Use XL as packet sniffer & log?

[Keith R]

Situation: key pieces of data are transmitted from a server to software on
my PC (so I see the info within the program, but can't copy/paste it- it's
actually a DOS-based program, which I run full-screen on Win98SE). I want
to capture some key pieces of this data and put it in a log or inventory in
Excel2K, rather than manually copying the info down, and typing it all back
into excel.

I'm decent with VBA (although nowhere near a lot of you folks on this ng),
but I have no experience whatsoever with intercepting data streams (even
figuring out how to), and from that figuring out which pieces are the ones
I need (I'll figure that part out later I guess).

Best case would be:
I open Excel and start my VBA
I open the DOS program in the DOS shell, and just go look at the different
views (where the data are) to get it sent from the server
I go back to Excel and the info is logged (in as many rows as it takes)
Then I can write VBA to grab just the pieces of the strings that I need and
put it in some kind of order

Any pointers to sample programs, code snippets, or even just what keywords
I should be searching this newsgroup on to find out how to do this would be
greatly appreciated.

Many thanks,
Keith R

 

[keepitcool]

Situation: key pieces of data are transmitted from a server to
software on my PC (so I see the info within the program, but can't
copy/paste it- it's actually a DOS-based program, which I run
full-screen on Win98SE).

Keith did you know following?

Check properties of the cmd window in which you run the app.
(Maybe you first need to switch to from FS to Window, (alt-enter)
then right click the caption bar

When you check QuickEdit box.. you can use your mouse, select/copy data
from the dos box to windows clipboard.



keepITcool

< email : keepitcool chello nl (with @ and .) >
< homepage: http://members.chello.nl/keepitcool >

 

[Keith R]

I google searched the ng, and found lots of options for dealing with DOS
text windows, and also for dealing with web page info, but nothing related
to actual packet sniffing- thanks keepitcool for your suggestion, but the
program (even when I run it in a window using -w switch on startup) does
not provide any options or info- it's not a dumb terminal window, its an
actual program that continuously interacts with the server (sending new
info, responding to user input, etc). So far it seems like my best bet is
to find out if there is any way to sniff packets directly from excel- I'm
sure I'll get a lot of info I _don't_ want as well, I'll just have to look
at whatever does come across and try to figure out which data represents
what I need.

Does anyone have any ideas how I could grab a copy of packets as strings
and paste them into rows in excel?

Many thanks,
Keith