如何通过局域网正确执行C＃文件？

Question

Overview

C# File - Users PC
PHP Server - Hosts Webpages for application

Server and Users PC on local network

I have ac# file that reads weight from a USB scale. How would I trigger this file to run so it feeds into my program. The problem is I am using PHP to host our webpage/application so its not running client side and the scale is not hooked up to the server but to the clients PC.

The C# script would have to be on the clients in order to read the scale so how would I trigger this to happen?

Is this even possible and if not what would be a better way?

I was able to run the Scale Script (C#) when I wanted by having PHP and C# use TCP sockets.

The C# would listen for PHP to send something and when it did it would read the scale and send this information back to PHP becuase PHP was listening for a response. Mixed in with a little Ajax and it updates in the web browser.

Gave Chris Credit because he was the most helpful with answering my questions

Answer 1

It sounds like what you really want is for the client application to submit the data to the website itself, and the most suitable approach is probably to expose a web service from your server.

This service should accept weight data, along with some sort of customer key or whatever, to correlate the records correctly on the server side. I've never created a web service in PHP personally, so I can't give any advice on the implementation of that, but it is fairly trivial to hook a C# client app up to a web service once you've exposed its metadata (assuming you use SOAP).

Answer 2

C# isn't a scripting language, it's a language that compiles into executable binaries or libraries. You won't be able to execute C# code on the client's computer via a website because C# code needs to be compiled before it can run.

Presumably what you really want is for your compiled C# binary to be executed on the client's machine via your website. You won't be able to easily do that. There are a lot of security measures in place to prevent browsers from running programs on your computer. There may be ways to hack around these security measures by using plugins (such as ActiveX), but it's not something that will be a one-liner.

Edit: I think you need to step back and think about what you're trying to do in a broad sense. You're trying to create a website that can read information from a user's USB port. This is the type of thing that browsers are designed to prevent , and for good reason. I wouldn't want random websites to be able to access peripheral hardware without my explicit permission. If you want this website to function the way you're expecting, you're going to have to seriously think about the security implications. You'll need some kind of client-side code (ActiveX, Silverlight, ...), and the user will need to explicitly give permission to for this all to happen. It won't be easy, and it won't be automatic. And I'm damn glad that's true.

Answer 3

you can't start C# application from a web page in a way that'll work in every browser every time. BUT, you can have some workarounds:

• Use ActiveX component that read the data in the client and upload it to the server. the biggest cons is that it'll only work in Internet Explorer
• use Silverlight client application that runs on elevated mode (v4) and upload the data to your server.
• refer your clients to download application (the C# application you wrote about) and run it - this application will upload the data to your server.

hope this helps.