How to download a webpage using javascript [duplicate]

Question

Possible Duplicate:
Can Javascript read the source of any web page?

I want to download a file using javascript and parse it. I need a function like php's file_get_contents(). I looked for it, but I couldn't find anything.

Update: Thanks for solutions, but I forgot to write that AJAX doesn't suite this problem, because I don't have any access to the remote address and have cross-domain requesting problem. I can't setup any php proxy either, because my host blocks access to fopen. I would prefer a pure javascript solution.

PS: Sorry, but the question was really a duplicate (I didn't know that) and the solution provided here perfectly suits this problem.

Answer 1

Look into the XMLHttp Request

http://www.w3schools.com/xml/xml_http.asp

or the load, $.get, $.post and $.ajax methods of JQuery.Here is a sample

var request = new XMLHttpRequest(); 
request.open("GET", 'http://www.url.com');
request.onreadystatechange = function() { 
if (request.readyState === 4 && request.status === 200) {

//response handling code

}
};
request.send(null); // Send the request now

Answer 2

Short question, short answer: You probably want to play around with some Ajax. Either by calling a local php script making a file_get_contents() and returning it the the page, or directly calling an external URL. Your browser might not allow you to do this though.

Added: You updated your question saying you prefer a pure javascript solution. I don't think you can since you're trying to fetch something that is not JSONP. Also, you say your host blocks fopen(), I used to be on a hosting where they did the same. I was surprised to find they did NOT block the use of sockets, here's my workaround:

$server = "www.example.com";
$path = "/path/index.html";
$type = "HTTP/1.1";

$fp = fsockopen($server, 80, $errno, $errstr, 30);
if (!$fp) echo "$errstr ($errno)<br />\n";
else {
    $out  = "GET $path $type\r\n";
    $out .= "Host: $server\r\n";
    $out .= "User-Agent: Mozilla 4.0\r\n";
    $out .= "Connection: Close\r\n\r\n";
    fwrite($fp, $out);
    $contents = "";
    while (!feof($fp)) $contents .= fgets($fp, 128);
    fclose($fp);
    echo $contents;
}

I realize you didn't want a PHP proxy solution, I think you might have no other choice. Give it a try, works great for me. If your hosting also is blocking fsockopen() you might be out of luck.