Can this be done

I was wondering how, if it can be done at all, a developer could in essance have a program run on one machine and create/edit and otherwise manipulate data in lets say a text file or xml file or something only to have that data viewable by another program on another computer somewhere else. It doesnt need to be accessible from any computer on the web but just one mabe two specific computers running a specific program.

For example: I have a 6 buisnesses each in a different city( Houston, Lake Charles, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Miami) I am in Protland. I have a Point of Sale type program on each computer at my businesses that records sales data for each day/month/year/whatever. Is there a way that I can connect to those individual computers running my POS software to get a copy of that data file containing all my sales data from another program. I have written /will write both the POS and Boss software.

Is this at all fesible or possible

Thanks
Thomas

.NET Development9

it is possible. But it's actually getting down to it which will be the hardest/toughest challange.

What you are looking at is either .NET Remoting, or really a Client/Server application communicating via sockets. You maybe better to create a webservice maybe so you can hook up to it and send a server (your computer in Protland) the file you want to send it. It will then take this in and store it locally for you to have a look at.

You could also use FTP, so your client software will dump the files in 1 folder which will be an FTP accessible folder, then your application can access it via the FtpWebRequest/FtpWebResponse classes and download the files

There are a number of ways but I would start exploring the "outside" (already done) ways before digging in deep and creating your own way of doing this, things like make a private FTP site for dumping and collecting files, or perhaps sending emails using System.Net.Mail namespace and the MailMessage/SmtpClient classes, emails containing attachments of these files to your email account.

If you want all the clients to use the same data for example, why don't you create a central database, SQL Server, which can be made public and accessible by your clients (offices) This would be a very good approach and that is what SQL Server is there for. To store data and to anaylse it.

Choice is yours, really depends how you want all this to work. I do hope this gives you some insights however

I will move this thread to the correct forum for the experts to help you on this.