What do you do for scanning from withing Filepro
Bob Rasmussen
ras at anzio.com
Thu Mar 30 13:51:56 PDT 2017
Brian, I hope you don't think I'm critisizing your approach. I'm not. I
was just pointing out a wrinkle in Microsoft's current deployment. In
fact, it may be a wrinkle that will be ironed out soon. I tried your demo
this morning on my home Windows 10 machine, which is tracking with the
Creator's Update early tester's program (whatever they call that) and I
did not have the problem there, I think.
On Thu, 30 Mar 2017, Brian K. White via Filepro-list wrote:
> Well... I could include a menu choice to make that registry edit, but I think
> we'd rather just tell users to use Chrome or Firefox.
>
> For yourself (meaning whoever, someone making their own new package) the
> installer, or a menu choice any time after install, could do the registry
> edit in a safe and painless way if you did want to support edge.
>
> Or you could pay $30,000 a year or whatever to dynamsoft.com
> Or use one of the few other browser plugins that are very browser and
> platform dependant.
>
> The custom-url approach means not only doesn't it care what browser you use,
> you don't even have to use any browser. I could even make a linux package at
> least for the major desktop environments, but it would be quite a bit harder
> to support linux. I have never actually used a scanner on linux once myself
> let alone figured out how to support a reasonable range of potential end user
> configs. But you could make a linux version that supplies the framework with
> a spot somewhere that the user has to fill in themselves, to supply the
> scanner command(s) that would work on their particular scanner.
>
> --
> bkw
>
>
> On 3/30/2017 1:18 PM, Bob Rasmussen via Filepro-list wrote:
>> (Off list, so you aren't obliged to do tech support)
>>
>> When I click on the Scan button, I still get a dialog that says "Did you
>> mean to switch apps". This is in Edge. There's no way to turn it off.
>>
>> Update: I googled this and found you can turn it off in IE and haveit
>> apply to Edge, or you cat mess with the registry at
>> HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\ProtocolExecute
>>
>> On Thu, 30 Mar 2017, Brian K. White via Filepro-list wrote:
>>
>>> Yes tons of people are using it in edge by now.
>>>
>>> You do have to answer yes and remember choice to a prompt "open aca?"
>>> the first time.
>>>
>>> There is also the possibility of a windows firewall blocking wget from
>>> uploading, and for that also you get a popup in the corner the first
>>> time I think.
>>>
>>> There is also a "test scanner" option in the start menu that runs the
>>> scanner, displays the scanner twain setting dialog and twain source
>>> selector that are usually hidden, and displays a debug log, and at the
>>> end, offers to send the debug log to our support, which it does by
>>> doing the same http upload to a different cgi, so that ends up
>>> excercising both the scanner and the ability to http-post.
>>>
>>> --
>>> bkw
>>>
>>> On 3/29/2017 9:48 PM, Bob Rasmussen wrote:
>>>> Brian, thanks for all the details. I'm learning a lot about options in
>>>> webpages, with an eye toward new ways to use Print Wizard in web-fronted
>>>> environments.
>>>>
>>>> Is your solution known to work in Microsoft Edge (browser) in Windows
>>>> 10? It fails for me.
>>>>
>>>> On Wed, 29 Mar 2017, Brian K. White via Filepro-list wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Here is a demo anyone can poke at, minus the filepro side, since you
>>>>> can only access this cgi, not log in to the server.
>>>>>
>>>>> Install whichever one of these applies to you:
>>>>> http://install.aljex.com/AljexClient/
>>>>>
>>>>> Then load this:
>>>>> http://oh7.aljex.com/cgi-bin/tsu?AKcZCKL96ENuIZhj7i6TB9UA5LYYNbeWx8VyPBSjNtqWj-dJ-aY.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> It's a demo system, feel free to upload images and delete them.
>>>>>
>>>>> See where it says "(invoice_public 73356)" ?
>>>>>
>>>>> I generated this url by going into the app, into the invoice file, to
>>>>> invoice number 73356, and hit an @key which ran the gosub to assemble
>>>>> and fire off this url.
>>>>>
>>>>> If you view source, you'll see that the scan button launches:
>>>>> as:,oh7.aljex.com,AKcZCKL96ENuIZhj7i6TB9UA5LYYNbeWx8VyKQO7c5iPkO5L
>>>>> which the browser hands off to the registered handler for that url,
>>>>> which is the batch or shell script.
