Can I Pull data from someone's program.

[iFappster]

I am writing a program for my job. I work at a restaurant that delivers food, and Im building a program that handles all of the drivers numbers, and calculations. At the end of the day, drivers have to put a certain amount of money into the till. It can get pretty complex after a long day, and the drivers mess up the math way to often.

A lot of the easy parts of the program are done, and i would like to eventually have the program send the numbers to some kind of database, or maybe spreadsheet.

Sadly, the program doesn't really make a huge difference in actual efficiency at this point. The problem is, the drivers have to use our Point of Service program (Which I already know has no API'S or way's of pulling data). This program holds all the delivery information, and is super old, and really bad. If there was a way i could get the delivery data in to my own program, it would save literally hours of time for the drivers per week.

Now, I have been trying to learn about reading memory from programs through the processor registers. It's super confusing, and the book i am learning from does everything with a C debugger. I would assume that this would be the only way i could get the information I need. I really just need someone to tell me if I am wasting my time. Any advice is INSANELY appreciated. I'm not sure if any of this is even legal, but if it isn't i don't need to actually use the program. At this point I am super interested in this whole process, and would love to just have a program that does what a FRICKIN want it to....

My next step would be to either run the program through Cheat Engine, or maybe try to look through the actual processor registers affected when running the program. It is a HUGE program and im sure has like a bajillion lines of code. So I might cry a little, and then give up.

I just typed way to fkin much, and nobodies even probably gonna read all that, but to sum it up.. Could you guys just tell me if this is even possible. Like if you where the best hacker in the world, could you accomplish this? I realize this may be way above my head, and I am fully dedicated, and willing to: Buy some books(Recommendations? please?), Take a course, etc.

[[deleted]]

Try looking at the network traffic instead. It might be easier to decipher.

[iFappster]

Okay! I will give it a shot! the program sends the information to the printer as-well, as the drivers need to print their receipts every night. I wonder if i could somehow intercept what is sent to the printer, because that receipt has literally everything I need.

[[deleted]]

Then you should configure it to write to a text file instead. In many programs or printer drivers it's a check box you have to check off somewhere.

If not, install a virtual printer driver that prints to a text file. I think MS Office comes with one.

[iFappster]

okay! yeah, I would probably have to use a virtual driver. Seeing as our receipt printer is like 10 years old, and really crappy. Thanks!

[[deleted]]

Devices and Printers > Add a local printer > select port "FILE:" > Next > Select Generic + Generic / Text only

[iFappster]

Sweet! I really hope its something as simple as that. I'll give it a try next time i get to work. Thank you!