Question 1

How to install Meeseeks without Rust?

Accepted Answer

Add `{:meeseeks, "~> 0.18.0"}` to your mix.exs and run mix deps.get. Precompiled NIFs are included, so no Rust installation is needed for standard use, as detailed in the installation section.

Question 2

Meeseeks vs Floki: which is better for Elixir web scraping?

Accepted Answer

Meeseeks offers more accurate HTML5 parsing via Rust NIFs, while Floki is pure Elixir and lighter. Choose Meeseeks for complex, correctness-critical scraping, but Floki if you prioritize safety and simplicity. A comparison guide is provided in the README.

Question 3

How to extract data from HTML using CSS selectors in Meeseeks?

Accepted Answer

Import `Meeseeks.CSS`, parse the HTML with `Meeseeks.parse/1`, then use `Meeseeks.all` or `Meeseeks.one` with the `css` macro to select nodes. Extract data with helpers like `Meeseeks.text`, as shown in the example code for scraping titles and URLs.

Question 4

Does Meeseeks support XML parsing with XPath?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Meeseeks includes a permissive XML parser and supports XPath selectors via the `xpath` macro. Use `Meeseeks.parse(source, :xml)` to parse XML documents, then query with XPath expressions for flexible data extraction.

Question 5

What happens if no elements match a selector in Meeseeks?

Accepted Answer

The `one` function returns nil, while `fetch_one` wraps the result in `{:ok, ...}` or returns an error tuple for better error handling. This allows you to gracefully manage missing data, as described in the selection functions section.

Question 6

Is Meeseeks safe for production use with NIFs?

Accepted Answer

While precompiled NIFs reduce setup issues, NIFs can potentially crash the BEAM VM. Ensure thorough testing and monitor for stability, especially in high-load scenarios, as noted in the deployment guide and common criticisms.

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