>>>>> And at the same time it reloads the same current cgi with a new query
>>>>> string. The new query string loads the very same page, but with an
>>>>> option that also tells the cgi to wait for the expected file to appear
>>>>> behind the scenes before completing the redraw, this way when the user
>>>>> scans, the web page updates to include the new scan as soon as it's
>>>>> done.
>>>>>
>>>>> I think there is probably some slicker ajaxy way to get the web page
>>>>> to update and display the new scan after the user does a scan, but I'm
>>>>> not that sophisticated.
>>>>>
>>>>> If you don't have a scanner, the client-side will use a built-in
>>>>> single-page pdf. It actually uploads the file the same way it would
>>>>> have if it were a real scan. So you can go through all the same
>>>>> motions with or without a scanner. It's useful for debugging to show
>>>>> if the user has a local firewall preventing the upload vs an actual
>>>>> scanner problem or some server-side problem.
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> bkw
>>>>>
>>>>> On 3/29/2017 2:08 PM, Bob Rasmussen wrote:
>>>>>> Brian, thanks for the explanation. How do the server and the
>>>>>> client-side
>>>>>> piece communicate, when no terminal emulator is involved? A socket?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> And how does the server know what the client's IP address is? Will
>>>>>> this
>>>>>> all fail if Network Address Translation sits between client and
>>>>>> server?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Wed, 29 Mar 2017, Brian K. White via Filepro-list wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On 3/23/2017 5:13 PM, Boaz Bezborodko via Filepro-list wrote:
>>>>>>>> I'm looking to scan in files linked to specific Filepro records.
>>>>>>>> This
>>>>>>>> is the first time I'm doing any kind of work like this.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> What methods do you folks use to accomplish this?
>>>>>>>> What software/hardware combinations make it easier?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I was thinking of creating separate documents, saved to specific
>>>>>>>> directories, and storing the file names and locations in the record.
>>>>>>>> But I don't know what software to use that could trigger the scan
>>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>>> specify the file name, directory, etc.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I'm working with Filepro 5.6.10R9 running on Windows7 machines.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>>>>> Boaz
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I feel bad, I think we have a pretty neat scanning system we've been
>>>>>>> using for 15 years by now, but I just have not had *any* time the
>>>>>>> last
>>>>>>> couple weeks to show it to you. We just instituted all developers
>>>>>>> using git and not working as root. Not exactly a smooth and painless
>>>>>>> transition ;)
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Anyway our scanning process is mostly a cgi that runs in the web
>>>>>>> server on the same server with filepro, and a small client package
>>>>>>> (we
>>>>>>> have windows and osx versions) that has a commandline scanning util,
>>>>>>> which is run by os registry entries to recognize a custom url, and/or
>>>>>>> a terminal emulator that has a "run-program" escape sequence feature.
>>>>>>> You don't have to use the bundled terminal emulator, several other
>>>>>>> terminal emulators have a similar feature, but the included one is
>>>>>>> free and open source so no serial numbers or anything to worry about.
>>>>>>> Just click-n-go.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Images are displayed to the user via web browser, and uploaded to the
>>>>>>> server via http-post, or by the user using a drag-n-drop area in the
>>>>>>> browser.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> In filepro you just fire off the right url which pops up the browser
>>>>>>> on the client to either display previous scans or allow uploading new
>>>>>>> ones. For more streamlined user process, you can also invoke the
>>>>>>> scan-and-upload directly from filepro in the terminal without popping
>>>>>>> up the browser.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> The files are stored on the filesystem in a directory structure that
>>>>>>> simply matches your applications natural filepro file structure. If
>>>>>>> you have an invoice file, and one of the records in the invoice file
>>>>>>> is invoice 236517, then the files for that invoice end up being
>>>>>>> stored
>>>>>>> in a path like:
>>>>>>> /pix/app-or-system-or-customer-name/invoice/23/65/17-###.pdf
>>>>>>> where ## is 1 to 100, up to 100 files per customer-doctype-docnumber
>>>>>>> triplex. The "docnumber" (invoice number in this case) is split up
>>>>>>> into 2-byte chunks just to keep the filesystem fast by not having a
>>>>>>> million files in any single directory.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> (in our case, we have multiple companies or customers using their own
>>>>>>> datasets (qualifiers) in the same application. So to address a
>>>>>>> document uniquely, you need 3 pieces of info, company, doctype
>>>>>>> (quote,
>>>>>>> invoice, check, etc), docnumber (quote#, invoice#, check#, etc).
