System and methods for easy-to-use periodic network data capture engine with automatic target data location, extraction and storage

A method for specifying, capturing, locating, extracting and storing data from a network, comprising:

• specifying at least one target datum accessible from a network location addressable by a network address;
• generating one or more sets of input parameters, wherein said “input parameters” normally refers to hypertext markup language (HTML) or extensible markup language (XML) <INPUT> elements and <FORM method=“get”> or <FORM method=“post”>elements, or to variables within <SCRIPT> elements, allowing capture of one or more sets of network data from said network location;
• capturing one or more sets of said network data from said network location at specified dates and times;
• locating at least one said target datum in variable format sets of said network data, wherein said “variable format” normally refers to possible insertions or deletions of HTML or XML elements as well as variable text strings;
• extracting at least one said target datum from said variable format sets of said network data;
• and storing at least one said target datum in a file, a database, or any storage medium. Wherein said capturing from said network location further comprises substitution of said input parameters to generate one or more sets of said input parameters and repeatedly capturing from said network location for each set of said input parameters. Wherein performing said substitution of said input Darameters further comprises said substitution of one or more nested said input parameters, wherein said “nested” has a similar meaning as in “nested FOR loops” such that variables within inner FOR loops run through their entire range of values for every value of a variable in an outer FOR loop, wherein said substitution of one or more said nested said input parameters includes generating one or more sets of said input parameters, where each of one or more sets of said input parameters may provide different target data from said network location.