[Mono-devel-list] C or C# and Card Reader

[Rafael Teixeira]

For security concerns (virus/trojans/etc.) normally web content isn't
allowed to interoperate with local programs. You must have things
"sandboxed" to prevent harm to your client system by malicious web
content.

You can approach a need like your from many angles:

-- Create browser component (a Firefox XPCOM/IE ActiveX component),
with a VERY thoughtfully SECURE design (for example requiring ssl
connection (certificate-signed) to just an specific URL to enable
gathering information from the serial) to embed in your page. This
means digitally signing packaging the component to be able to have it
trusted by the browser/system. The page javascript would possibly post
the information gathered by the component to navigate to the new page.
Commentary: A java applet would not be able to talk to the serial port
inside the browser sandboxed VM, so it isn't a choice here.

-- Invert command: Embed the HTML viewer in the client application
that conducts all the operation securely just using the viewer to show
the results.

-- Skip web content altogether: Write a good (GTK#) GUI application
for the whole issue, talking web services with the server.

Clearly mono can be used easily for the last two suggestions, but
currently isn't able to  help implement the first one.

HIH,

:)

On 8/1/05, Alf C Stockton <alf at stockton.co.za> wrote:
> Would it be possible in a client/server environment, similar to a web
> environment, to create a program on the client that would be called from a web
> page.
> This program would read a serial connected card reader, and have that read data
> passed to the server so that the server could retrieve data based on what was
> passed and return same to the client as a web page.
> 
> ---
> 
> Regards,
> Alf Stockton    www.stockton.co.za
> 
> "Contrary to popular belief, penguins are not the salvation of modern
> technology.  Neither do they throw parties for the urban proletariat."
> 
> My email disclaimer can be read at: http://www.stockton.co.za/disclaimer.html
> If you don't have web access, the disclaimer can be mailed to you on request.
> 
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-- 
Rafael "Monoman" Teixeira
---------------------------------------
I'm trying to become a "Rosh Gadol" before my own eyes. 
See http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2004/12/06.html for enlightment.
It hurts!