Scanning data into Access 2000

I'm using Access 2000, and I'd like to know if there is a way to use a
scanner (flatbed, doc-feed, etc) to scan forms with OMR or OCR software, and
have the data be automatically (or if not automatically then using a macro
or other means) entered into tables. I guess the real question is do I need
to use an expensive program to do this or is it codable suing Access/VB, and
if it is codable, any suggestions as to how to start?

Many thanks for taking time to read this.

Joe

It is possible and no need to purchase any additional software. In
fact, this can be real easy if the data layout is identical such as
scanning in all your purchase orders.

Not knowing your scanning software, you can save all the results to the
same directory. Then have MS-Access scan that directory and import the
files into the related tables(s). In fact Access can even remember what
files are loaded and can delete the old files after a certain amount of time
(if desired). This should prevent duplication.

I have never messed with scanned data but have a procedure (module) that
performs the import process which I have for several applications for myself
and clients. If you are strong in VBA then its pretty easy to follow. I
can send you a copy (for free) if you want to look at the code.



--
Dean Covey
www.coveyaccounting.com

MS-Office Certified:
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mc...st/default.asp

"Zen" <zenmaster@cfl.rr.com> wrote in message
news:8nFfc.428914$B81.7238087@twister.tampabay.rr. com...[color=blue]
> I'm using Access 2000, and I'd like to know if there is a way to use a
> scanner (flatbed, doc-feed, etc) to scan forms with OMR or OCR software,[/color]
and[color=blue]
> have the data be automatically (or if not automatically then using a macro
> or other means) entered into tables. I guess the real question is do I[/color]
need[color=blue]
> to use an expensive program to do this or is it codable suing Access/VB,[/color]
and[color=blue]
> if it is codable, any suggestions as to how to start?
>
> Many thanks for taking time to read this.
>
> Joe
>
>[/color]

In your application there needs to be some kind of gap-filler to get
you from the OCR software to Access. Off-the-shelf software may exist
for that, but somehow you have to make the jump from OCR to Access.

I did a *bit* of OCR scanning some years ago (so the software may have
improved), and a lot of data parsing (slicing and dicing text files
into Access). My response is heavily influenced by those two factors,
so I could be completely off base.

In my experience OCR scanning is prone to recognition errors and
formatting errors so that you can't tell in advance where on a page
the scanned text will appear. Again, the software may have improved
since I did this type of work, but if your body of data is substantial
enough for you to be thinking in terms of a database then you're
thinking about a lot of data, and even a 1% error rate equates to a
lot of reworking.

If you're able to get reliable scans and can save the scanned file to
a text file, then you can easily write VBA code from within Access to
read the text file and store the data to database records. A lot
depends on the format of the data: you may even be able to import the
text file.

Hope this clears the water, as opposed to muddying it for you.

Dave O


"Zen" <zenmaster@cfl.rr.com> wrote in message news:<8nFfc.428914$B81.7238087@twister.tampabay.rr .com>...[color=blue]
> I'm using Access 2000, and I'd like to know if there is a way to use a
> scanner (flatbed, doc-feed, etc) to scan forms with OMR or OCR software, and
> have the data be automatically (or if not automatically then using a macro
> or other means) entered into tables. I guess the real question is do I need
> to use an expensive program to do this or is it codable suing Access/VB, and
> if it is codable, any suggestions as to how to start?
>
> Many thanks for taking time to read this.
>
> Joe[/color]

Thank you Dean. I've been doing a lot of research into this and I think it
will be easier than I first thought. The scanner software is very good
these days and all the data scanned will be mostly yes/no questions using
identical forms. That module would be of great help for ideas on how to
import the data. If you can email it to me I would certainly appreciate it.

