Do you need python to use casper.js ? if so why?

Question

I never use python. The only language I know is JavaScript. I use node to do web work and I kept reading about how casper.js can scrape webpages. so I was thinking I could use it like usual. Now I am at the point of installing it and I get 'python' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file. I know this means to put python on my path. I don't want to install python.

I use JavaScript why should I install python? I'm just confused that since casper.js has a js at the end I would think that it would rely on js and not python. so can you confirm if I really need to install python. I really don't want to deal with another language right now. Is it a simple process?

Answer 1

Do you need python to use casper.js?

Yes.

If so, why?

CasperJS requires python because its devs chose to use python for its executable entrypoint and internal test runner .

There is discussion around removing the python dependency for the 2.0 release (shell scripts and node.js have both been proposed).

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Also, just for clarity: CasperJS does not use node.js . The fact that node requires python is irrelevant. CasperJS is an interface to PhantomJS, which is a headless webkit driver that happens to be scriptable by javascript, but is not built on node.js.

From the Casper docs:

While CasperJS is installable via npm, it is not a node.js module and will not work with NodeJS out of the box. You cannot load casper by using require('casperjs') in node.

Answer 2

Yes, casper.js requires Python: http://docs.casperjs.org/en/latest/installation.html

PhantomJS 1.9.1 or greater. Please read the installation instructions for PhantomJS

Python 2.6 or greater for casperjs in the bin/ directory

However, all your coding will be in JavaScript. You don't have to (and, in fact, cannot) write a CasperJS script in Python.