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Standard input and card reader data

This is my first time working with a card reader.  Where does standard input from a card reader go when focus not set on a text box?  Is there a way to monitor it?
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mmusante

What kind of card-reader are you using?

I used 'winscard.dll' for some test take a look here ...

(http://search.microsoft.com/search/results.aspx?view=msdn&st=b&na=82&qu=winscard&s=1&swc=4)
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Make: MagTek
Part No. 21080204
Desc: MINI WEDGE MSR,TRKS 1 & 2: BLACK W/CABLE FOR AT AND PS2
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mmusante

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I did as you suggested, however the Form_KeyPress event was only triggered the first time I swiped the card.  I did not receive the message on subsequent swipes.  My code is simple (at the moment):

Private Sub Form_KeyPress(KeyAscii As Integer)

MsgBox "in Form_KeyPress event"

End Sub

KeyPress is fired for each key pressed ...

try this to see how it works with your card-reader ...

Private Sub Form_KeyPress(KeyAscii As Integer)
   debug.print asc(keyAscii)
End Sub
Sorry ...

Private Sub Form_KeyPress(KeyAscii As Integer)
   debug.print chr(keyAscii)
End Sub
Tried, debug.print chr(keyAscii), as you suggested.  Nothing happened at all when I ran it normally.  I then inserted a breakpoint at that line, something interesting happened.  The numeric data from the card appeared as the first line of code followed by the word Print.  See below:

Private Sub Form_KeyPress(KeyAscii As Integer)

910004061 Print 'This wasn't  there before!!!
Debug.Print Chr(KeyAscii)

End Sub

FYI:  The data on the card is a combination of alpha-numeric characters, ;910004061?
take a look here (https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/20952404/How-to-distinguish-entry-by-using-barcode-or-keyboard.html)

It could be useful to separate card-reader data from keyboard typing
There will be no keyboard typing.  I'm using a touch screen monitor.  The card reader works like my keyboard.  

Let me reiterate my problem, I want to capture data from a card reader.  The data is an alpha-numeric string.  The data is easily captured when my text box has focus, but my concern is detecting a swipe when the text box does not have focus.  I want any data read contained somewhere no matter what control has focus.

I appreciate your help.  Looking forward to your response!
>>>The numeric data from the card appeared as the first line of code followed by the

it sounds very strange ... the debug.print instruction print a message in the immediate window (press ctrl-G to show it)
here for something more on debug.print (http://home.no.net/svbug/emner/debug_immediate.htm)
Yes, I thought it would appear in the immediate window also, but it did not.
try this ...

Private Sub Form_KeyPress(KeyAscii As Integer)
   txtYourTextBox.Text = txtYourTextBox.Text & chr(KeyAscii)
End Sub

replace txtYourTextBox with your real textbox name

(you have to decide how and when clear your textbox)
>> Yes, I thought it would appear in the immediate window also, but it did not.

the break-point had put the focus on your code window then the card-reader wrote on your code
Ok, tried your suggestion,  txtYourTextBox.Text = txtYourTextBox.Text & chr(KeyAscii).  Replaced txtYourTextBox with my text box's name.  This is what happened.

When the text box had focus the following appeared in it:
?160400019;;9100014061?.  (A mirror of itself).

I reran it, put focus on something other than the text box and the following appeared, ;910004061?.  This is much better.

I going to try this:  make the text box invisible, capture the data there (since it can not have focus), thus containing the card data there.

set the 'Locked' property of the textBox to true ... so you will write only by the kepress event
Well I think I finally have it doing what I set out to do,  capturing all card data, regardless of what has focus.  Having set the form's keypreview to true, as you suggested, I created a dynamic array that will hold each character when the form's keypress event is triggered:

Option Explicit
Private rayCardData() As String

Private Sub Form_Load()
ReDim rayCardData(0)
End Sub

Private Sub Form_KeyPress(KeyAscii As Integer)
Dim intArrayIndex As Integer

Select Case KeyAscii
    Case 48 To 57, 59, 63 'Acceptable characters for array
        intArrayIndex = UBound(rayCardData)
        ReDim Preserve rayCardData(intArrayIndex + 1)
        rayCardData(intArrayIndex + 1) = Chr(KeyAscii)
    Case Else
        'Ignore any other characters
End Select

Thank you for your help.

End Sub