2nd time:applet that allows a web-client to do a screen capture

[revansx]

Folks,

I aplogize for posting a second time. I am surprised at what little has
be said about this issue. Is there another list that I should post this
to?
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Please give me some advice on the following situation:

I am attempting to develop a completely web-based set of tools that can

match the functionality of a set of Tcl/Tk programs that are used in
our control system environment. I believe that I can do everything that

the Tcl/Tk tools are doing except this one thing:

The Tcl/Tk app allows the user to pick two points on their screen
(which defines a rectangle) and then automatically grabs that potion of

the screen as an image and embeds it into the Tcl/Tk app as an object
which is then uploaded to a database when the user has submitted the
Tcl/Tk form.

I would like to have a web-page with a form that allows file-uploads
(this I can do), but I would like the page to include an embedded Java
applet (presumably) that allows the web-client to capture a portion of
the screen and automatically attach it to the html form which can then
be uploaded to a database when the client submits the form.

An important requirement of this project is that it not require the
user to install anything prior to visiting the web-page. The applet (or

whatever) can be installed but not a separate program. I really want
this entire function to be provided from the web-page. I can provide
more information if necessary, but I though that a broad statement of
the problem would allow more people to chime-in with their thoughts. I
am eager to find out how this might be possible.

Thanks in advance,

- revansx

[bobzimuta]

Did you check out

http://schmidt.devlib.org/java/save-screenshot.html ?

The java code is right there for creating the screenshot. It is then a
matter of taking the image, turning it into it's string value and
submitting to a server via POST. I don't know if you can put java
variables into HTML form data.

Frankly, I think using an applet for screenshots is a bit off-topic for
a javascript forum.

[VK]

re*****@cox.net wrote:

Folks,

I aplogize for posting a second time. I am surprised at what little has
be said about this issue. Is there another list that I should post this
to?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please give me some advice on the following situation:

I am attempting to develop a completely web-based set of tools that can

match the functionality of a set of Tcl/Tk programs that are used in
our control system environment. I believe that I can do everything that

the Tcl/Tk tools are doing except this one thing:

The Tcl/Tk app allows the user to pick two points on their screen
(which defines a rectangle) and then automatically grabs that potion of

the screen as an image and embeds it into the Tcl/Tk app as an object
which is then uploaded to a database when the user has submitted the
Tcl/Tk form.

Nothing too much to discuss in <comp.lang.javascript>, this is why
there are not too many answers. JavaScript doesn't allow low level
system access, so this project is not doable in JavaScript. You need to
get a screen snapshot (like on Print Screen press in Windows), paste it
in some graphics editor, select an area on the image, crop image to the
selection and save the result in some image format. This is a task for
a fully functional graphics editor on the level of Paint at least. I
know no programming language at all having a fully functional graphics
editor build-in. Even Java with its PixelGrabber is below the task. I
doubt very much that Tcl/Tk has it, but if it does (I did not work with
Tcl) then it's really cool and unusual.

You may possibly write your own ActiveX / Java plugin with extended
privileges (properly signed then) to achieve it.

You may redirect your question to <comp.lang.java.help> to start with.

[revansx]

Bob,

Thanks for your recomendation. True, it would provide the functionality
that I am looking for, however, it is restricted to creating an image
of what is in the browser frame only. The solution that I am looking
for MUST be able to capture any area of the clients entire desktop
(especially including screen content from other applications)

I will ask in the pure java forums. I am sorry if this question was
misplaced.
Take care all,

-rich