Well, you could try comparing the reality involved with multiple cards and see where the patterns fit. I know that that is how I find the meanings of strange databases for which I don't have access to the data dictionary. And it really is the same thing. PHM Yeoh Yiu wrote:

Meyer Wolfsheim <wolf@priori.net> writes:

...

A friend of mine recently informed me that he has access to a mag-strip reader, and scanned several drivers' licenses (as well as Safeway cards and other random credit-card like items.)

Most contained the information displayed on the front of the card, and/or some seemingly random numbers (most likely, the ID numbers.)

California DL's have nothing interesting stored in that magstrip that isn't on the front of the card. And no, the signature isn't reflected in the magstrip.

They might store a long number and without a dictionary you don't know what it means. It's unlikely that older cards would use and XMLish annoted data.

eg does

197202281800602 mean it belongs to a 180# 6'2" person born on Feb 28, 1972 ?

How could you tell ?

YY

-- Paul H. Merrill, MCNE, MCSE+I, CISSP PaulMerrill@ACM.Org