Reading a Data Stream Going to a Printer

Collapse
This topic is closed.
X
X
Collapse
 
  • Page of 1
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
Previous template Next
  • Sarah
    #1

    Reading a Data Stream Going to a Printer

    I would like my vb.net software running on an independent system be able to
    read the data going from a proprietary system to a dot-matrix printer. Few
    questions - are there any commercially available or "hack" devices available
    that would allow me to tap into the data the proprietary system is sending
    to the dot matrix printer?

    How could I get my vb.net software to respond listen to and respond to this
    data stream? Are there any commercially available controls?

    Now for those of you asking why would I do this? I have a system that the
    DOS based and 100% proprietary that is very important - but, I need to
    monitor the data from it when it prints to the dot-matrix printer - so, thus
    comes the need for an independent system that can monitor and read the data
    stream going to the printer.

    Any help/guidelines would be appreciated.


    Tags: None
    • Fergus Cooney
      #2
      Re: Reading a Data Stream Going to a Printer

      Hi Sarah,

      If the program is doing its printing via a Dos Printer interrupt, one
      possibility is to hook into the interrupt and syphon off a copy of the data.

      Regards,
      Fergus


        Comment

        • Sarah
          #3
          Re: Reading a Data Stream Going to a Printer

          How would you hook into the interrupt from another independent computer
          system?


          "Fergus Cooney" <filter1@post.c om> wrote in message
          news:uKSig9fnDH A.1488@TK2MSFTN GP12.phx.gbl...[color=blue]
          > Hi Sarah,
          >
          > If the program is doing its printing via a Dos Printer interrupt, one
          > possibility is to hook into the interrupt and syphon off a copy of the[/color]
          data.[color=blue]
          >
          > Regards,
          > Fergus
          >
          >[/color]


            Comment

            • Fergus Cooney
              #4
              Re: Reading a Data Stream Going to a Printer

              Hi Sarah,

              I wasn't sure exactly what you meant by 'independant' so I focused on the
              Dos side of the equation. Being a Dos system means that its interest in the
              outside world is zero, so, short of virus-like technology, any interrupt hook
              is going to require someone to put it there. It would run as a TSR which would
              need to be loaded before the application was started.

              I'm sure there are cable-tapping/network-sniffing devices (legitimate) but
              that's well beyond my ken.

              Regards,
              Fergus


                Comment

                Previous template Next
                Working...