The concept is feasible and can be efficiently implemented. The idea of using a Pascal/Delphi script to call a Python script with Selenium is quite practical. Here’s a step-by-step outline on how to achieve this efficiently:
1. Pascal/Delphi Script (.psf)
Your Delphi/Pascal application calls a Python script.
It passes the movie title and year to the Python script.
2. Python Script with Selenium
The Python script searches IMDb for the movie.
It offers titles if there are multiple matches and lets you choose.
It parses the relevant data, formats it, and passes it back to the Pascal script.
3. Pascal/Delphi Script Receives Data
The Pascal script receives the data and integrates it into your database.
Detailed Steps
Step 1: Pascal/Delphi Script to Call Python Script
Here’s an example of how to call a Python script from Pascal/Delphi:
pascal
program CallPython;
uses
ShellAPI, SysUtils, Windows;
var
Title, Year: string;
PythonExe, ScriptPath, Parameters: string;
ReturnCode: Integer;
ResultFile: TextFile;
Line: string;
begin
Title := 'MovieTitle'; // These would be input parameters in your actual app
Year := '2021';
PythonExe := 'C:\Path\To\Python\python.exe';
ScriptPath := 'C:\Path\To\Script\imdb_script.py';
Parameters := Format('"%s" "%s" "%s"', [ScriptPath, Title, Year]);
ReturnCode := ShellExecute(0, 'open', PChar(PythonExe), PChar(Parameters), nil, SW_HIDE);
if ReturnCode > 32 then
Writeln('Python script executed successfully')
else
Writeln('Failed to execute Python script');
// Assuming the Python script writes to a result file
AssignFile(ResultFile, 'C:\Path\To\Script\results.txt');
Reset(ResultFile);
while not Eof(ResultFile) do
begin
ReadLn(ResultFile, Line);
Writeln(Line); // Process each line (this would be your actual data processing)
end;
CloseFile(ResultFile);
end.
Step 2: Python Script to Search and Parse IMDb
Here’s an example Python script that receives parameters, searches IMDb, and writes results to a file:
python
import sys
from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.chrome.service import Service
import time
CHROME_DRIVER_PATH = "path/to/chromedriver"
IMDB_URL_TEMPLATE = "https://www.imdb.com/find?q={query}&s=tt"
def main():
if len(sys.argv) != 3:
print("Usage: imdb_script.py <Title> <Year>")
return
title = sys.argv[1]
year = sys.argv[2]
query = f"{title} {year}"
service = Service(executable_path=CHROME_DRIVER_PATH)
options = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
options.add_argument("--headless")
driver = webdriver.Chrome(service=service, options=options)
driver.get(IMDB_URL_TEMPLATE.format(query=query))
time.sleep(3) # Wait for page to load
# Assuming first result is the desired movie
first_result = driver.find_element_by_css_selector(".result_text a")
first_result.click()
time.sleep(3) # Wait for movie page to load
movie_title = driver.find_element_by_css_selector("h1").text
movie_year = driver.find_element_by_css_selector("#titleYear a").text
# Collect other relevant data...
director = driver.find_element_by_css_selector("div.credit_summary_item a").text
# Write results to file
with open("path/to/results.txt", "w") as file:
file.write(f"Title: {movie_title}\n")
file.write(f"Year: {movie_year}\n")
file.write(f"Director: {director}\n")
driver.quit()
if __name__ == "__main__":
main()
Step 3: Process Results in Pascal/Delphi
Back in your Pascal/Delphi script, read and process the results written by the Python script.
Efficiency Considerations
Parallel Execution: If you’re processing multiple movies, consider parallel execution where possible.
Caching: Implement caching for already fetched and processed data to avoid redundant processing.
Error Handling: Implement robust error handling and logging to manage issues with web scraping or data extraction.
Summary
This approach ensures the seamless integration of Python and Pascal/Delphi scripts, leveraging the strengths of each for your specific needs. This should streamline the process and reduce manual intervention, improving overall efficiency.