Thanks again,

Joe


"Dean Covey" <nospam> wrote in message
news:ve6dnUjQsdvHXOLdRVn-uA@comcast.com...[color=blue]
> It is possible and no need to purchase any additional software. In
> fact, this can be real easy if the data layout is identical such as
> scanning in all your purchase orders.
>
> Not knowing your scanning software, you can save all the results to[/color]
the[color=blue]
> same directory. Then have MS-Access scan that directory and import the
> files into the related tables(s). In fact Access can even remember what
> files are loaded and can delete the old files after a certain amount of[/color]
time[color=blue]
> (if desired). This should prevent duplication.
>
> I have never messed with scanned data but have a procedure (module)[/color]
that[color=blue]
> performs the import process which I have for several applications for[/color]
myself[color=blue]
> and clients. If you are strong in VBA then its pretty easy to follow. I
> can send you a copy (for free) if you want to look at the code.
>
>
>
> --
> Dean Covey
> www.coveyaccounting.com
>
> MS-Office Certified:
> http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mc...st/default.asp
>
> "Zen" <zenmaster@cfl.rr.com> wrote in message
> news:8nFfc.428914$B81.7238087@twister.tampabay.rr. com...[color=green]
> > I'm using Access 2000, and I'd like to know if there is a way to use a
> > scanner (flatbed, doc-feed, etc) to scan forms with OMR or OCR software,[/color]
> and[color=green]
> > have the data be automatically (or if not automatically then using a[/color][/color]
macro[color=blue][color=green]
> > or other means) entered into tables. I guess the real question is do I[/color]
> need[color=green]
> > to use an expensive program to do this or is it codable suing Access/VB,[/color]
> and[color=green]
> > if it is codable, any suggestions as to how to start?
> >
> > Many thanks for taking time to read this.
> >
> > Joe
> >
> >[/color]
>
>
>[/color]

Yes Dave, this does clear things up. Thanks for your reply. As I said in
my other reply to Dean the scanner software is very good these days and the
data scanned will be mostly yes/no questions using identical forms, so
errors should be almost nil (I hope!). I should be able to save the files
to CSV and then import them to Access. Thank you again for your help.

Joe


"Dave O" <CycleZen@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:7488fa50.0404160844.4b1a16f1@posting.google.c om...[color=blue]
> In your application there needs to be some kind of gap-filler to get
> you from the OCR software to Access. Off-the-shelf software may exist
> for that, but somehow you have to make the jump from OCR to Access.
>
> I did a *bit* of OCR scanning some years ago (so the software may have
> improved), and a lot of data parsing (slicing and dicing text files
> into Access). My response is heavily influenced by those two factors,
> so I could be completely off base.
>
> In my experience OCR scanning is prone to recognition errors and
> formatting errors so that you can't tell in advance where on a page
> the scanned text will appear. Again, the software may have improved
> since I did this type of work, but if your body of data is substantial
> enough for you to be thinking in terms of a database then you're
> thinking about a lot of data, and even a 1% error rate equates to a
> lot of reworking.
>
> If you're able to get reliable scans and can save the scanned file to
> a text file, then you can easily write VBA code from within Access to
> read the text file and store the data to database records. A lot
> depends on the format of the data: you may even be able to import the
> text file.
>
> Hope this clears the water, as opposed to muddying it for you.
>
> Dave O
>
>
> "Zen" <zenmaster@cfl.rr.com> wrote in message[/color]
news:<8nFfc.428914$B81.7238087@twister.tampabay.rr .com>...[color=blue][color=green]
> > I'm using Access 2000, and I'd like to know if there is a way to use a
> > scanner (flatbed, doc-feed, etc) to scan forms with OMR or OCR software,[/color][/color]
and[color=blue][color=green]
> > have the data be automatically (or if not automatically then using a[/color][/color]
macro[color=blue][color=green]
> > or other means) entered into tables. I guess the real question is do I[/color][/color]
need[color=blue][color=green]
> > to use an expensive program to do this or is it codable suing Access/VB,[/color][/color]
and[color=blue][color=green]
> > if it is codable, any suggestions as to how to start?
> >
> > Many thanks for taking time to read this.
> >
> > Joe[/color]
>[/color]