chrissantamaria/lous-list-parser

Web scaping API server using Lou's List to grab University of Virginia course information

Lou's List Parser

Web scaping API server using Lou's List to grab University of Virginia course information

Notice

Due to the revamped SIS interface and addition of a fully public course search page, this package is no longer necessary! New SIS is powered by React and uses authentication-less API endpoints for fetching course data. These endpoints and possible query parameters can be found with something tools like Chrome DevTools.

Though this tool was a proof-of-concept from the start, feel free to use as a reference for other potential web scrapers.

Current features

• Converting from course mnemonics (ex: 'MDST') to full department names (ex: 'Media Studies')
• Fetching all course sections for a given course mnemonic, organized by course name

Installation

npm install

Usage

npm start

API Routes

GET /api/mnemonic

Name	Type	Description
mnemonic	string	Mnemonic abbreviation of a course department

Sample call: /api/mnemonic?mnemonic=CS

Sample response:

{
    "data": {
        "name": "Computer Science"
    }
}

GET /api/courses

Name	Type	Description
mnemonic	string	Mnemonic abbreviation of a course department
number	string	Course number
instructor	string	Section instructor
status	string	"Open", "Closed", or "Wait List"
title	string	Full course title
topic	string	Section topic
description	string	Section description (can include major restrictions)
type	string	Section type (ex: "Lecture")
building	string	Building location of a section
room	number	Room number (not including building)
units	number	Number of credits
days	string	Week day abbreviations for when a section meets (ex: "MoWeFr")
time	string	Single or range of formatted time strings (ex: "1:00PM - 1:50PM")
discipline	string	Major discipline
group	string	Department group (similar to mnemonic, see Lou's List search page for specific list of groups)
minTotalEnroll	number	Minimum enrollment limit
maxTotalEnroll	number	Maxiumum enrollment limit
minCurrentEnroll	number	Minimum number of currently enrolled students
maxCurrentEnroll	number	Maxiumum number of currently enrolled students
minCurrentWaitlist	number	Minimum number of currently waitlisted students
maxCurrentWaitlist	number	Maxiumum number of currently waitlisted students

Sample call: /api/courses?mnemonic=APMA

Sample response:

{
    "data": [
        {
            "name": "APMA1090",
            "sections": [
                {
                    "ClassNumber": "15901",
                    "Mnemonic": "APMA",
                    "Number": "1090",
                    "Section": "001",
                    "Type": "Lecture",
                    "Units": "4",
                    "Instructor(s)": "Bernard Fulgham",
                    "Days": "MoWeFr 10:00AM - 10:50AM",
                    "Room": "Thornton Hall D223",
                    "Title": "Single Variable Calculus I",
                    "Topic": "",
                    "Status": "Open",
                    "Enrollment": "0",
                    "EnrollmentLimit": "41",
                    "Waitlist": "0",
                    "CombinedWith": "",
                    "Description": "The concepts of differential and integral calculus are developed and applied to the elementary functions of a single variable.  Limits, rates of change, derivatives, and integrals.  Applications are made to problems in analytic geometry and elementary physics. For students with no exposure to high school calculus."
                },
                {
                    "ClassNumber": "16632",
                    "Mnemonic": "APMA",
                    "Number": "1090",
                    ...
                }
            ],
            "gpa": 2.8,
            "professors": "Bernard Fulgham",
            "title": "Single Variable Calculus I"
        },
        {
            "name": "APMA1110",
            "sections": [
                {
                    "ClassNumber": "15450",
                    "Mnemonic": "APMA",
                    "Number": "1110",
                    ...
                },
                {
                    "ClassNumber": "15451",
                    "Mnemonic": "APMA",
                    "Number": "1110",
                    ...
                },
                ...
            ],
            "gpa": 2.95,
            "professors": "Meiqin Li, Monika Abramenko, Stacie Pisano, Staff",
            "title": "Single Variable Calculus II"
        },
        ...
    ]
}

Config Options

Name	Type	Description
semester	number	Semester code for a specific enrollment period (see Lou's List for valid codes). By default, lous-list-parser uses 1198 (Spring 2019).