[Rails] How to communicate a web app with destkop app?

[Ricardo do Valle]

Hi everyone,

I need that my web app talk with a dektop application.

User case: a user click a button on the page, and this button send a command to the desktop app and wait for the answer from destkop app or timeout.

I am using Rails 4 and Qt/C++, but it is not mandatory to use Qt/C++.

The desktop app is used to talk with computer usb port.

Anyone hava any tips or help?

Thanks

[Fernando Almeida]

Does is it an alternative for you?

https://developer.chrome.com/apps/usb.html

https://wiki.mozilla.org/WebAPI/WebUSB

Without the desktop layer, in this case.

--
Fernando Almeida
fernandoalmeida.net
adminfinanceiro.com.br

2013/9/24 Ricardo do Valle <ricardo...@gmail.com>

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[Colin Law]

On 24 September 2013 19:44, Ricardo do Valle <ricardo...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi everyone,
>
> I need that my web app talk with a dektop application.

Which computer is the web application running on (not the browser, the
rails server)?

Colin

>
> User case: a user click a button on the page, and this button send a command
> to the desktop app and wait for the answer from destkop app or timeout.
>
> I am using Rails 4 and Qt/C++, but it is not mandatory to use Qt/C++.
> The desktop app is used to talk with computer usb port.
>
> Anyone hava any tips or help?
> Thanks
>

[Ricardo do Valle]

@Colin the rails server is running in a VPS with nginx and unicorn.

@Fernando, thank you very much, but it is not alternative for this project, i will study the chrome devs API for a future and another project, have you used already?

I am looking for a way to create sockets and controls (state machine) from a rails app or another way to do that.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rubyonrails-talk/CAL%3D0gLu5CuygbkG9OeG2tRsFyKNgtHSqyJXhR83fdzN7QHqseA%40mail.gmail.com.

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--
Ricardo do Valle

[Robert Walker]

Ricardo do Valle wrote in post #1122365:

> @Colin the rails server is running in a VPS with nginx and unicorn.
>
> @Fernando, thank you very much, but it is not alternative for this
> project,
> i will study the chrome devs API for a future and another project, have
> you
> used already?
>
> I am looking for a way to create sockets and controls (state machine)
> from
> a rails app or another way to do that.

You do realize that what you're talking about here is VERY DANGEROUS.
Web browsers work very hard to prevent exactly what you're describing
here. This is the reason why JavaScript is sandboxed and provided no
access outside of the browser environment.

That being said, you could write your own browser plugin and do whatever
you want. Of course, you will then be exposing anyone dumb enough to
install your plugin to all the sorts of security holes that ActiveX
based browser plugins, among others, became famous for.

If I were in your shoes I would instead write native applications that
communicate with your Rails application via web services. A good example
of this is the Pivotal Tracker app for iPhone and iPad.

This way you can ask people, that have some trust in you, to install
your native application. It will then communicate directly to your Rails
application and leave the user's browser environment secure and free
from "drive-by" security vulnerabilities.

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[Colin Law]

On 25 September 2013 05:09, Ricardo do Valle <ricardo...@gmail.com> wrote:
> @Colin the rails server is running in a VPS with nginx and unicorn.

So the server is running on a different computer to the browser, and
you want a page in the browser to interact with an app on the PC
running the browser. I believe this is not possible, and nor should
it be possible. Would you want a web page to be able to affect
applications running on the PC? Imagine what a malicious website
could do if this were possible.

Colin

> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rubyonrails-talk/CALQXn36nRg66poyssORqXC2kzeKW-8Mch5d3tgJn01_dgOKz_Q%40mail.gmail.com.

[Fernando Almeida]

Hi @Ricardo, I am not using yet but I already had seen before and remembered with your post.

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Fernando Almeida
fernandoalmeida.net
adminfinanceiro.com.br

2013/9/25 Ricardo do Valle <ricardo...@gmail.com>

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[Fernando Almeida]

@Colin, this is possible with ActiveX (Windows + IE only)

http://rosettacode.org/wiki/Execute_a_system_command#JavaScript

In the Firefox I am not sure but I think it is possible if the user explicitly allow, maybe with signed script or some extended permission

https://wiki.mozilla.org/Apps/Security#Extended_permissions

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Fernando Almeida
fernandoalmeida.net
adminfinanceiro.com.br

2013/9/25 Colin Law <cla...@googlemail.com>

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[Colin Law]

On 25 September 2013 16:11, Fernando Almeida

<fern...@fernandoalmeida.net> wrote:
> @Colin, this is possible with ActiveX (Windows + IE only)

Yes that is true, I had rejected that as a possible solution as I
assumed no-one enables ActiveX nowadays due to the security risks, and
the fact that it only works with IE. It may allow the OP do to what
he wants however, but as Robert suggested there are better solutions.
Does the current IE still support ActiveX?

Colin

> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rubyonrails-talk/CAJA5LLfNqsFHDmh2GB700RAbHPM6omyF8Tc7Wu8W_g-jESF87g%40mail.gmail.com.

[Prashant]

Yes current IE support ActiveX.

P