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Posted By: plantsower Copy and Paste part of website - 07/21/20 10:09 PM
I have a crochet pattern that I want to copy and paste so I can print it. It's a free pattern, but my internet has been going out so much that I want to be able to read it by putting it in my word processor program. I can't do this on this particular website.

I know the trick of disabling javascript, but when I do it, it tells me I have to have javascript to use that website and shows a blank page. Sheesh!

I tried using screen shots, but there are so many and I got them mixed up and messed up the pattern.

Any other sneaky ways around it? It shouldn't be illegal since it's free. It's for my own use and all that.

Thanks.
Posted By: jchuzi Re: Copy and Paste part of website - 07/21/20 10:58 PM
For your needs, Print Selection (available at App Store) should fill the bill. It's only about $5 as I recall, and you can copy and paste to your heart's content into it. Then, you can edit it as you like. It may not be as good as a true word processor, but you may be able to copy and paste from it to a real word processor (I haven't tried doing that but it looks feasible).

You can also make a selection and then print via Safari > Services, but that is not as flexible as Print Selection.

There is a minor bug in PS: After you launch it, you won't see its window until you click the Print Selection icon in the dock. I keep it in the dock, so have to click the icon a second time after it launches.
Posted By: artie505 Re: Copy and Paste part of website - 07/21/20 11:01 PM
Hi, Rita,

I doubt that it will be any better than screenshots, maybe even worse, but you can try saving the page as a PDF.

Hit command-P, and in the lower left of the pop-up hit PDF > Save as PDF.
Posted By: plantsower Re: Copy and Paste part of website - 07/22/20 12:51 AM
I'm not sure I understand quite how it works, but thanks for telling me about it. I tried what Artie suggested and it worked.

Originally Posted By: jchuzi
For your needs, Print Selection (available at App Store) should fill the bill. It's only about $5 as I recall, and you can copy and paste to your heart's content into it. Then, you can edit it as you like. It may not be as good as a true word processor, but you may be able to copy and paste from it to a real word processor (I haven't tried doing that but it looks feasible).

You can also make a selection and then print via Safari > Services, but that is not as flexible as Print Selection.

There is a minor bug in PS: After you launch it, you won't see its window until you click the Print Selection icon in the dock. I keep it in the dock, so have to click the icon a second time after it launches.
Posted By: plantsower Re: Copy and Paste part of website - 07/22/20 12:52 AM
Artie:

The PDF thing worked! Thank you.


Originally Posted By: artie505
Hi, Rita,

I doubt that it will be any better than screenshots, maybe even worse, but you can try saving the page as a PDF.

Hit command-P, and in the lower left of the pop-up hit PDF > Save as PDF.
Posted By: artie505 Re: Copy and Paste part of website - 07/22/20 01:18 AM
Originally Posted By: plantsower
Artie:

The PDF thing worked! Thank you.

Well I'll be damned!

I expected it to come out in a million disjointed sections.

Happy to have helped, Rita! smile
Posted By: jchuzi Re: Copy and Paste part of website - 07/22/20 09:35 AM
I'm happy that the PDF procedure worked. When I have pasted a PDF into MS Word, editing has been very iffy. I recommended Print Selection because you can edit almost everything in the PS window, including changing fonts and font sizes. You can also paste anything else, even after the initial paste.

Good luck, Rita, and keep PS in mind if the PDF thing is not sufficient.
Posted By: joemikeb Re: Copy and Paste part of website - 07/22/20 01:24 PM
Originally Posted By: jchuzi
When I have pasted a PDF into MS Word, editing has been very iffy.

That is not surprising as you are using a screwdriver to drive a nail. You are copying and pasting only the text layer of an OCRed document and losing any and all formatting. PDF is intentionally designed to make documents difficult, if not impossible, to edit. There are several apps specifically intended for editing PDFs in both the macOS and iOS App Stores. I regularly scan magazines into PDFs then edit them into individual article files for personal reference using PDF Pen Pro. While PDF Pen Pro is not particularly cheap and there is a bit of a learning curve, it is a lot less expensive than Adobe Acrobat and the curve isn't nearly as steep or high.
Posted By: jchuzi Re: Copy and Paste part of website - 07/22/20 03:25 PM
I used to use PDF Pen and liked it. Since I no longer have a need for it, I haven't bothered to update. I do, however, second your recommendation.
Posted By: plantsower Re: Copy and Paste part of website - 07/22/20 05:34 PM
Hi Jon:

I will keep PS in mind should the PDF procedure not continue to work for me. I had no problem editing, changing fonts, etc. It was a nice, free fix for now. Thanks again for your recommendation.

