Table Capture
Table Capture hindered by limited functionality, wonky UI
This doppleganger of Dafizilla's Table2Clipboard fails to live up to the example set by its older Firefox cousin.
Overall:
Not suited for most basic computer-assisted reporting
Documentation:
Limited instructions; outdated walkthrough video
Usability:
Quick install; quirky user interface
Community:
No community forums
Performance:
Imports basic HTML tables, but struggles with hyperlinks; broken Google Docs functionality
This free Google Chrome extension can be used to copy basic HTML tables to Google Docs and Excel, but its limited functionality makes it ill-suited for computer-assisted reporting. It can't scrape information from multiple pages or data hidden behind searchable forms.
It draws a strong comparison with Dafizilla's Table2Clipboard. Unfortunately, its poor element recognition (for example, inability to discern between hyperlinks and basic text) and purposefully stunted functionality doesn't bring anything anything new to the table aside from its compatibility with Chrome.
It only takes a few clicks from installation to authorization to get Table Capture up and running. A search bar icon appears whenever it detects a scrapable HTML table. Clicking on the icon opens a static menu displaying each detected table, with the option to copy the data to your clipboard for pasting into a spreadsheet application or Google Docs. You can also toggle inline selection, which allows you to hover-and-click on each table individually.
But these databases must be formatted as HTML tables, and the plugin is unable to iterate through multiple pages, automate searches or drill down into detail pages. It is also unable to detect tables located within iFrames. Combined with perplexing UI quirks (like an inability to drag the menu pane to my second monitor), Table Capture becomes more of a hindrance than a help.
We've contacted developer George Mike regarding these issues, and will update this review if he responds.
However, since he has stated he intends to keep this scraper as spartan as possible, Table Capture's overall functionality is not likely to change anytime soon.
Product:
//Company:
//Version Tested:
1.9
//Release Date:
May 6, 2012
//OS Tested:
//Cost:
Free
//Open Sourced:
No
//Demo Available:
No
//Obsolete:
No
How Table Capture performed on our tests
Verdict:
Copies individual tables well; can't navigate multiple pages
Table Capture scrapes single pages of lobbyist data
Table Capture was able to copy individual tables for importing to Excel, but will not automatically scrape this entire 406-page database of South Dakota lobbyists.
READ OUR FULL TEST RESULT »Verdict:
Wrong software for this task
Table Capture can't scrape BC doctor's database
Because Table Capture was designed for single Web pages with HTML tables, it was stumped by this database of physicians in British Columbia.
READ OUR FULL TEST RESULT »Verdict:
Can't identify table formatting; unable to copy any data
Table Capture can't find tables in PDF database
Table Capture is not designed to collect information from this database of linked PDF documents submitted to the Obama-Biden transition team and is simply the wrong tool for the job.
READ OUR FULL TEST RESULT »Verdict:
Can't scrape search forms, multi-page databases
Table Capture no match for form-based teacher registry
While Table Capture can capture single HTML tables resulting from manual database searches, it was not designed to scrape multiple pages or search form databases like this teacher registry from British Columbia.
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