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Hello,

I am attempting to encode a magnetic stripe on a CR80 card using:
Simulsoft Reports.Net v.2014.2.2000 on .Net Framework v.4.0.30319 (see JPG for Help screen) via the TopTix SRO4 Document Designer of which it is part. I am told by the printer manufacturer (an IDP Smart-50D with mag encoder) that this is done by the printer driver at low level IF the printer sees code like ~SP:M:H:2:{Client.CrmId}? i.e the db string {Client.CrmId} is enclosed by the escape characters of ~ and ?

Their actual words are:

To do magnetic encoding using a 3rd Party application a user can encode by using a ‘Text string’ on the applications badge template. The text string usually needs to be on the body of the template or in a plain text box. In this case, the magnetic encoding data is defined by making use of defined text strings.
The text string will not print on to the card but will be picked up by the printer driver and encoded as magnetic data.

The text string rule is as following.
~SP:M:H/L:1/2/3:data?

Below details each part of the string…
~SP:M The first text to accept as magnetic encoding.
: Delimiter.
H/L Selecting used magnetic card among (H)iCo and (L)oCo.
: Delimiter.
1/2/3 Selecting the data track done encoding.
: Delimiter.
data Inputting the encoded data.
? End text.

Having attempted this in the Report Designer, all I can do is make the printer print the string minus the bracketed Client.CrmId rather than do a mag encode at low level. My questions are: Am I attempting this the wrong way (I put the string in a text box on the card template). Should the string be placed in a lower level place in the template and if so, where? Is the Report.Net product capable of being used like this? It prints the Client.CrmId as a barcode perfectly.

Your advise would be much appreciated. Kind regards, Matt

Hello,

Could you explain your issue in more details? Which result are you got and which it should be?
Also, if possible please send us a simple report with test data for analysis.

Thank you.

Hi Aleksey,

I've attached a XML export, Save As.. only returns the design to the application. As you can see on the second side of the card, the string ~SP:M:H:2:{Client.CrmId}? is designed as per printer manufacturers instructions (above) to magnetically encode the card from within the print driver. I'm assuming this string should be escaped to prevent the document printing the string rather than doing the encode. I've played with some of the standard escape characters but drawn a blank. Client.CrmId is simply a 6-10 digit number, nothing special about it. The result seen on the card at the moment is that it prints ~SP:M:H:2:? rather than encoding the number.

Does that help? Regards, Matt

Hi again,

As a further update, the card is successfully encoded in Notepad, but not in Microsoft Word. I guess that the XML is stopping this from happening correctly?

Hello.

It seems that the text should be passed to the printer as plain text.
When you print from Word or our product the report is printed with special methods.
You could try to use the Dot-Matirix mode, if it is available in your product.

Thank you.

Hi,

Doesn't seem to be an option in my product, I'll check with the devs.

Many thanks

Hello, Matt.

Sorry, but this is all that we can suggest you.
We don't know what changes were made with our product by third-party developers.

Thank you.

Hello,

Yes of course, thanks for all your help anyway.

Regards, Matt

Hello

Please let us know if you have any additional questions.

Thank you.