Originally Posted By: jchuzi
I'm happy that the PDF procedure worked. When I have pasted a PDF into MS Word, editing has been very iffy. I recommended Print Selection because you can edit almost everything in the PS window, including changing fonts and font sizes. You can also paste anything else, even after the initial paste.

Good luck, Rita, and keep PS in mind if the PDF thing is not sufficient.
Posted By: MG2009 Re: Copy and Paste part of website - 07/22/20 06:48 PM
I use the SAVE AS PDF all the time for exactly the same reason, Rita.

Added tidbit:

If you view the pattern/webpage in READER view, you can still do the PDF, but it will only save the pattern's photos and text. All the surrounding advertising is eliminated. Makes for an easier PDF to read without the clutter. And kinder to your ink supply if you decide to print the pattern on paper.


FWIW: Using the PREVIEW application, JPG images can be amalgamated into one PDF. Drag JPGs into the PREVIEW's "Thumbnail Sidebar." Arrange each page in the preferred order. Then, EXPORT as PDF. Ta-Da!
Posted By: jchuzi Re: Copy and Paste part of website - 07/22/20 07:11 PM
Depending on the website, File > Export as PDF can yield an elongated, distorted PDF. However, using the PDF button in the Print dialog box to Save as PDF gives the correct orientation. I have filed a bug report with Apple.

I mention this because File > Export as PDF is handy but not always reliable. Using the Print dialog box always works.
Posted By: MG2009 Re: Copy and Paste part of website - 07/22/20 07:16 PM
Just double-checked.

The websites I have used with READER view sometimes have the EXPORT option "greyed out", so I use the PRINT/SAVE AS PDF then.

The EXPORT as PDF I mentioned in my earlier post, however, is used when saving/exporting as a PDF in the PREVIEW application.
Posted By: plantsower Re: Copy and Paste part of website - 07/22/20 08:46 PM
Good to know. I actually tried it in reader view but it wasn't allowed!! It may work on other sites though, so thanks.

Update: I found if I put it in reader mode and don't click on the side of the webpage which makes reader mode go away, I can copy and paste.


Originally Posted By: MG2009
I use the SAVE AS PDF all the time for exactly the same reason, Rita.

Added tidbit:

If you view the pattern/webpage in READER view, you can still do the PDF, but it will only save the pattern's photos and text. All the surrounding advertising is eliminated. Makes for an easier PDF to read without the clutter. And kinder to your ink supply if you decide to print the pattern on paper.


FWIW: Using the PREVIEW application, JPG images can be amalgamated into one PDF. Drag JPGs into the PREVIEW's "Thumbnail Sidebar." Arrange each page in the preferred order. Then, EXPORT as PDF. Ta-Da!
Posted By: plantsower Re: Copy and Paste part of website - 07/22/20 08:47 PM
Thanks. I'm glad you filed a report, though I don't trust them to do anything about it. frown They seem very unresponsive to customer input. frown



Originally Posted By: jchuzi
Depending on the website, File > Export as PDF can yield an elongated, distorted PDF. However, using the PDF button in the Print dialog box to Save as PDF gives the correct orientation. I have filed a bug report with Apple.

I mention this because File > Export as PDF is handy but not always reliable. Using the Print dialog box always works.
Posted By: MG2009 Re: Copy and Paste part of website - 07/22/20 09:30 PM
Re: "I actually tried it in reader view but it wasn't allowed!!."


--------------------------------------------

It should on any site that supports READER view. Do you use SAFARi?

If the EXPORT feature is unavailable ("greyed out"), do either of the following:

1. Enter READER view, go to FILE drop down, PRINT, and then select SAVE AS PDF.

OR,

2. Enter READER view, go to FILE drop down, PRINT, and then select OPEN IN PREVIEW (and finish from there to SAVE).


I only user SAFARI, so perhaps this does not work with other browsers (???).
Posted By: plantsower Re: Copy and Paste part of website - 07/22/20 10:06 PM
Hi:

Perhaps you didn't see my update. I found when I put it in reader mode, I could copy and paste if I didn't click on the side of the reader mode which makes it disappear and back to the regular website. Thanks for your valuable information though for the future.


