebtToEquity() {
  const url = `https://yourwebsite.com/path`;
  const res = UrlFetchApp.fetch(url, {muteHttpExceptions: true});
  const contentText = res.getContentText();
  
  // Regex to extract the "265.99%" value based on the provided HTML structure
  const regexPattern = /Total Debt to Equity<\/span> MRQ<\/span> \s*(\d+\.\d+%)/;
  const match = contentText.match(regexPattern);
  
  // Check if a match was found and return the value, otherwise indicate not found
  return match ? match[1] : "Debt to Equity ratio not found";
}



This function:
– Fetches the HTML content from a specified URL.
– Uses a regular expression to search for the pattern that matches the “Total Debt to Equity” text, followed by “MRQ” within specific `` tags, and then captures the percentage value located in another `` tag characterized by several classes including `bold`.
– The `\s*` in the regex accounts for any spaces between the `` tag and the numeric value, ensuring that variations in whitespace do not affect the match.
– Returns the captured value if the pattern is matched successfully.

This approach is designed to be specific to the structure of the HTML snippet you provided. If the HTML structure changes significantly, the regex pattern may need to be adjusted accordingly.
😎 it didn’t work. There are different “infoLine” classes. Can we search for “Total Debt to Equity” and “MRQ” and scrape the content of the next ?

Total Debt to Equity MRQ 265.99%
🤖 To target the specific scenario where you’re looking for the content of the `` immediately following the text “Total Debt to Equity” and “MRQ”, you can adjust the regex to be more focused on the sequence of text and elements as described. Since you mentioned there are different “infoLine” classes, we’ll ensure the regex does not depend on class names but rather on the identifiable text content leading up to the value you want to extract.

Here’s an updated approach:

javascript
function extractDebtToEquityRatio() {
  const url = `https://yourwebsite.com/path`;
  const res = UrlFetchApp.fetch(url, {muteHttpExceptions: true});
  const contentText = res.getContentText();
  
  // Updated regex to search for "Total Debt to Equity" and "MRQ" and then capture the next span content
  const regexPattern = /Total Debt to Equity<\/span> ]*>MRQ<\/span>\s*]*>\s*(\d+\.\d+%)/;
  const match = contentText.match(regexPattern);
  
  // Check if a match was found and return the value, otherwise indicate not found
  return match ? match[1] : "Debt to Equity ratio not found";
}



This function:
– Still fetches HTML content from the specified URL.
– Uses a regular expression designed to first match the “Total Debt to Equity” text within a ``, followed by a non-breaking space (` `) and another `` possibly with any attributes (hence `[^>]*` to match any character except `>`), containing “MRQ”. After these, it looks for the next ``—again, allowing for any attributes—and captures the numeric value followed by a percent sign.
– The `\s*` parts ensure that the regex is flexible with respect to whitespace around the targeted content.
– Returns the captured percentage value if found; otherwise, it returns a message indicating the data was not found.

This updated regex is more specifically tailored to the sequence of elements and text you described, making it a more precise tool for extracting the “265.99%” value under the given conditions.
😎 >Gross Profit Margin
72.72%


Can we write a function that extracts the 72.72% without having to write the “div class” tags? The pattern is that the relevant text appears after “Gross Profit Margin” 😎 That didn’t work. How can we identify what’s wrong? short answers and questions only
🤖 1. Did you test the regex pattern directly on the HTML source to see if it matches the expected section?
2. Have you verified that the HTML structure of the page you’re scraping hasn’t changed from the provided snippet?
3. Did you confirm that the fetched HTML content includes the “Gross Profit Margin” section before attempting to parse it?
4. Are there any JavaScript-generated contents that might not be loaded with `UrlFetchApp.fetch()` due to dynamic content loading on the client side?
😎 Here is the relevant section of the HTML. I gave it to you already. Don’t waste my time.

>Gross Profit Margin
72.72%
🤖 To extract `72.72%` following “Gross Profit Margin” without directly referencing “div class” tags and considering the structure you provided, you can use a function like this:

javascript
function extractGrossProfitMargin() {
  const url = `https://yourwebsite.com/path`;
  const res = UrlFetchApp.fetch(url, {muteHttpExceptions: true});
  const contentText = res.getContentText();
  
  // Regex to find "Gross Profit Margin" followed by any characters until the percentage value
  const regexPattern = /Gross Profit Margin<\/div><\/div>]+>]+>(\d+\.\d+%)/;
  const match = contentText.match(regexPattern);
  
  return match ? match[1] : "Gross Profit Margin not found";
}



This approach:
– Avoids specifying exact class attributes, focusing on the structure and sequence leading to the value.
– Uses `[^>]+` to match any character except `>` one or more times, allowing for flexibility in tag attributes.
– Captures the `72.72%` value that directly follows the “Gross Profit Margin” text based on the provided HTML snippet.

Please replace `”https://yourwebsite.com/path”` with the actual URL you’re working with.
😎 that didn’t work. Try to identify what’s wrong without wasting my time. Short answers and questions only
🤖 – Is the URL correct and does it contain the expected HTML content when accessed via script?
– Was there any error message returned when you ran the script?
– Does the actual page content dynamically load (e.g., via JavaScript) after the initial HTML is fetched, possibly not being present in the initial fetch response?
😎 Obviously, it’s correct. There is no runtime error. The function returns “Gross Profit Margin not found”
🤖 If the function returns “Gross Profit Margin not found,” then the regex likely didn’t match. This could be due to:

– A discrepancy between the actual HTML structure and the provided snippet.
– Dynamic content that isn’t in the initial page source.
– A mistake in the regex pattern that doesn’t account for variations or inaccuracies in the HTML snippet provided.

Given the response, let’s refine the regex to be more inclusive of potential variations or inaccuracies:

javascript
function extractGrossProfitMargin() {
  const url = `https://yourwebsite.com/path`;
  const res = UrlFetchApp.fetch(url, {muteHttpExceptions: true});
  const contentText = res.getContentText();
  
  // Adjusted regex to be more flexible with HTML structure
  const regexPattern = /Gross Profit Margin[^<]*<\/div><\/div>]*>]*>(\d+\.\d+%)/;
  const match = contentText.match(regexPattern);
  
  return match ? match[1] : "Gross Profit Margin not found";
}



This version:
– Includes `[^<]*` after "Gross Profit Margin" to catch any characters (including none) until the closing `
`, addressing potential variations in HTML.
– Uses `[^>]*` in the div tags more liberally to allow for any attributes or even no attributes within the divs leading up to the percentage value.

If this still doesn’t work, consider the possibility of dynamic content loading or further discrepancies in the HTML structure. 😎 I want you to write a function that helps me verify your function can actually fetch data from the URL’s HTML code.


>Gross Profit Margin