Programming Language that capable of reading card swiping

Question

Basically i have 0 experience in doing this. I would like to ask for some basic stuffs for creating a system that could read card swiping. What should i bear in mind and what should i prepare for?

Answer 1

Some simple card readers (such as the ones used at libraries) just appear as a keyboard to the computer. You can find tutorials in any language for reading from the keyboard.

You should probably look into what kind of card reader you want. After that, look for bindings in your favorite language for a library that can read from it.

Answer 2

There are three main types of card readers:

• Keyboard Emulation
  These card readers take the main track and send keypresses to the host (usually over USB, or PS/2 port for old-style readers). For these readers, you don't typically have to write any special code... just capture the card info as it is "typed". Note that some card readers will send a header keystroke, like a function key or something. Most can be configured.

• Serial Port
  Serial port (or emulated serial port in the case of USB) readers just require you to open the port like you would to a modem or other serial device. You will have to interpret the protocol yourself. Usually this protocol is very simple, and in some cases identical to the keyboard emulation. Read the documentation for the card reader for more information.

• USB HID
  HID card readers do not require drivers (as they use the standard HID protocol). You can use a tool like USB Snoopy to see the input from these. I prefer these types of card readers as they simplify a lot of things. However, they are more difficult to program with. You will need to access whatever HID API is available from the OS. These are very common.