RE: [flexcoders] What I wish Flex/Flash Player could do...

Tue, 16 Aug 2005 04:50:05 -0700

Thanks for the ideas!
 
I've done similar things in the past - but specific "listeners" for various attached input devices would be a cleaner way to go, particularly when there are multiple input fields on a form that can accept remote or direct input.  There are hacks that can be done with "prefix" and "suffix" codes to help identify input source, but they're messy.  And the focus management can be even more painful :(.
 
Good ideas though!

From: [email protected] on behalf of Theodore E Patrick
Sent: Tue 8/16/2005 6:52 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: [flexcoders] What I wish Flex/Flash Player could do...

Flash can handle these via a standard MS Keyboard Wedge Driver. We shipped a kiosk with a card reader and the Flash Player can directly parse data entered. Basically all these devices can be reduced to keyboard input so when you swipe a card or scan a barcode, it just types data really fast.

 

Actually I believe I have an example that does just this very thing…

 

Just put 3 V2 TextInput controls on stage and name the instances: ti_name, ti_card, ti_date and use this code:

 

Key.addListener(this)    

function onKeyDown(){

            var self = arguments.callee

            var k = String.fromCharCode(Key.getAscii())

            if(self.storage == undefined) self.storage=””

            self.storage = self.storage + k

            if(self.storage.split("?").length == 3 ){

                        var sname = self.storage.split("^")[1]                               

                        var scardbase = self.storage.split("?;")[1].split("?")[0].split("=")

                        ti_name.text = sname

                        ti_card.text = scardbase[0]

                        ti_date.text = scardbase[1]                                

                        self.storage = ""            

            }                      

}

 

This will parse the values from a standard 3 phase credit card reader. In the kiosk that used this we tested cards from starbucks, visa, amex, subway and all worked perfectly. When each type of device, you just need to know what to look for in parsing the data received.

 

One less thing for Ethan :)

 

Cheers,

 

Ted J

 

 

From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Rick Bullotta
Sent: Tuesday, August 16, 2005 1:20 PM
To: [email protected]; [email protected]
Subject: RE: [flexcoders] What I wish Flex/Flash Player could do...

 

Here's another one for Ethan then... :)

 

The Flash Player (along with Flex and AS) should have an input extensibility model that supports input focus management and input from other mechanisms/devices such as:

 

- Barcode readers

- RFID readers

- Card readers

- Others...

 

This would open up a whole new class of applications for Flex/Flash.

 

- Rick Bullotta

  SAP Labs, LLC

 

From: [email protected] on behalf of JesterXL
Sent: Mon 8/15/2005 9:28 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [flexcoders] What I wish Flex/Flash Player could do...

I forwarded your request to the Central Dev group for Ethan Malasky to
hopefully pick up.  Since Central is hopefully the future of Flash, and
ultimately Flex on the desktop, things like this are perfect.

It just so happens SQL on the client was requested by multiple people
already there, so your request from a different demographic WITH the
keywords of "occasionally connected" just adds mad credence.




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