BARCODE DATABASE.

[ROB]

I was wondering, if anyone out there has information on how to create a bar
code system/database. I have been reseaching barcoding systems, and all systems
are over kill on what I am trying to track. All I want to track is employee
number, order number and total hours worked per order on a daily/weekly basis.
I will up load this into an MRP system. The database itself wouldn't be at
all hard to create. I need information on how the readers interface with
the database. That is how the information is captured and communicated back
to the database. Or information on where to start. Any help would be greatly
appreciated.

[Richard Watt]

Rob

I have used a barcode reader for a very simple system I setup and it just
plugged into the keyboard input on the PC, and the keyboard pluged into that.
Then anything read from the barcode reader is treated as keyboard input
by the program.

So a front end to your database does not have to do anything really special,
just have a barcode field for entry and/or searching. Then the barcode field
could be typed in manually, or use the reader and enter it that way.

I guess there may readers available that use a com port which would work
differently.

Hope this helps.

Richard


"ROB" <RANDYE@MAIMAN.COM> wrote:
>
>I was wondering, if anyone out there has information on how to create a
bar
>code system/database. I have been reseaching barcoding systems, and all
systems
>are over kill on what I am trying to track. All I want to track is employee
>number, order number and total hours worked per order on a daily/weekly
basis.
>I will up load this into an MRP system. The database itself wouldn't be
at
>all hard to create. I need information on how the readers interface with
>the database. That is how the information is captured and communicated back
>to the database. Or information on where to start. Any help would be greatly
>appreciated.

[khurram]

hi,
i have made a library information system using visual basic as front end
and microsot access as back end i want to attach a bar code reader with it
so that when student comes the librarian scans the card and the book to issue
and then it simply scans the card to return please help me how can i do this
using visual basic and please tell me how this bar code works????what it
will scan??..and when it scan how can we use the input to be put in a querry.
i will be waiting for ur reply please help i want your help thank you..
khurram saleem

"Richard Watt" <rich_watt@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>Rob
>
>I have used a barcode reader for a very simple system I setup and it just
>plugged into the keyboard input on the PC, and the keyboard pluged into
that.
> Then anything read from the barcode reader is treated as keyboard input
>by the program.
>
>So a front end to your database does not have to do anything really special,
>just have a barcode field for entry and/or searching. Then the barcode
field
>could be typed in manually, or use the reader and enter it that way.
>
>I guess there may readers available that use a com port which would work
>differently.
>
>Hope this helps.
>
>Richard
>
>
>"ROB" <RANDYE@MAIMAN.COM> wrote:
>>
>>I was wondering, if anyone out there has information on how to create a
>bar
>>code system/database. I have been reseaching barcoding systems, and all
>systems
>>are over kill on what I am trying to track. All I want to track is employee
>>number, order number and total hours worked per order on a daily/weekly
>basis.
>>I will up load this into an MRP system. The database itself wouldn't be
>at
>>all hard to create. I need information on how the readers interface with
>>the database. That is how the information is captured and communicated
back
>>to the database. Or information on where to start. Any help would be greatly
>>appreciated.
>

[Richard Watt]

Khurram

You shouldn't need to do much to your program to barcode enable it. I assume
you have a field for the card holder number, and store the barcodes of each
book issued and can enter all this manually through the front end.

Barcode scanners can be programmed to prefix the scanned barcode with a string
of your choice. Doing this will enables your app to see that this 'keyboard'
entry (see my previous answer below) is a barcode and to be treated differently.
This enables you to avoid the problem of getting a barcode string via the
keyboard and the program having the focus on the wrong control.

Depending how you are numbering your card holders and if you are printing
your own barcodes for the book or using the existing one as to how you distinguish
if a barcode refers to a book or a card holder. You could for example print
a card holder barcode with a prefix of 'C' for card. Or assume any barcode
beginning with 978 is a book. The EAN13 barcode on books is 978 + the ISBN
number.

