# Integrating hardware with browser **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [May 4, 2010, 6:20am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/integrating-hardware-with-browser/188013 "2010-05-04T06:20:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pepe](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/4da419/32.png) [@pepe](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pepe)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 6:20am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/integrating-hardware-with-browser/188013/1 "2010-05-04T06:20:53Z")
Hello, I’ve looked high and low and found just 1 post with some information about this subject, from 2008, and Google searches turned out pretty much no useful information. I would appreciate any help on this. I need to be able to control several devices (card reader, printer, camera, cashier drawer) attached to the client. Has anybody done anything similar? Any info/links would be greatly appreciated. Thank you ---
**Author:** ![pepe](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/4da419/32.png) [@pepe](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pepe)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 1:14pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/integrating-hardware-with-browser/188013/2 "2010-05-04T13:14:42Z")
On May 4, 5:19 am, pepe [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Hello, > > I’ve looked high and low and found just 1 post with some information > about this subject, from 2008, and Google searches turned out pretty > much no useful information. I would appreciate any help on this. > > I need to be able to control several devices (card reader, printer, > camera, cashier drawer) attached to the client. Has anybody done > anything similar? Any info/links would be greatly appreciated. Well if you stick to straight html/javascript you’ll have zero control over external devices (beyond what is provided by javascript APIs supported by the browser, eg the geolocation api gives you access to location data from gps units). If you wrote a browser plugin, that plugin would just be native C/C++ code and would be able to do anything native code on that platform can do. Your plugin and your webpage can communicate via javascript too. Fred ---
**Author:** ![pepe](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/4da419/32.png) [@pepe](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pepe)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 11:35pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/integrating-hardware-with-browser/188013/3 "2010-05-04T23:35:48Z")
Thanks Fred, I got in contact with a .NET friend and he can access the software using Silverlight. I think we’re going to go with him accessing the hardware and see if he can provide me with an interface to communicate with his code and make it part of the RoR app. Thank you so much for your help. On May 4, 7:12 am, Frederick C. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) ---
**Author:** ![pepe](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/4da419/32.png) [@pepe](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pepe)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2010, 12:45am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/integrating-hardware-with-browser/188013/4 "2010-05-05T00:45:01Z")
pepe wrote: > Thanks Fred, > > I got in contact with a .NET friend and he can access the software > using Silverlight. I think we’re going to go with him accessing the > hardware and see if he can provide me with an interface to communicate > with his code and make it part of the RoR app. I would suggest Flash or Java instead of Silverlight. > Thank you so much for your help. > > On May 4, 7:12�am, Frederick C. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) ## Best, Marnen Laibow-Koser [http://www.marnen.org](http://www.marnen.org) removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid ---
**Author:** ![pepe](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/4da419/32.png) [@pepe](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pepe)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2010, 1:46am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/integrating-hardware-with-browser/188013/5 "2010-05-05T01:46:54Z")
Hi Marnen, What are the advantages of using Flex or Java instead? Are there any particular tools I should be looking at? I know Java (not a guru, though) but I know nothing about Flash and what it is capable of. Thanks a lot. ---
**Author:** ![pepe](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/4da419/32.png) [@pepe](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pepe)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2010, 5:26pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/integrating-hardware-with-browser/188013/6 "2010-05-05T17:26:23Z")
Thanks for the input, Marnen. ---
**Author:** ![pepe](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/4da419/32.png) [@pepe](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pepe)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2010, 2:23pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/integrating-hardware-with-browser/188013/7 "2010-05-05T14:23:56Z")
pepe wrote: > Hi Marnen, > > What are the advantages of using Flex or Java instead? Flash, not necessarily Flex. AFAIK, they have better browser support than Silverlight. > Are there any > particular tools I should be looking at? I know Java (not a guru, > though) but I know nothing about Flash and what it is capable of. I don’t know that much about Flash myself, but it can at least control cameras. > Thanks a lot. ## Best, Marnen Laibow-Koser [http://www.marnen.org](http://www.marnen.org) removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid