Barcode readers

Pinchy · Dec 9, 2008, 11:59 AM

Quick question;

If I buy a barcode reader / scanner, and I swiped a barcode (For example the barcode off the box of a CPU), would it read the information on it OR would it need to be hooked up to some sort of database with the product information?

PVTCaboose1337 · Dec 9, 2008, 11:59 AM

It will straight up read the information embedded in the bar code.

Pinchy · Dec 9, 2008, 12:01 PM

Sweet, thx

.

ktr · Dec 10, 2008, 02:27 AM

If you are scanning a barcodes of products, all its gonna pick up is the UPC number or serial number. To get product info, it does need to be hooked up to a database. I know there is an app for the iphone, gphone, and I think blackberry that you can use the onboard camera to scan barcodes, and it will search the net (aka the database) for the best price.

Fitseries3 · Dec 10, 2008, 02:37 AM

my g1 has a barcode reader. its' SICK.

i'll be at like bestbuy and see something and scan the bardcode and my g1 will tell me where to find that item at the best price.

like i said ITS SICK.

not my vid.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGRgWXjhk4s

Solaris17 · Dec 10, 2008, 03:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ktr

If you are scanning a barcodes of products, all its gonna pick up is the UPC number or serial number. To get product info, it does need to be hooked up to a database. I know there is an app for the iphone, gphone, and I think blackberry that you can use the onboard camera to scan barcodes, and it will search the net (aka the database) for the best price.

needs app plz (iphone 3G)

ktr · Dec 10, 2008, 03:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solaris17

needs app plz (iphone 3G)

You just have to search the itunes store for it (search for barcode)...It is a free app. Personally, I dont own a iphone...so I don't know what it is called, but a friend of mine showed me it.

Thrackan · Dec 10, 2008, 07:49 AM

Well a barcode doesn't really have that much information as the bars are just a font (ie Zebra font).
If you scan the barcode and paste that info into Notepad, it should just give you (you guessed it) the numbers that are printed below the barcode

Logically, you'd need a reference database to access all possible information related to that number, but good software can do that for you

lemonadesoda · Dec 10, 2008, 10:54 AM

A typical USB bar code scanner behaves like a keyboard.

That is does is this:

1./ You plug it in to USB PnP. You dont need drivers, it is a keyboard
2./ You scan something by aiming at the bar code, and clicking the read button
3./ The scanner sends a series of keycodes that is the ASCII equivalent of the barcode
4./ In your text document (notepad, word, database) the ASCII characters appear.

It's nothing more than that. No special software needed. You use it as a data entry device into any "text box".

Pinchy · Dec 10, 2008, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lemonadesoda

A typical USB bar code scanner behaves like a keyboard.

That is does is this:

1./ You plug it in to USB PnP. You dont need drivers, it is a keyboard
2./ You scan something by aiming at the bar code, and clicking the read button
3./ The scanner sends a series of keycodes that is the ASCII equivalent of the barcode
4./ In your text document (notepad, word, database) the ASCII characters appear.

It's nothing more than that. No special software needed. You use it as a data entry device into any "text box".

Oh right. So I would need some POS software to scan the internet or w/e to get the specific information about it up?

DanTheBanjoman · Dec 10, 2008, 12:25 PM

Lemonade is correct, we used them at my previous job. Reading a barcode is the same as typing in the numbers manually on your keyboard. This of course makes it really easy to utilize in your own programs.

Thrackan · Dec 10, 2008, 12:32 PM

It's really a scanner with character recognition (OCR). We use those things right here all the time.
As I said, the bars are just a font, and you simply scan the font and direct output to the computer through a keyboard mapping.

http://en.barcodepedia.com/ might be fun

ktr · Dec 11, 2008, 02:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thrackan

It's really a scanner with character recognition (OCR). We use those things right here all the time.
As I said, the bars are just a font, and you simply scan the font and direct output to the computer through a keyboard mapping.

http://en.barcodepedia.com/ might be fun

The website looks neat. Sadly my webcam on my lappy cannot focus. I guess you need a webcam with a macros lens.

Thrackan · Dec 11, 2008, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ktr

The website looks neat. Sadly my webcam on my lappy cannot focus. I guess you need a webcam with a macros lens.

You did notice the "type it in here if you don't have a webcam or whatever" field?

ktr · Dec 11, 2008, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thrackan

You did notice the "type it in here if you don't have a webcam or whatever" field?

That defeats the purpose of a barcode scanner.

Thrackan · Dec 11, 2008, 05:45 PM

True, true, but I didn't have a cam at work and I had to test it

Mark_Hardware · Dec 15, 2008, 06:03 AM

I used to have a label writer, and the program that came with it would translate what you type into almost any bar code style.

Dec 9, 2008, 11:59 AM	#1
Pinchy Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 4,650 (1.78/day) Thanks: 302 Thanked 360 Times in 344 Posts System Specs	Barcode readers Quick question; If I buy a barcode reader / scanner, and I swiped a barcode (For example the barcode off the box of a CPU), would it read the information on it OR would it need to be hooked up to some sort of database with the product information? __________________ mATX rig: TT Lanbox Lite, GA-G33M-DS2R, q9300, 4GB G.Skill Pi PC8000, 2x640GB Samsung F1's in RAID 0, LG 20x DVD+/RW, HIS IceQ HD4670 512MB, Gigabyte G-Power PRO, TT 450W TR2 RX Modular PSU HTPC: i-Cute iBox, GA-MA780GM-S2H, 4850e, 2GB G.Skill PC6400, 1x640GB WD SE16, Onboard HD3200, D-link XtremeN PCIe, Leadtek WinFast DVR3100 H Tuner, 450W Vantec PSU Server: Custom made case, EPIA Mini-ITX mobo, 1GHz VIA, 1GB PC2700 SO-DIMM, 1TB WD, Gigabit PCI LAN card, 60W 12V AC adapter

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Dec 9, 2008, 11:59 AM	#2
PVTCaboose1337 Graphical Hacker Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 7,478 (2.78/day) Thanks: 798 Thanked 1,174 Times in 834 Posts System Specs	It will straight up read the information embedded in the bar code. __________________ CPU-Z validation sig pics temporarily blocked

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Dec 9, 2008, 12:01 PM	#3
Pinchy Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 4,650 (1.78/day) Thanks: 302 Thanked 360 Times in 344 Posts System Specs	Sweet, thx . __________________ mATX rig: TT Lanbox Lite, GA-G33M-DS2R, q9300, 4GB G.Skill Pi PC8000, 2x640GB Samsung F1's in RAID 0, LG 20x DVD+/RW, HIS IceQ HD4670 512MB, Gigabyte G-Power PRO, TT 450W TR2 RX Modular PSU HTPC: i-Cute iBox, GA-MA780GM-S2H, 4850e, 2GB G.Skill PC6400, 1x640GB WD SE16, Onboard HD3200, D-link XtremeN PCIe, Leadtek WinFast DVR3100 H Tuner, 450W Vantec PSU Server: Custom made case, EPIA Mini-ITX mobo, 1GHz VIA, 1GB PC2700 SO-DIMM, 1TB WD, Gigabit PCI LAN card, 60W 12V AC adapter

Dec 10, 2008, 02:27 AM	#4
ktr Eligible for custom title Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Bay Area, California, USA, Earth Posts: 6,158 (2.34/day) Thanks: 0 Thanked 708 Times in 595 Posts System Specs	If you are scanning a barcodes of products, all its gonna pick up is the UPC number or serial number. To get product info, it does need to be hooked up to a database. I know there is an app for the iphone, gphone, and I think blackberry that you can use the onboard camera to scan barcodes, and it will search the net (aka the database) for the best price.

System Name:	Gateway P7811FX (laptop)
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Dec 10, 2008, 02:37 AM	#5
Fitseries3 Eleet Hardware Junkie Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Republic of Texas Posts: 14,993 (7.20/day) Thanks: 4,318 Thanked 3,285 Times in 2,186 Posts System Specs	my g1 has a barcode reader. its' SICK. i'll be at like bestbuy and see something and scan the bardcode and my g1 will tell me where to find that item at the best price. like i said ITS SICK. not my vid.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGRgWXjhk4s

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Dec 10, 2008, 07:49 AM	#8
Thrackan Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 3,159 (1.84/day) Thanks: 235 Thanked 652 Times in 533 Posts System Specs	Well a barcode doesn't really have that much information as the bars are just a font (ie Zebra font). If you scan the barcode and paste that info into Notepad, it should just give you (you guessed it) the numbers that are printed below the barcode Logically, you'd need a reference database to access all possible information related to that number, but good software can do that for you __________________ Play League of Legends! Join the Ghetto modders club Put your Steam games on multiple partitions

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Dec 10, 2008, 10:54 AM	#9
lemonadesoda Eligible for custom title Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 5,347 (2.15/day) Thanks: 750 Thanked 960 Times in 710 Posts System Specs	A typical USB bar code scanner behaves like a keyboard. That is does is this: 1./ You plug it in to USB PnP. You dont need drivers, it is a keyboard 2./ You scan something by aiming at the bar code, and clicking the read button 3./ The scanner sends a series of keycodes that is the ASCII equivalent of the barcode 4./ In your text document (notepad, word, database) the ASCII characters appear. It's nothing more than that. No special software needed. You use it as a data entry device into any "text box".

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Dec 10, 2008, 12:25 PM	#11
DanTheBanjoman Señor Moderator Join Date: May 2004 Location: Utrecht, Utrecht, The kingdom of the Netherlands Posts: 8,498 (2.56/day) Thanks: 41 Thanked 1,453 Times in 1,077 Posts System Specs	Lemonade is correct, we used them at my previous job. Reading a barcode is the same as typing in the numbers manually on your keyboard. This of course makes it really easy to utilize in your own programs.

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Dec 10, 2008, 12:32 PM	#12
Thrackan Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 3,159 (1.84/day) Thanks: 235 Thanked 652 Times in 533 Posts System Specs	It's really a scanner with character recognition (OCR). We use those things right here all the time. As I said, the bars are just a font, and you simply scan the font and direct output to the computer through a keyboard mapping. http://en.barcodepedia.com/ might be fun __________________ Play League of Legends! Join the Ghetto modders club Put your Steam games on multiple partitions

Dec 11, 2008, 05:45 PM	#16
Thrackan Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 3,159 (1.84/day) Thanks: 235 Thanked 652 Times in 533 Posts System Specs	True, true, but I didn't have a cam at work and I had to test it __________________ Play League of Legends! Join the Ghetto modders club Put your Steam games on multiple partitions

Dec 15, 2008, 06:03 AM	#17
Mark_Hardware Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Az Posts: 255 (0.15/day) Thanks: 56 Thanked 55 Times in 48 Posts System Specs	I used to have a label writer, and the program that came with it would translate what you type into almost any bar code style. __________________ Never trust a computer you can't throw out a window. Steve Wozniak Why is it drug addicts and computer afficionados are both called users? Clifford Stoll Project; Mark1

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