Using the Form_KeyDown event with the forms KeyPreview proprty set to true,
you can check for your special prefix that the scanner will send, then handle
the barcode depending if it it a book or card.

The key preview will only test one character at a time, so you will need
to store enough of the previous keys presses to test for your special barcode
prefix. It should be a key combination that wouldn't (or cannot) normally
be entered through the keyboard.

Cheers
Richard


"khurram" <baazigar81@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>hi,
>i have made a library information system using visual basic as front end
>and microsot access as back end i want to attach a bar code reader with
it
>so that when student comes the librarian scans the card and the book to
issue
>and then it simply scans the card to return please help me how can i do
this
>using visual basic and please tell me how this bar code works????what it
> will scan??..and when it scan how can we use the input to be put in a querry.
> i will be waiting for ur reply please help i want your help thank you..
> khurram saleem
>
>"Richard Watt" <rich_watt@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>Rob
>>
>>I have used a barcode reader for a very simple system I setup and it just
>>plugged into the keyboard input on the PC, and the keyboard pluged into
>that.
>> Then anything read from the barcode reader is treated as keyboard input
>>by the program.
>>
>>So a front end to your database does not have to do anything really special,
>>just have a barcode field for entry and/or searching. Then the barcode
>field
>>could be typed in manually, or use the reader and enter it that way.
>>
>>I guess there may readers available that use a com port which would work
>>differently.
>>
>>Hope this helps.
>>
>>Richard
>>
>>
>>"ROB" <RANDYE@MAIMAN.COM> wrote:
>>>
>>>I was wondering, if anyone out there has information on how to create
a
>>bar
>>>code system/database. I have been reseaching barcoding systems, and all
>>systems
>>>are over kill on what I am trying to track. All I want to track is employee
>>>number, order number and total hours worked per order on a daily/weekly
>>basis.
>>>I will up load this into an MRP system. The database itself wouldn't be
>>at
>>>all hard to create. I need information on how the readers interface with
>>>the database. That is how the information is captured and communicated
>back
>>>to the database. Or information on where to start. Any help would be greatly
>>>appreciated.
>>
>

[Richard Watt]

I have just realised there is an error in my answer - since you are testing
key press by key press to detect the barcode prefix, a prefix of more than
one character will then have each character proceed to process against the
form since you have not cancelled the keypress.

You should be able to set the prefix to just one character that is an ASCII
value that is not available on the keyboard. Once you get the keypress,
cancel it by setting it to zero. Grab the next x character if using fixed
length barocdes, or set a code to appear at the end of the barcode so you
can return to normal key processing.

