traversing yahoogroups group messages

[lothar]

i want to traverse a set of messages in a Yahoogroups group from a Python
program.

to get to the messages of the group, one must log in.

this presents, i think, two problems,
1) handling the form element for the login, which has a javascript submit
routine,
2) keeping login state with cookies.

to someone who knows something about the issues here, my questions are:

1) is it possible to do this in Python?
2) if so, how do i handle the form and the javascript?
3) does Java Python have a javascript engine and do i need Java Python here?
4) if i need to use cookies, how do i know what to name and what to set into
a cookie?

for context, i include the form element below.
the submit routine hash() is javascript.









<form method=post
action="https://login.yahoo.com/config/login?ej1cd3h7oogel" autocomplete=off
name=login_form onsubmit="return
hash(this,'http://login.yahoo.com/config/login')">
<table bgcolor=#6996e0 border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
width="100%">
<tr><td>
<table bgcolor="#eeeeee" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
width="100%">
<tr><td bgcolor="#ffffff" align="center">

<table border="0" cellspacing="6" cellpadding="6" bgcolor="ffffff"
width="100%">
<tr bgcolor="eeeeee">
<td align="center">
<font face="arial"><b>Existing Yahoo! users</b></font><br>
<font face="arial" size="-1"><nobr> Enter your ID and password to sign
in  </nobr></font>
<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0">
<tr> <td align="right">
<input type=hidden name=".tries" value="1" >
<input type=hidden name=".src" value="ygrp" >
<input type=hidden name=".md5" value="" >
<input type=hidden name=".hash" value="" >
<input type=hidden name=".js" value="" >
<input type=hidden name=".last" value="" >
<input type=hidden name="promo" value="" >
<input type=hidden name=".intl" value="us" >
<input type=hidden name=".bypass" value="" >
<input type=hidden name=".partner" value="" >
<input type=hidden name=".u" value="a4o4r550k8vss" >
<input type=hidden name=".v" value="0" >
<input type=hidden name=".challenge" value="RoxqFKs548c9Abju6nBMrQ3J1uly" >
<input type=hidden name=".yplus" value="" >
<input type=hidden name=".emailCode" value="" >
<input type=hidden name="pkg" value="" >
<input type=hidden name="stepid" value="" >
<input type=hidden name=".ev" value="" >
<input type=hidden name="hasMsgr" value=0>
<input type=hidden name=".chkP" value="Y">
<input type=hidden name=".done"
value="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/legality-of-drivers-license/messages/35
" >
<script language=javascript>
<!--
  browser_string = navigator.appVersion + " " + navigator.userAgent;
  if ( browser_string.indexOf("MSIE") < 0 ) {
    if (navigator.mimeTypes) {
      for (i = 0 ; i < navigator.mimeTypes.length ; i++) {
        if (navigator.mimeTypes[i].suffixes.indexOf("yps") > -1) {
           doGotIt();
        }
      }
    } else {
      dontGotIt();
    }
  } else {
    if (browser_string.indexOf("Windows")>=0) {
      doGotIt();
      document.write('<object
classid="clsid:41695A8E-6414-11D4-8FB3-00D0B7730277"
CODEBASE="javascript:dontGotIt();" ID="Ymsgr" width="1" height="1">');
      document.write('</object>');
    }
  }
//-->
</script>
<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0">
<tr> <td align="right" nowrap><font face="arial" size="-1">
Yahoo! ID:
</font></td>
<td><input name="login" size="17" value=""></td>
</tr>
<tr> <td align="right" nowrap><font face="arial"
size="-1">Password:</font></td>
<td><input name="passwd" type="password" size="17" maxlength="32"></td></tr>
<tr> <td colspan="2" nowrap align="center"><font face="arial" size="-1">
<input type="checkbox" name=".persistent" value="y">Remember my ID on this
computer</font></td>
</tr><tr>
<td> </td>

<td><input name=".save" type="submit" value="Sign In"></td>
</tr>
</table>
</td></tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap bgcolor="eeeeee" align="center">
<font face="arial" size="-1">Mode:
Standard | <a
href="https://login.yahoo.com/config/login?.src=ygrp&.v=0&.u=a4o4r550k8vss&.
last=&promo=&.intl=us&.bypass=&.partner=&pkg=&stepid=&.done=http%3a//groups.
yahoo.com/group/legality-of-drivers-license/messages/35"> Secure</a>
</font>
 </td>
</tr>
</table>
</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="eeeeee">
<td valign="top" align="center"> <font face="arial" size="-1">
<a
href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/reg/sihflib/*http://login.yahoo.com/config/logi
n?.src=ygrp&.intl=us&.help=1&.v=0&.u=a4o4r550k8vss&.last=&.last=&promo=&.byp
ass=&.partner=&pkg=&stepid=&.done=http%3a//groups.yahoo.com/group/legality-o
f-drivers-license/messages/35">Sign-in help</a>   <a
href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/reg/fpflib/*http://edit.yahoo.com/config/eval_f
orgot_pw?new=1&.done=http://groups.yahoo.com/group/legality-of-drivers-licen
se/messages/35&.src=ygrp&partner=&.partner=&.intl=us&pkg=&stepid=&.last=">Fo
rgot your password?</a>
</font></td></tr>
</table>
</td></tr></table>
</td></tr></table>
</form>