Originally Posted By: MG2009
Re: "I actually tried it in reader view but it wasn't allowed!!."


--------------------------------------------

It should on any site that supports READER view. Do you use SAFARi?

If the EXPORT feature is unavailable ("greyed out"), do either of the following:

1. Enter READER view, go to FILE drop down, PRINT, and then select SAVE AS PDF.

OR,

2. Enter READER view, go to FILE drop down, PRINT, and then select OPEN IN PREVIEW (and finish from there to SAVE).


I only user SAFARI, so perhaps this does not work with other browsers (???).
Posted By: jchuzi Re: Copy and Paste part of website - 07/22/20 11:09 PM
Although Apple doesn't always respond when you file a bug report, they did fix an issue with Safari that I had reported. Within a few days, they emailed me and asked for more information. For the record, in a former version of Safari (Mojave), some sites that asked to fill a captcha would have the squares go blank after clicking just one. The next update to Safari fixed it.
Posted By: plantsower Re: Copy and Paste part of website - 07/23/20 04:37 PM
That's impressive. I'm glad they listened to you. Most of us are ignored for years if not forever.

Originally Posted By: jchuzi
Although Apple doesn't always respond when you file a bug report, they did fix an issue with Safari that I had reported. Within a few days, they emailed me and asked for more information. For the record, in a former version of Safari (Mojave), some sites that asked to fill a captcha would have the squares go blank after clicking just one. The next update to Safari fixed it.
Posted By: artie505 Re: Copy and Paste part of website - 07/23/20 04:44 PM
Originally Posted By: plantsower
That's impressive. I'm glad they listened to you. Most of us are ignored for years if not forever.

Just to clarify, filing feedback is not the same as filing a bug report.

The latter is not just a "fill in the blanks" exercise; it requires documentation and EFFORT.
Posted By: plantsower Re: Copy and Paste part of website - 07/23/20 05:00 PM
Well, well, that leaves me out! LOL! Though you would think that customer satisfaction would be a part of their MO. Not so much anymore. I miss the old Apple.


Originally Posted By: artie505
Originally Posted By: plantsower
That's impressive. I'm glad they listened to you. Most of us are ignored for years if not forever.

Just to clarify, filing feedback is not the same as filing a bug report.

The latter is not just a "fill in the blanks" exercise; it requires documentation and EFFORT.
Posted By: MG2009 Re: Copy and Paste part of website - 07/25/20 03:15 PM
FWIW:

I never use "fill-in-the-blanks" response forms. (Same goes for eBay surveys and the like.)

TOO easy for users/customers to complete, so I imagine companies - like Apple - get tons of these . . . which are easily ignored at the other end.

BEST BET: Take the time and effort to send a letter/email (if the issue matters enough you). The chances are better that the recipient will pay closer attention to it. No guarantee, of course, but it does show that the Sender was more earnest, IMHO.
Posted By: jchuzi Re: Copy and Paste part of website - 07/25/20 03:26 PM
I have obtained good responses by writing an old-fashioned letter directly to the CEO of whatever company I need to express sentiments (good or bad). In a recent issue, I had to complain about something (too long to give details) so I wrote to the CEO (certified mail) with a carbon copy to the VP and the manager of the local office that I was complaining about. Two days later, that manager phoned me with a very friendly, contrite resolution of the problem.

For those of us old enough to remember Chuck Colson (Nixon administration), he said that if you get them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow.
Posted By: artie505 Re: Copy and Paste part of website - 07/25/20 04:27 PM
I've actually had good, responsive luck with any number of companies other than Apple.

Apple has just plain got so many potential issues that they can't possibly deal with all of them on a one by one basis, so they use the bug report option to filter out the "minimal" ones, for which I can't blame them.
Posted By: joemikeb Re: Copy and Paste part of website - 07/25/20 05:09 PM
Those forms and checklists you eschew are invaluable. Based on my thirty-plus years of experience as a software engineer, developer, and project lead, I envy Apple's reporting system. Had I had one like it, we could have saved untold person-hours trying to figure out what a report was about, how to replicate the issue, and what a "fix" would look like. It could have cut our time to repair in half or even more.

