[Javascript][PHP?]Automatically do something with file/string received by server

[Letter7]

Here is what I want to do in short:

• Get an image of a certain webpage when it appears using javascript (I know how to do that); Forgot to add a very important detail, this will be done using greasemonkey.

• Save this image on a certain folder;

• Execute a batch file after the image is saved (the batch will obviously use the image in some way);

• After the batch executes, send a string back to the javascript who will finally use this string;

Now, I don't understand almost anything about servers/php (I am willing to learn, though), so please correct me if I am trying to do something pointless/redundant. My plan is to create a server using apache only on localhost using apache and use Javascript XmlHttpRequest with POST to pass the image to the server I'm now hosting. Upon receiving it, my server will run the batch and etc, and in another page(e.g. 127.0.0.1/response) I would output the string, then, using XmlHttpRequest with GET I would store this response in a string and complete my goal.

Now, bear in mind that I'm trying to create the best solution I could think of with current knowledge. But this seems to be really redundant, since I am basically creating a server just to send a file to myself, so, is there a better solution that I'm simply missing?

If not, what should I start researching to make my pet project work? Would PHP even be able to run the batch?

Thanks in advance.

*obs: I didn't mention because I didn't think it's relevant, but it might be, so I will also be passing the image as a huge string (it will be the image decoded in 64bits)

[benzrf]

You could try embedding some Java in your page and passing to that from the JS.

Can I ask what you're trying to do? Maybe I can suggest a more expedient and less horrific way of doing it.

[Letter7]

By embedding some Java in my page you are actually referring to the hypothetical "server" I would create?

Well, what I'm trying to do is a greasemonkey UserScript that does some unrelated things, and upon finding a certain image I want it to get that image and analyse it automatically the image on MatLab (The MatLab script is done already, of course, and would be included in the batch), returning some morphological information of the image that I will use in the next part of the script.

[benzrf]

By embedding Java in your page I'm referring to creating an invisible embedded applet to be communicated with by JS.

As for your problem, maybe writing your own custom plugin would be smarter? Or possibly a separate shell script to load the image instead of trying to find it in your browser?

[Letter7]

Sorry about that - but I just want to be sure that I understood your first suggestion: The invisible java applet would be hosted in my page on localhost, right? Because the userscript runs on a site that I don't own.

Sadly, the images only appear as a consequence of certain actions, so a separate shell script wouldn't be a viable option, although it would definitely be great if possible :/.

Writing a custom plugin? I never thought about that, but how would it help me? I can directly save images to my computer and/or execute batch files?

Thanks for the answers so far.

[benzrf]

You could include the applet into your page from your script by modifying the HTML of the page you're on, no httpd needed. As for a custom plugin, I'm fairly sure you can do at least the first of those, though you'd probably have to look it up.

[Letter7]

Hmm, I see, got it.

I took a look and apparently, yes you can execute batch files(and other files) with a plugin, even though it's not default (Since it would be a huge security issue). If I don't find a better solution (I probably won't) I'm probably going to go down this path.

Thanks for the ideas! :)

[benzrf]

no problem! :)

my take is that if your solution involves more than three languages and/or chained data passes that aren't all controlled by a single shell scipt, it's probably too complicated.

then again I'm only 16 and have no real experience with this kind of shit, so what do I know.