barcode

[madunix]

I am in the process to create an online form using PHP with DB Oracle
or MySQL, this form which consist of
2x parts personal data and finance data, and it will be filled by the
users, once the form is filled and submitted ,
it will be saved to the system as reference and printed as hardcopy it
could be a pdf or not, but the print format
will be on A4 format hardcopy with printed random generated (internal
calculation) bar code printed on the paper.
Then in the central office through bar code readers the date will be
retrieved.

Any one implemented this kind of application, if yes how did you
generate the bar code on the web form
through php, and which bar code readers did you use in order to access
and retrieve the data from the form?

Thnaks

[Jerry Stuckle]

madunix wrote:

I am in the process to create an online form using PHP with DB Oracle
or MySQL, this form which consist of
2x parts personal data and finance data, and it will be filled by the
users, once the form is filled and submitted ,
it will be saved to the system as reference and printed as hardcopy it
could be a pdf or not, but the print format
will be on A4 format hardcopy with printed random generated (internal
calculation) bar code printed on the paper.
Then in the central office through bar code readers the date will be
retrieved.

Any one implemented this kind of application, if yes how did you
generate the bar code on the web form
through php, and which bar code readers did you use in order to access
and retrieve the data from the form?

Thnaks

Yes, I've done similar things (not from a web page, though). I've
always used a bar code printer. I've found standard printers do not do
as well with barcodes, and the result isn't as readable by most barcode
readers.

But if you have to use a non-barcode printer, you'll probably be better
off using C or C++ for the printing. Depending on which barcode you
decide to use, you may be able to find a library to help you.
--
==================
Remove the "x" from my email address
Jerry Stuckle
JDS Computer Training Corp.
js*******@attglobal.net
==================

[larry]

madunix wrote:

I am in the process to create an online form using PHP with DB Oracle
or MySQL, this form which consist of
2x parts personal data and finance data, and it will be filled by the
users, once the form is filled and submitted ,
it will be saved to the system as reference and printed as hardcopy it
could be a pdf or not, but the print format
will be on A4 format hardcopy with printed random generated (internal
calculation) bar code printed on the paper.
Then in the central office through bar code readers the date will be
retrieved.

Any one implemented this kind of application, if yes how did you
generate the bar code on the web form
through php, and which bar code readers did you use in order to access
and retrieve the data from the form?

Thnaks

If you are doing barcodes you need either to have a common (as in
identifyable by HTML FONT tags) barcode font installed on the clinet
computer or b) use something that generates the barcode graphic on the
server side (either as an attached GIF/PNG or as a PDF documant).

Next problem is when you print the barcode it may be scanable or not
depending on the clinet's printer and drivers (i.e. I have seen wide
variations), even if the print is crisp, sometimes the driver fudges on
the images to fit to page and may change the width of some of the
barcode bars (making it unreadable) so making the codes a larger (or
sometimes slightly smaller) size may help.

As for readters I use keyboard wedge readers (scan the code, it enters
it into the computer as if you typed the alhanumeric value it
represents.) In the US you can get a inexpensive scanner through CDW
i.e. http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/def...spx?EDC=654453 , this
one is a CCD scanner, which means you have to put the scanner next to
the code to read, others are wand or pen scanners, which you drag
across the code (cheap not great reliability) or laser scanners which
you point and click gun style (best but quite expensive) CCD is in the
mid-range.

Probably the easiest barcode symbology is code 3 of 9 which is an
alpha-neumeric code that can be in a font form (thare are many other
symbologies that are more compact or have comapatibility -UPC- and
usually are more complex to generate). Here is a site that has code
3of9 free in true type form:
http://www.barcodetraders.com/bct_scan_barcode.asp

Using the code in an application you need to think about how you want
it to work, most stores you see the registers just scan one item after
another, which means there is just one text entry field on the screen
(the code) they scan the code with is either a product code (like an im
ID number) or some control code (i.e. coupon - 10% off - maybe says
something like C2006011210, the C tells the computer the entry is a
coupon) anyway a bit of imagination and planning and you can make up
some really cool applications with barcodes.

Hope that helps
Larry

[iulian.ilea]

la***@portcommodore.com wrote:

madunix wrote:

I am in the process to create an online form using PHP with DB Oracle
or MySQL, this form which consist of
2x parts personal data and finance data, and it will be filled by the
users, once the form is filled and submitted ,
it will be saved to the system as reference and printed as hardcopy it
could be a pdf or not, but the print format
will be on A4 format hardcopy with printed random generated (internal
calculation) bar code printed on the paper.
Then in the central office through bar code readers the date will be
retrieved.

