Re: linux card

[D-Man <dsh8290@rit.edu>]

On Wed, Mar 14, 2001 at 08:54:24AM -0600, Matt Fair wrote:
| 
| I'm not sure if this had gone through last time I submitted this.
| I need to create a card that when scanned in a credit card scanner it
| connects to my server via the phone line.
|
| I would like to have the web server receive information like what
| someone purchased, who they purchased from and record that on the
| server.
|
| This card isn't a credit card where it completes a transaction, but it
| tracks what people purchase and gives them points based on what they
| purchase to give prizes away.
|
| Does anyone know where I could find more information, like a HOWTO, or
| something that could explain this process in-depth?

I don't know of any how-tos, but I think the basic steps would be :

1) get a scanner.  IMO barcode cards are better (more reliable, less
   susceptible to accidental demagnetization, etc), but choose what
   you (or your boss) likes best.

2) get the docs for the scanner,  a device driver for it is nice too

3) figure out from the docs/driver how to receive input from the
   scanner -- hopefully it has an interrupt to alert you that it has
   input for you,

   the barcode scanners I use at one job connects through the keyboard
   port.  the terminal doesn't know whether it is getting the input
   from the scanner, or if it was typed in manually

4) write a program that receives the data from the scanner and does
   what you want with it -- in this case connect to a server and log
   it in a database


There are a number of stores around my area that do this sort of
thing.  The software the records the data must have access to both the
customer's id (from that scanner) and the transaction from the sales
register (to know what was purchased).  

I think that this question isn't exactly on-topic for debian-user
since it will involve more than simply configuring  debian system.  It
will involve writing some code to bring the various components
together and process the data so that it is useful to you.

If you don't have programming experience, I recommend the python
language.  The language is very nice, high-level, and easy to grasp.
The python community is also very friendly and helpful and has a nice
tutor list, tutor@python.org.

HTH,
-D