barcode active-X

[Lutz]

Hello,

I'm setting up a barcode system for a storage-database. Now I'm looking
for a free (cheap) solution to print barcodes using reports.

I'll have to show the barcode to the screen before printing (wasn't my
decision). I found two possibilities

- using tt-fonts
- using an active-x-control

Do you have experience with that? As the database is for commercial use,
I can't use one of those "for-private-use-free"-solutions. And as it is
too small I can't afford to pay much.

thank you,

Lutz

[Bruce Rusk]

Depending on the kind of barcode you need to create, there are some free
truetype fonts out there. Try googling barcode freeware font -- you'll get
several basic ones, e.g.
http://www.squaregear.net/fonts/free3of9.shtml

There's a list at

http://www.barcode-1.net/pub/russadam/fonts.html

"Lutz" <ne**********@spamgourmet.com> wrote in message
news:da**********@online.de...

Hello,

I'm setting up a barcode system for a storage-database. Now I'm looking
for a free (cheap) solution to print barcodes using reports.

I'll have to show the barcode to the screen before printing (wasn't my
decision). I found two possibilities

- using tt-fonts
- using an active-x-control

Do you have experience with that? As the database is for commercial use, I
can't use one of those "for-private-use-free"-solutions. And as it is too
small I can't afford to pay much.

thank you,

Lutz

[Howard Brody]

We use barcode fonts and, with a decent printer, you should be able to
print scannable barcodes. We found we needed to 'frame' the barcode,
though, with asterisks for it to print properly:

="*" & Left([SerialNumber],15) & "*"

Hope this helps!

Howard

[Lutz]

Hi Bruce,

thanx for your quick reply. I tried your font 39 and it did a fine job.
But I'm forced to use Code128 so I'll try a font of your enclosed link.

As you can imagine i googled before posting, but I tried to get german
results.

Thank you,
Lutz

Bruce Rusk schrieb:

Depending on the kind of barcode you need to create, there are some free
truetype fonts out there. Try googling barcode freeware font -- you'll get
several basic ones, e.g.
http://www.squaregear.net/fonts/free3of9.shtml

There's a list at

http://www.barcode-1.net/pub/russadam/fonts.html

"Lutz" <ne**********@spamgourmet.com> wrote in message
news:da**********@online.de...

Hello,

I'm setting up a barcode system for a storage-database. Now I'm looking
for a free (cheap) solution to print barcodes using reports.

I'll have to show the barcode to the screen before printing (wasn't my
decision). I found two possibilities

- using tt-fonts
- using an active-x-control

Do you have experience with that? As the database is for commercial use, I
can't use one of those "for-private-use-free"-solutions. And as it is too
small I can't afford to pay much.

thank you,

Lutz

[Lutz]

Hi Howard,

which kind of code are you using. I forgot to mention, that I'm looking
for code 128.

I tried your example with a code 39-font and it worked fine.

Thank you,
Lutz

Howard Brody schrieb:

We use barcode fonts and, with a decent printer, you should be able to
print scannable barcodes. We found we needed to 'frame' the barcode,
though, with asterisks for it to print properly:

="*" & Left([SerialNumber],15) & "*"

Hope this helps!

Howard

[Dodo]

Lutz <ne**********@spamgourmet.com> wrote in news:da**********@online.de:

Hello,

I'm setting up a barcode system for a storage-database. Now I'm looking
for a free (cheap) solution to print barcodes using reports.

I'll have to show the barcode to the screen before printing (wasn't my
decision). I found two possibilities

- using tt-fonts
- using an active-x-control

Do you have experience with that? As the database is for commercial use,
I can't use one of those "for-private-use-free"-solutions. And as it is
too small I can't afford to pay much.

thank you,

Lutz

I have used TBarCode by Tec-It for various applications:

http://www.tec-it.co.at

It costs some (USD 102 for the ActiveX/DLL version you can use) but is very
versatile and works perfect in all Windows apps.

[David W. Fenton]

Lutz <ne**********@spamgourmet.com> wrote in
news:da**********@online.de:

I'm setting up a barcode system for a storage-database. Now I'm
looking for a free (cheap) solution to print barcodes using
reports.

I'll have to show the barcode to the screen before printing
(wasn't my decision). I found two possibilities

- using tt-fonts
- using an active-x-control

Do you have experience with that? As the database is for
commercial use, I can't use one of those
"for-private-use-free"-solutions. And as it is too small I can't
afford to pay much.

I fail to comprehend any reason why barcoding should require an
ActiveX control.

Bar codes encode data. They are just a font.

All you need is to know the appropriate format for the data and a
copy of the appropriate font.

There are lots of free Code39 fonts, though they aren't all equally
usable (there are differents in the encoding of spaces, in vertical
size and so forth).

I don't know about other font formats. I have not seen any terribly
expensive barcode fonts in any format, so it shouldn't be a very big
deal to acquire a usable font in the appropriate format.