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> The worst part is the cgi ksh script that does all the work is
>>>>>>> kind of
>>>>>>> a big ugly monster by now after 15 years or so! But, it's still
>>>>>>> ultimately just a ksh script. There are a few other bits and
>>>>>>> pieces in
>>>>>>> total but it's pretty simple.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> You don't do much extra in filepro at all to add document imaging to
>>>>>>> any screen in your app. You mostly just add a gosub to any input
>>>>>>> table
>>>>>>> and edit 2 values at the top of the gosub for doctype and
>>>>>>> docnumber to
>>>>>>> whatever makes sense for that screen in your app.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I'd say go to aljex.com and sit in on a sales demo, which will cover
>>>>>>> the scanning, and you can actually use it in the demo system
>>>>>>> yourself,
>>>>>>> but I don't know how much uninteresting trucking logistics stuff
>>>>>>> you'd
>>>>>>> have to suffer through to get to the scanning.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> The client-side code is not only free but open-source, except the
>>>>>>> windows scanning util is a commercial product we purchased. There are
>>>>>>> a few different similar utils that can be used for that. I do have a
>>>>>>> very crude open source scanning util also, but it it is really really
>>>>>>> crude. It only scans one page at a time, and only outputs a .bmp!
>>>>>>> There are open source graphics libraries that could be added and used
>>>>>>> to make a better scanner util, but I'm not a good enough c or windows
>>>>>>> developer to manage it. The client-side code for osx is 100% open
>>>>>>> source, including the scanning util, though the osx scanning util is
>>>>>>> simple and doesn't work on a lot of scanners. Apparently scanner
>>>>>>> drivers on osx are not consistent at all and many scanners come with
>>>>>>> their own scanner programs and that is the only thing that works with
>>>>>>> the scanner. But other scanners do support a common osx image capture
>>>>>>> api, and those work. The server side, I guess you would have to talk
>>>>>>> to our owner. I do have a crude proof-of-concept server-side script
>>>>>>> that is shareable which takes in a scan and just displays it back.
>>>>>>> But
>>>>>>> from there you can modify however you want. Even the crude script
>>>>>>> collects the file and displays it. So just add code to that to do
>>>>>>> something else with the file like save it in a directory structure of
>>>>>>> your choice.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>> bkw
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>>> Subscribe/Unsubscribe/Subscription Changes
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>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Regards,
>>>>>> ....Bob Rasmussen, President, Rasmussen Software, Inc.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> personal e-mail: ras at anzio.com
>>>>>> company e-mail: rsi at anzio.com
>>>>>> voice: (US) 503-624-0360 (9:00-6:00 Pacific Time)
>>>>>> fax: (US) 503-624-0760
>>>>>> web: http://www.anzio.com
>>>>>> street address: Rasmussen Software, Inc.
>>>>>> 10240 SW Nimbus, Suite L9
>>>>>> Portland, OR 97223 USA
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Regards,
>>>> ....Bob Rasmussen, President, Rasmussen Software, Inc.
>>>>
>>>> personal e-mail: ras at anzio.com
>>>> company e-mail: rsi at anzio.com
>>>> voice: (US) 503-624-0360 (9:00-6:00 Pacific Time)
>>>> fax: (US) 503-624-0760
>>>> web: http://www.anzio.com
>>>> street address: Rasmussen Software, Inc.
>>>> 10240 SW Nimbus, Suite L9
>>>> Portland, OR 97223 USA
>>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>
>>
>> Regards,
>> ....Bob Rasmussen, President, Rasmussen Software, Inc.
>>
>> personal e-mail: ras at anzio.com
>> company e-mail: rsi at anzio.com
>> voice: (US) 503-624-0360 (9:00-6:00 Pacific Time)
>> fax: (US) 503-624-0760
>> web: http://www.anzio.com
>> street address: Rasmussen Software, Inc.
>> 10240 SW Nimbus, Suite L9
>> Portland, OR 97223 USA
>> _______________________________________________
>> Filepro-list mailing list
>> Filepro-list at lists.celestial.com
>> Subscribe/Unsubscribe/Subscription Changes
>> http://mailman.celestial.com/mailman/listinfo/filepro-list
>>
>
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Regards,
....Bob Rasmussen, President, Rasmussen Software, Inc.
personal e-mail: ras at anzio.com
company e-mail: rsi at anzio.com
voice: (US) 503-624-0360 (9:00-6:00 Pacific Time)
fax: (US) 503-624-0760
web: http://www.anzio.com
street address: Rasmussen Software, Inc.
10240 SW Nimbus, Suite L9
Portland, OR 97223 USA
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