Socket Programming

[Jill]

Hi,

I need to integrate my POS system with swipe card reader that connects
to a serial COM port. However, I dont have to read data direct from
the COM port (via a standard MSComm) because the swipe card reader
comes with a "connector" to the COM port. The supplier of the card
reader told me to do a socket programming to send and retrieve data
via TCP/IP protocol to the "connector". The problem is they can't help
me because they do not know VFP programming. They only give me the IP
Address (127.0.0.1) and Port Number (9000) for me to make the
connection. I think the connector was created in VB.

Now my problem is I do not know socket programming. I did some
research and found something call "winsock" object that may help me
but I am not sure how to do it in VFP9. I really hope some experts
here can help and show me the codes on how to send the data after
swiping the card and click a "Proceed" button in VFP9. Also, how to
retreive the data after the swipe card reader return the confirmed
message.


Thanks
Jill

[Paul Hemans]

If the "connector" is actually a HTTP server then you can do it using
sockets but using XMLHTTP and "GET" would certainly be easier.
I think the code would be something like:
o = CREATEOBJECT("microsoft.xmlhttp")
o.open("GET", "http://127.0.0.1:9000", .f.)
o.send()
? o.responseText

Sorry but my sockets code is integrated into various classes, someone else
might have a simpler version they could share...

Post by Jill
Hi,
I need to integrate my POS system with swipe card reader that connects
to a serial COM port. However, I dont have to read data direct from
the COM port (via a standard MSComm) because the swipe card reader
comes with a "connector" to the COM port. The supplier of the card
reader told me to do a socket programming to send and retrieve data
via TCP/IP protocol to the "connector". The problem is they can't help
me because they do not know VFP programming. They only give me the IP
Address (127.0.0.1) and Port Number (9000) for me to make the
connection. I think the connector was created in VB.
Now my problem is I do not know socket programming. I did some
research and found something call "winsock" object that may help me
but I am not sure how to do it in VFP9. I really hope some experts
here can help and show me the codes on how to send the data after
swiping the card and click a "Proceed" button in VFP9. Also, how to
retreive the data after the swipe card reader return the confirmed
message.
Thanks
Jill

[swdev2]

If they have code examples (the card reader entity) , from any language,
post them here , (quickly) and maybe someone can translate them into
winsock/vfp-centric code...



--
===================
William Sanders / EFG VFP / mySql / MS-SQL
www.efgroup.net/vfpwebhosting
www.terrafox.net www.viasqlserver.net

Post by Jill
Hi,
I need to integrate my POS system with swipe card reader that connects
to a serial COM port. However, I dont have to read data direct from
the COM port (via a standard MSComm) because the swipe card reader
comes with a "connector" to the COM port. The supplier of the card
reader told me to do a socket programming to send and retrieve data
via TCP/IP protocol to the "connector". The problem is they can't help
me because they do not know VFP programming. They only give me the IP
Address (127.0.0.1) and Port Number (9000) for me to make the
connection. I think the connector was created in VB.
Now my problem is I do not know socket programming. I did some
research and found something call "winsock" object that may help me
but I am not sure how to do it in VFP9. I really hope some experts
here can help and show me the codes on how to send the data after
swiping the card and click a "Proceed" button in VFP9. Also, how to
retreive the data after the swipe card reader return the confirmed
message.
Thanks
Jill