Extracting Data from HTML with BeautifulSoup from Pluralsight

This course covers the important aspects of scraping websites using Beautiful Soup. You will learn to build, manipulate and traverse the parse tree, as well as to leverage advanced features such as working with filters, CSS and XPath.

Web scraping is an important technique that is widely used as the first step in many workflows in data mining, information retrieval, and text-based machine learning.

In this course, Extracting Data from HTML with BeautifulSoup* you will gain the ability to build robust, maintainable web scraping solutions using the Beautiful Soup library in Python.

First, you will learn how regular expressions can be used to scrape web content, and how Beautiful Soup does better in important ways. Next, you will discover how Beautiful Soup parses HTML from web content, fixes up badly-formed tags, and builds a clean, easily traversable parse tree. You will then see how that parse tree can be used in order to find and retrieve specific patterns.

Finally, you will round out your knowledge by leveraging advanced features of beautiful soup such as working with CSS and XPath. When you’re finished with this course, you will have the skills and knowledge to implement robust web scraping using Beautiful Soup.

What's inside

Syllabus

Course Overview

Getting Started with BeautifulSoup

Navigating the Parse Tree

Searching for Elements in the Parse Tree

Leveraging Advanced Features of BeautifulSoup

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Explores web scraping, which is standard in data mining, information retrieval, and text-based machine learning

Emphasizes building robust and maintainable web scraping solutions using Python

Taught by Janani Ravi, an experienced instructor in web scraping and data science

Focuses on BeautifulSoup library, which is widely used for web scraping

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Extracting Data from HTML with BeautifulSoup with these activities:

Organize and review course materials

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Strengthen your understanding by reviewing and organizing the materials covered in the course.

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Gather all notes, assignments, and any other relevant materials.
Create a system for organizing and storing the materials.
Regularly review the materials to reinforce your knowledge.

Review Python basics

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Refresh your understanding of Python syntax, data structures, and basic operations.

Browse courses on Python Basics

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Review online tutorials or documentation on Python basics.
Practice writing simple Python programs.
Complete coding exercises or quizzes to test your understanding.

Read 'Web Scraping with Python' by Ryan Mitchell

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Gain comprehensive knowledge of web scraping techniques and best practices.

View Web Scraping with Python: Data Extraction from... on Amazon

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Purchase or borrow the book.
Read the book thoroughly, taking notes on key concepts.
Complete the exercises and examples provided in the book.

Five other activities

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Review Regular Expressions

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Regular expressions will be essential for scraping web content before learning about BeautifulSoup.

Browse courses on Regular Expressions

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Read a tutorial on regular expressions.
Use online tools to practice regular expressions.

Volunteer for a data-related project

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Apply your skills to a real-world project while gaining valuable hands-on experience.

Browse courses on Data Science

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Research data-related organizations or projects that align with your interests.
Contact the organization and inquire about volunteer opportunities.
Participate in data collection, cleaning, or analysis tasks.

Work through coding exercises

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Reinforce your understanding of web scraping techniques through hands-on practice.

Browse courses on Beautiful Soup

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Find a website to scrape.
Use Beautiful Soup to extract specific elements or data from the website.
Manipulate the parsed data using the Beautiful Soup API.

Start a personal web scraping project

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Enhance your skills and knowledge by embarking on a self-directed web scraping project.

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Identify a topic or problem that you want to explore through web scraping.
Gather the necessary resources, such as websites to scrape, tools, and libraries.
Develop a plan for collecting, cleaning, and analyzing the data.
Implement your plan and iterate on your approach as needed.
Present your findings and share your code or insights with others (optional).

Mentor other students in the course

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Reinforce your knowledge by helping others understand the concepts of web scraping.

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Identify opportunities to assist other students on discussion forums or online platforms.
Provide clear explanations and guidance to help others overcome challenges.
Share your experiences and insights to help others learn more effectively.

Career center

Learners who complete Extracting Data from HTML with BeautifulSoup will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Data Analyst

Data Analysts are professionals who transform raw data into actionable insights for businesses. They use a variety of techniques to collect, clean, and analyze data, including web scraping. The Extracting Data from HTML with BeautifulSoup course would be valuable for Data Analysts who want to learn how to scrape data from websites more efficiently and effectively.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Analyst

Search Engine Optimizer

Search Engine Optimizers (SEOs) help businesses improve their visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). They may use web scraping to gather data from websites for a variety of purposes, such as keyword research, competitive analysis, and link building. The Extracting Data from HTML with BeautifulSoup course would be valuable for SEOs who want to learn how to scrape data from websites more efficiently and effectively.

