[Advanced-java] barcoding system (OT)

[Joel A. Thompson]

fyi...

Joel A. Thompson wrote:

> thanks! I appreciate the response.
>
> What barcode readers did you buy?
> (Inexpensive would be <$50 per reader).
>
> How did you get the "text" from the scan?
> Does it simply appear in a TextField that has the current focus:
> is done through the clipboard or does it simulate key strokes?
> Are there any command-line interfaces for this?
>
> -Joel
>
> Nikolaos Giannopoulos wrote:
>
>> Here's some info from my experience with a commercial project - 
>> mileage may
>> vary - and I'm not sure what the big picture is for you so just skip the
>> parts that are more than your willing to handle.
>>
>>
>> About 5 years ago we completed a production app (35 panel gui) that
>> extensively utilized bar codes and bar code scanning.
>>
>> Look for a scanner that can come with a keyboard wedge - essentially the
>> wedge is a Y shaped cable.  You plug the wedge into your computer's 
>> keyboard
>> port and then you plug your keyboard and the scanner on the other end 
>> of the
>> 2 open plugs.  For wharehouse station environments we didn't connect the
>> keyboards and just left them in a locked cabinet (underneath the 
>> unit).  I
>> know for a fact that Symbol makes these wedges but Symbol scanners 
>> weren't
>> that cheap back then.  But cheap is relative and I'm not sure what 
>> you may
>> consider inexpensive.
>>
>> When you scan a bar code the scanner essentially sends ASCII text as 
>> if it
>> had been typed in from the keyboard.  No worries about serial 
>> connections.
>> The nice thing here is that administrative staff could still 
>> interface with
>> an app that expects a bar code scanner and type in the bar code number
>> manually (assuming of course you utilize human readable bar codes).
>>
>> If you need an inexpensive unit you may not be able to find a wedge 
>> for it
>> but the dollars are definitely worth it if you can.
>>
>> As far as bar codes themselves are concerned you can buy some bar 
>> code fonts
>> and have something like for e.g. Crystal Reports on Windoze print the 
>> bar
>> code on your labels, reports, etc....  You could just as easily use any
>> other software but it simplified matters that the report was fired 
>> against
>> the DB and voila labels.
>>
>> You'll want to look at what the limitations (e.g. num char width,
>> alphanumric allowed, etc....) of different bar code fonts and *yes* 
>> believe
>> it dot matrix high speed printers (Okidata has quite a few 
>> workhorses) as
>> your far better off with form feed label printing than single sheet (at
>> least that was the case 5 years ago).
>>
>> No need for a Java API to read the labels.
>>
>> HTH.
>>
>> --Nikolaos
>>
>>
>>  
>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: advanced-java-bounces@lists.xcf.berkeley.edu
>>> [mailto:advanced-java-bounces@lists.xcf.berkeley.edu]On Behalf Of Joel
>>> Thompson
>>> Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 2003 2:11 AM
>>> To: advanced-java@lists.xcf.berkeley.edu
>>> Cc: joel@rhinosystemsinc.com
>>> Subject: [Advanced-java] barcoding system.
>>>
>>>
>>> I would like to know if anyone can recommend a
>>> simple (hopefully inexpensive, but not necessarily)
>>> barcode reader that I can attach to a parallel,
>>> serial, or usb port of a Windows (or LINUX) machine
>>> and use a Java API (is there one? I am sure there has to be) to read
>>> barcode labels, and deliver me an ID.
>>>
>>> Another part of this equation is to somehow get the
>>> barcodes (can you buy sheets of barcodes that you can
>>> just peel off and paste on the object you want to
>>> track?). Then I'd run the reader over the label, and
>>> assign my object to that ID.  Can you buy such labels and
>>> will they work with any barcode reader?
>>>
>>> I would be interacting with a database, obviously to
>>> store all the object information, that I want to
>>> track (by barcode ID).
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Joel
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Advanced-java mailing list
>>> Advanced-java@lists.xcf.berkeley.edu
>>> http://lists.xcf.berkeley.edu/mailman/listinfo/advanced-java
>>>   
>>
>>
>>
>>  
>>
>

-- 
-----------------------------------
- Software Development Consulting
- Phone: 530-888-6248
-        650-366-5885 x205
- Email: joel@rhinosystemsinc.com (wk)
-        jthomp@alum.berkeley.edu (hm)
- Website: www.rhinosystemsinc.com
-----------------------------------