Richard


"Richard Watt" <rich_watt@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>Khurram
>
>You shouldn't need to do much to your program to barcode enable it. I assume
>you have a field for the card holder number, and store the barcodes of each
>book issued and can enter all this manually through the front end.
>
>Barcode scanners can be programmed to prefix the scanned barcode with a
string
>of your choice. Doing this will enables your app to see that this 'keyboard'
>entry (see my previous answer below) is a barcode and to be treated differently.
> This enables you to avoid the problem of getting a barcode string via the
>keyboard and the program having the focus on the wrong control.
>
>Depending how you are numbering your card holders and if you are printing
>your own barcodes for the book or using the existing one as to how you distinguish
>if a barcode refers to a book or a card holder. You could for example print
>a card holder barcode with a prefix of 'C' for card. Or assume any barcode
>beginning with 978 is a book. The EAN13 barcode on books is 978 + the ISBN
>number.
>
>Using the Form_KeyDown event with the forms KeyPreview proprty set to true,
>you can check for your special prefix that the scanner will send, then handle
>the barcode depending if it it a book or card.
>
>The key preview will only test one character at a time, so you will need
>to store enough of the previous keys presses to test for your special barcode
>prefix. It should be a key combination that wouldn't (or cannot) normally
>be entered through the keyboard.
>
>Cheers
>Richard
>
>
>"khurram" <baazigar81@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>hi,
>>i have made a library information system using visual basic as front end
>>and microsot access as back end i want to attach a bar code reader with
>it
>>so that when student comes the librarian scans the card and the book to
>issue
>>and then it simply scans the card to return please help me how can i do
>this
>>using visual basic and please tell me how this bar code works????what it
>> will scan??..and when it scan how can we use the input to be put in a
querry.
>> i will be waiting for ur reply please help i want your help thank you..
>> khurram saleem
>>
>>"Richard Watt" <rich_watt@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>Rob
>>>
>>>I have used a barcode reader for a very simple system I setup and it just
>>>plugged into the keyboard input on the PC, and the keyboard pluged into
>>that.
>>> Then anything read from the barcode reader is treated as keyboard input
>>>by the program.
>>>
>>>So a front end to your database does not have to do anything really special,
>>>just have a barcode field for entry and/or searching. Then the barcode
>>field
>>>could be typed in manually, or use the reader and enter it that way.
>>>
>>>I guess there may readers available that use a com port which would work
>>>differently.
>>>
>>>Hope this helps.
>>>
>>>Richard
>>>
>>>
>>>"ROB" <RANDYE@MAIMAN.COM> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>I was wondering, if anyone out there has information on how to create
>a
>>>bar
>>>>code system/database. I have been reseaching barcoding systems, and all
>>>systems
>>>>are over kill on what I am trying to track. All I want to track is employee
>>>>number, order number and total hours worked per order on a daily/weekly
>>>basis.
>>>>I will up load this into an MRP system. The database itself wouldn't
be
>>>at
>>>>all hard to create. I need information on how the readers interface with
>>>>the database. That is how the information is captured and communicated
>>back
>>>>to the database. Or information on where to start. Any help would be
greatly
>>>>appreciated.
>>>
>>
>

[Robert]

"khurram" <baazigar81@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>hi,
>i have made a library information system using visual basic as front end
>and microsot access as back end i want to attach a bar code reader with
it
>so that when student comes the librarian scans the card and the book to
issue
>and then it simply scans the card to return please help me how can i do
this
>using visual basic and please tell me how this bar code works????what it
> will scan??..and when it scan how can we use the input to be put in a querry.
> i will be waiting for ur reply please help i want your help thank you..
> khurram saleem
>
>"Richard Watt" <rich_watt@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>Rob
>>
>>I have used a barcode reader for a very simple system I setup and it just
>>plugged into the keyboard input on the PC, and the keyboard pluged into
>that.
>> Then anything read from the barcode reader is treated as keyboard input
>>by the program.
>>
>>So a front end to your database does not have to do anything really special,
>>just have a barcode field for entry and/or searching. Then the barcode
>field
>>could be typed in manually, or use the reader and enter it that way.
>>
>>I guess there may readers available that use a com port which would work
>>differently.
>>
>>Hope this helps.
>>
>>Richard
>>
>>
>>"ROB" <RANDYE@MAIMAN.COM> wrote:
>>>
>>>I was wondering, if anyone out there has information on how to create
a
>>bar
>>>code system/database. I have been reseaching barcoding systems, and all
>>systems
>>>are over kill on what I am trying to track. All I want to track is employee
>>>number, order number and total hours worked per order on a daily/weekly
>>basis.
>>>I will up load this into an MRP system. The database itself wouldn't be
>>at
>>>all hard to create. I need information on how the readers interface with
>>>the database. That is how the information is captured and communicated
>back
>>>to the database. Or information on where to start. Any help would be greatly
>>>appreciated.
>>
>


The easiest implementation of this using VB is as peviously mentioned to
use a scanner that plugs into the keyboard. The one thing that you should
be aware of, is that you will need bar code fonts to print labels. I used
Crystal Reports for this purpose, however you still need to purchase the
fonts. You might want to check out www.azalea.com they sell the fonts and
provide some pretty decent sample code and tech support is friendly, helpfull
(and answers the phone)