See salaries and explore the career path for Search Engine Optimizer

Market Researcher

Market Researchers study consumer behavior and market trends. They may use web scraping to gather data from websites for a variety of purposes, such as product development, marketing campaigns, and customer segmentation. The Extracting Data from HTML with BeautifulSoup course would be valuable for Market Researchers who want to learn how to scrape data from websites more efficiently and effectively.

See salaries and explore the career path for Market Researcher

Data Scientist

Data Scientists use data to solve business problems. They may use web scraping to gather data from websites for a variety of purposes, such as customer research, product development, and fraud detection. The Extracting Data from HTML with BeautifulSoup course would be valuable for Data Scientists who want to learn how to scrape data from websites more efficiently and effectively.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Scientist

Product Manager

Product Managers are responsible for the development and launch of new products. They may use web scraping to gather data from websites for a variety of purposes, such as market research, competitive analysis, and customer feedback. The Extracting Data from HTML with BeautifulSoup course would be valuable for Product Managers who want to learn how to scrape data from websites more efficiently and effectively.

See salaries and explore the career path for Product Manager

Data Engineer

Data Engineers design, build, and maintain the infrastructure that stores and processes data. They may use web scraping to gather data from websites for a variety of purposes, such as data integration, data warehousing, and data mining. The Extracting Data from HTML with BeautifulSoup course would be valuable for Data Engineers who want to learn how to scrape data from websites more efficiently and effectively.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Engineer

Web Developer

Web Developers design and develop websites and web applications. They may use web scraping to gather data for market research, to compare competitor websites, or to find opportunities for improvement. The Extracting Data from HTML with BeautifulSoup course would be valuable for Web Developers who want to learn how to scrape data from websites more efficiently and effectively.

See salaries and explore the career path for Web Developer

Business Analyst

Business Analysts use data to identify and solve business problems. They may use web scraping to gather data from websites for a variety of purposes, such as market research, competitive analysis, and customer segmentation. The Extracting Data from HTML with BeautifulSoup course would be valuable for Business Analysts who want to learn how to scrape data from websites more efficiently and effectively.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Analyst

Digital Marketer

Digital Marketers use a variety of online channels to promote products and services. They may use web scraping to gather data from websites for a variety of purposes, such as social media marketing, email marketing, and display advertising. The Extracting Data from HTML with BeautifulSoup course may be useful for Digital Marketers who want to learn how to scrape data from websites more efficiently and effectively.

See salaries and explore the career path for Digital Marketer

Content Writer

Content Writers create written content for a variety of purposes, such as website articles, blog posts, and marketing materials. They may use web scraping to gather data from websites for a variety of purposes, such as research, fact-checking, and inspiration. The Extracting Data from HTML with BeautifulSoup course may be useful for Content Writers who want to learn how to scrape data from websites more efficiently and effectively.

See salaries and explore the career path for Content Writer

Software Engineer

Software Engineers design, develop, and maintain software applications. They may use web scraping to gather data from websites for a variety of purposes, such as testing, debugging, and performance monitoring. The Extracting Data from HTML with BeautifulSoup course may be useful for Software Engineers who want to learn how to scrape data from websites more efficiently and effectively.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Engineer

Information Security Analyst

Information Security Analysts protect computer systems and networks from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction. They may use web scraping to gather data from websites for a variety of purposes, such as vulnerability assessment, threat intelligence, and incident response. The Extracting Data from HTML with BeautifulSoup course may be useful for Information Security Analysts who want to learn how to scrape data from websites more efficiently and effectively.

See salaries and explore the career path for Information Security Analyst

Database Administrator

Database Administrators design, build, and maintain databases. They may use web scraping to gather data from websites for a variety of purposes, such as data integration, data warehousing, and data mining. The Extracting Data from HTML with BeautifulSoup course may be useful for Database Administrators who want to learn how to scrape data from websites more efficiently and effectively.

See salaries and explore the career path for Database Administrator

Project Manager

Project Managers plan, execute, and close projects. They may use web scraping to gather data from websites for a variety of purposes, such as project planning, risk management, and stakeholder communication. The Extracting Data from HTML with BeautifulSoup course may be useful for Project Managers who want to learn how to scrape data from websites more efficiently and effectively.

See salaries and explore the career path for Project Manager

Computer Programmer

Computer Programmers write code for a variety of purposes, such as developing software applications, websites, and embedded systems. They may use web scraping to gather data from websites for a variety of purposes, such as testing, debugging, and performance monitoring. The Extracting Data from HTML with BeautifulSoup course may be useful for Computer Programmers who want to learn how to scrape data from websites more efficiently and effectively.

See salaries and explore the career path for Computer Programmer