Choose an extraction tool by input
These tools cover different kinds of source data rather than one universal extraction format. Match the page to the input you need to inspect: use the environment variable extractor for .env data, the HTML table extractor for tables embedded in HTML, and the JSON-LD extractor for <script type="application/ld+json"> blocks.
For structured documents, choose the JSONPath extractor for JSON queries or the XML XPath extractor for XPath queries against XML. The remaining choices handle operational text: the logfmt parser reads logfmt-style records, while the User-Agent parser reads User-Agent strings.
Match the tool to the structure you need to query
JSONPath and XML XPath solve similar selection problems for different document models. Open the JSONPath extractor when the source is JSON; use the XML XPath extractor when the source is XML and the query needs XPath.
The HTML table extractor is a separate workflow for finding tables in HTML and turning selected table data into a structured result. The JSON-LD extractor is narrower still: it targets JSON-LD script blocks in HTML, not arbitrary JSONPath navigation. Choose it when you need to inspect embedded structured-data blocks.
Parse operational text when the input is not a document
Use the logfmt parser for logfmt or Heroku-style key-value log lines. It is the relevant choice when each record is operational text rather than a JSON or XML document.
For request metadata, send one or more User-Agent strings to the User-Agent parser. For configuration text, use the environment variable extractor to inspect dotenv-style entries. These inputs should not be substituted for one another: a parser designed for one text structure does not make the other structures interchangeable.
A practical extraction workflow
- Identify the source structure: HTML table, JSON, JSON-LD embedded in HTML, XML, logfmt, User-Agent text, or environment-file text.
- Open the matching child tool from the extraction tools directory.
- Supply the input in the way that tool provides, then follow its visible controls for querying, parsing, selecting, or inspecting the result.
- Review the returned values against the source before using them elsewhere. Specialized tools expose different controls and outputs, so the individual page is the authority for exact behavior.
Review the result against the source
Extraction and parsing depend on the structure of the input and the tool you selected. Check that the source matches the intended child page, that any query or selection reflects the data you want, and that the returned values make sense alongside the original text or markup. If the input is not one of these seven supported task types, return to the directory and choose a tool designed for its actual structure.