Screen Scrapping Utility

[Guest.Visitor]

Hi, In general, I am looking for a simple and inexpensive screen scrapping utility. More specifically, I am looking for a utility that would produce a pop-up window once I key a specific character in a specific area of my screen (w/ 5250 emulation); this pop-up window should allow you to enter data into a spreadsheet or document using Excel, Word, Access or whatever. I just need to capture the data (possibly encrypted) in ASCII format on a local drive to be emailed or in a secure network drive (NOVELL NetWare). We do not have Office Vision. I think I may be able to do this with a PC package. If anyone has done something similar and/or has any suggestions, please advise. Thank you. Sincerely, Diana D. Virgei

[Guest.Visitor]

Most screen scraping utilities that I know of scrap while play a macro that is navigating though many screens. It sound like you are looking for a utility that watches over a 5250 emulation session for a given screen. Then once that screen shows up, invoke a MS application(Word, Execle etc..) If that is what you are saying I have not heard of such a product. Is that what you are asking?

[Guest.Visitor]

Diana, Is the end result that you want to send an encrypted email based on some AS/400 information? Your AS/400 can send email. How important is the encryption? You can place a proxy mail server between your AS/400/other mail server that encrypts/decrypts messages. I have been experimenting with this concept at home for a few weeks and it appears to work for the minimal volume that I generate on my AS/400. David Morris

[Guest.Visitor]

I've only seen one screen scraping application so far, which was during a brief demo. Now that you mention it, I do believe it involved a macro. Anyway, let me tell you more specifically what I am trying to accomplish. We have a purchased AS/400 Order Entry application we were about to customize to allow the users to enter credit card data when a customer requested paying via Master Card, Visa, etc. Right now, the application allows you to establish and use different "payment type codes"; hence, we could set up a payment type code specifically for credit card orders. I was hoping a screen scrapping utility could invoke a pop-up window for entering CC data once this payment type code is spotted on the screen. The data doesn't have to be in any Microsoft Office format, just in some format to store it and/or pass it on to the billing department via email or a shared directory. I'm trying to keep this data secure and also attempting to keep keystrokes to a minimum. Another approach would be to have the O E user invoke a macro that would automatically fill in the correct payment code on the screen and then allow her to enter CC data in some sort of ASCII format. What do you think?

[Guest.Visitor]

Thank you for your quick response. The data I'm trying to capture and automatically email involves credit card info. so it does have to be secure.