As a beta tester, I have Apple's Feedback Assistant app and through it I can follow the process each problem report goes through and they ALL go through the process. I sometimes disagree with some of the decisions, but that is personal and I don't have all the information they do.
Posted By: MG2009 Re: Copy and Paste part of website - 07/25/20 05:20 PM
Clarification:

My point is that the "fill-in-the-blanks" forms are NOT a good way to provide FEEDBACK to Customer Services personnel on related matters. LETTERS are the better way to go there if you want a response from a person.

(Bug Reports - not the same as Feedback - may serve the technicians, but, I suspect, the general Customer Services folks have little to do with the tech end of things.)

Posted By: artie505 Re: Copy and Paste part of website - 07/25/20 05:30 PM
Originally Posted By: MG2009
Clarification:

My point is that the "fill-in-the-blanks" forms are NOT a good way to provide FEEDBACK to Customer Services personnel on related matters. LETTERS are the better way to go there if you want a response from a person.

I didn't say it specifically, but my experience has been precisely the opposite with any number of companies.

I've always gotten responsive responses from helpful people.

I may just have been lucky, but my luck has been awful consistent.
Posted By: MG2009 Re: Copy and Paste part of website - 07/25/20 05:43 PM
RE: Feedback vs Reports

---------------

Yes, Artie, because you actually made contact with a person who was willing and able to reply . . . which IS the same experience I had when writing a letter to a person (using either snail mail or email forms).

Any fill-in-the-blanks "bug reports" to Apple I have submitted, I have never received a written response or follow-up call from a person at Apple.

Posted By: plantsower Re: Copy and Paste part of website - 07/25/20 07:39 PM
I have used fill in the blank forms but rarely get a response. If I can find an email, I will use it. I often times get the email of the current CEO and have mixed responses like helpful, antagonistic and none at all. Some of the responses are from the CEO themselves, and others are from lackeys.

Originally Posted By: MG2009
FWIW:

I never use "fill-in-the-blanks" response forms. (Same goes for eBay surveys and the like.)

TOO easy for users/customers to complete, so I imagine companies - like Apple - get tons of these . . . which are easily ignored at the other end.

BEST BET: Take the time and effort to send a letter/email (if the issue matters enough you). The chances are better that the recipient will pay closer attention to it. No guarantee, of course, but it does show that the Sender was more earnest, IMHO.
Posted By: artie505 Re: Copy and Paste part of website - 07/25/20 10:54 PM
Originally Posted By: MG2009
Any fill-in-the-blanks "bug reports" to Apple I have submitted, I have never received a written response or follow-up call from a person at Apple.


That's not at all surprising.

When you file feedback with Apple, they tell you flat out to NOT expect a response, and with good reason as far as I"m concerned: They simply get too much feedback to deal with individually, so they accumulate it and react when some sort of threshold is reached, which I don't find at all unreasonable.

When I've got a real issue that needs to be addressed and can be documented I go to Feedback Assistant, and, as joemike and Jon have both reported, my issue is addressed.
Posted By: joemikeb Re: Copy and Paste part of website - 07/26/20 01:51 PM
Even Feedback Assistant requires effort on your part to see the response. You do not receive any notification there has been a response. You have to log onto Feedback Assistant, find the report you are interested in, and open it to see Apple's response(s), if any. As Artie said they get so many reports it is not practical for them to respond individually.

From my experience, I think it is safe to assume the majority of the reports are like the one i got from a very senior electrical engineer in the company I was working for at 3:00 AM one Sunday morning, demanding to know why the software release made the previous week was not working. I drove 30 miles to his lab, queried him as to the nature of the problem. Then crawled under his desk and plugged his computer in. Problem solved!
Posted By: jchuzi Re: Copy and Paste part of website - 07/26/20 02:46 PM
When I have used Feedback Assistant, I received an email from Apple when they had responded with a request for more information. No email was forthcoming if they did not respond.
Posted By: artie505 Re: Copy and Paste part of website - 07/26/20 03:06 PM
I once got a "nasty" email from them because they felt that my problem wasn't worthy of Feedback Assistant and should have been filed with simple, "fill in the blanks" Feedback.

I was a bit put out by its tone.
Posted By: jchuzi Re: Copy and Paste part of website - 07/26/20 04:03 PM
Sounds like somebody at Apple had a bad hair day.
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