Any one implemented this kind of application, if yes how did you
generate the bar code on the web form
through php, and which bar code readers did you use in order to access
and retrieve the data from the form?

Thnaks

If you are doing barcodes you need either to have a common (as in
identifyable by HTML FONT tags) barcode font installed on the clinet
computer or b) use something that generates the barcode graphic on the
server side (either as an attached GIF/PNG or as a PDF documant).

Next problem is when you print the barcode it may be scanable or not
depending on the clinet's printer and drivers (i.e. I have seen wide
variations), even if the print is crisp, sometimes the driver fudges on
the images to fit to page and may change the width of some of the
barcode bars (making it unreadable) so making the codes a larger (or
sometimes slightly smaller) size may help.

As for readters I use keyboard wedge readers (scan the code, it enters
it into the computer as if you typed the alhanumeric value it
represents.) In the US you can get a inexpensive scanner through CDW
i.e. http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/def...spx?EDC=654453 , this
one is a CCD scanner, which means you have to put the scanner next to
the code to read, others are wand or pen scanners, which you drag
across the code (cheap not great reliability) or laser scanners which
you point and click gun style (best but quite expensive) CCD is in the
mid-range.

Probably the easiest barcode symbology is code 3 of 9 which is an
alpha-neumeric code that can be in a font form (thare are many other
symbologies that are more compact or have comapatibility -UPC- and
usually are more complex to generate). Here is a site that has code
3of9 free in true type form:
http://www.barcodetraders.com/bct_scan_barcode.asp

Using the code in an application you need to think about how you want
it to work, most stores you see the registers just scan one item after
another, which means there is just one text entry field on the screen
(the code) they scan the code with is either a product code (like an im
ID number) or some control code (i.e. coupon - 10% off - maybe says
something like C2006011210, the C tells the computer the entry is a
coupon) anyway a bit of imagination and planning and you can make up
some really cool applications with barcodes.

Hope that helps
Larry

See this: http://www.fpdf.org/en/script/script5.php if you want to
generate EAN13. The same algorithm I used in an ASP page and it worked.
I printed the code on a laser printer and I it was readable from
different scanners.

I read above that maybe it will not be readable if the printed page is
resized to fit the page. I THINK (I'm not sure) that will work because
if an image with width of 250 is resized to 290 also the white and
black stripes are resized equally. ...And THEORETICALLY it can be read.

If you want to generate CODE 39, POSTNET, i25 barcodes:
http://www.fpdf.org/en/script/index.php. Use the algorithm, you don't
have to create pdf.

[larry]

iulian.ilea wrote:

See this: http://www.fpdf.org/en/script/script5.php if you want to
generate EAN13. The same algorithm I used in an ASP page and it worked.
I printed the code on a laser printer and I it was readable from
different scanners.

I read above that maybe it will not be readable if the printed page is
resized to fit the page. I THINK (I'm not sure) that will work because
if an image with width of 250 is resized to 290 also the white and
black stripes are resized equally. ...And THEORETICALLY it can be read.

If you want to generate CODE 39, POSTNET, i25 barcodes:
http://www.fpdf.org/en/script/index.php. Use the algorithm, you don't
have to create pdf.

I was just posting from experience, that with a web based app you
mileage may vary - ultimately depending on the client. An example
would be one of the Linux epson drivers I've used does a wierd
dithering pattern when it prints bitmap images and totally screws up
barcodes (others are fine).

As for resizing, it also depends on the driver, the same scaling
algorithm that causes moire effects in dithered images can potentially
mess up barcode results. For the 250 to 290 that means 40 extra pixels
are inserted somewhere in your image width, the variation between thin
and thick bars (at least in code 3 of 9) is 1 to 3 (3 thin widths-1
thick) So if the browser fudges the image size there may be a problem
(as it is dealing wi ~72 dpi), if it gives it to the printer to resize
(~300dpi+) then it may be ok. You might have good results with a big
bitmap of of code scaled down to fit instead of the opposite as there
are more pixels to work with when printing)

And fpdf is great! (though watch for glitches on reading with IE, read
the FAQ)

Larry