Keep in mind that if the barcode data is going to someone else, you
need to round-trip test it to make sure that everybody is happy. I
once had a disastrous situation with a client whose mailing house
was run by phenomenally stupid people who couldn't handle the
barcoded data we were sending them, because we were doing a custom
checksum. Their printing software generated its own checksums (in a
format I didn't know how to calculate), and so was screwing up the
data I provided them. They couldn't quite grasp the idea that they
should just ignore their barcoding software and simply print out my
barcode field like any other data field, and just choose an
appropriate font.

Gad, those people were stupid -- and they were IN THE BUSINESS.

If no outsiders are involved, though, you don't have to worry about
that kind of thing.

--
David W. Fenton http://www.bway.net/~dfenton
dfenton at bway dot net http://www.bway.net/~dfassoc

[David W. Fenton]

Dodo <[e-mail]> wrote in
news:Xn******************************@130.133.1.4:

I have used TBarCode by Tec-It for various applications:

http://www.tec-it.co.at

It costs some (USD 102 for the ActiveX/DLL version you can use)
but is very versatile and works perfect in all Windows apps.

Would someone explain to me what the hell you need an ActiveX
control for?

--
David W. Fenton http://www.bway.net/~dfenton
dfenton at bway dot net http://www.bway.net/~dfassoc

[Dodo]

"David W. Fenton" <dX********@bway.net.invalid> wrote in
news:Xn**********************************@24.168.1 28.86:

Keep in mind that if the barcode data is going to someone else, you
need to round-trip test it to make sure that everybody is happy. I
once had a disastrous situation with a client whose mailing house
was run by phenomenally stupid people who couldn't handle the
barcoded data we were sending them, because we were doing a custom
checksum. Their printing software generated its own checksums (in a
format I didn't know how to calculate), and so was screwing up the
data I provided them. They couldn't quite grasp the idea that they
should just ignore their barcoding software and simply print out my
barcode field like any other data field, and just choose an
appropriate font.

Gad, those people were stupid -- and they were IN THE BUSINESS.

If no outsiders are involved, though, you don't have to worry about
that kind of thing.

Outsiders? Where the hell do you live?

Each and every barcode knows its own standardization.
For e.g. EAN-13 barcodes (never heard of?) the control digit is
calculated through a quite complicated formula. I know because I
implemented it for checking purposes in an Excel worksheet.

Probably such control digit calculations apply to other formats as well,
even your UPC codes?

So, if you accuse certain people of being stupid you just express your
failure to understand different barcoding principles around the world.

Talking about stupid . . .

[Tim Marshall]

Dodo wrote:

So, if you accuse certain people of being stupid you just express your
failure to understand different barcoding principles around the world.

Talking about stupid . . .

I agree with David - using an activeX control for something that is
really just a font with appropriate delimiters is, if not stupid, then
extreme overkill.
--
Tim http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~tmarshal/
^o<
/#) "Burp-beep, burp-beep, burp-beep?" - Quaker Jake
/^^ "Whatcha doin?" - Ditto "TIM-MAY!!" - Me

[Lutz]

Hi David an Tim,

you may be right, if you say that an active-x control is oversized, but:

- that was, what I wanted you to get ensured (even if I didn't ask for
it clearly)
- I do the programming and I don't ever know who'll be the maintainer of
my code and they (clientside) are normaly familar with active-x but with
using not installed fonts
- they proposed me to use an active-x control as it seems to be easier
to validate the proper functionality

Hey I surrender and I'll use a font, maybe I'll find an active-x to
generate a fine one :-)

greets,

Lutz

[David W. Fenton]

Dodo <[e-mail]> wrote in
news:Xn******************************@130.133.1.4:

"David W. Fenton" <dX********@bway.net.invalid> wrote in
news:Xn**********************************@24.168.1 28.86:

Keep in mind that if the barcode data is going to someone else,
you need to round-trip test it to make sure that everybody is
happy. I once had a disastrous situation with a client whose
mailing house was run by phenomenally stupid people who couldn't
handle the barcoded data we were sending them, because we were
doing a custom checksum. Their printing software generated its
own checksums (in a format I didn't know how to calculate), and
so was screwing up the data I provided them. They couldn't quite
grasp the idea that they should just ignore their barcoding
software and simply print out my barcode field like any other
data field, and just choose an appropriate font.

Gad, those people were stupid -- and they were IN THE BUSINESS.

If no outsiders are involved, though, you don't have to worry
about that kind of thing.
Outsiders? Where the hell do you live?

In a place where there is no defined standard for Code39 barcodes.
Each and every barcode knows its own standardization.
Except for Code39, which has no standards for the encoding of
checksums.
For e.g. EAN-13 barcodes (never heard of?) the control digit is
calculated through a quite complicated formula. I know because I
implemented it for checking purposes in an Excel worksheet.
There is no such standard for Code39.
Probably such control digit calculations apply to other formats as
well, even your UPC codes?
Not with Code39.
So, if you accuse certain people of being stupid you just express
your failure to understand different barcoding principles around
the world.

Talking about stupid . . .

I'll leave that up to you, since you seem to have it down pat.

--
David W. Fenton http://www.bway.net/~dfenton
dfenton at bway dot net http://www.bway.net/~dfassoc