BarScanner

[Guest]

I currently own a WASP bar code scanner. I am trying to create a library
database for a check-out ,check-in system. Very simple. We want the user to
just get a book scan it, and scan their employee ID card and record that
information. When returning it, we want them to scan the book and their ID
and it to check the book in. Since all library software is so complex I was
going to create on myself in Access. But don't know how to incorporate the
bar scanner information to talk with the Access database.

Anyone know how?

D.

 

[Guest]

Every scanner has it's own software and/or drivers that make them work with
whatever system being used. Your best bet is to try the web site for the MFG
of your scanner and research the types of drivers and programs it will work
with. There may be a generic interface that allows it to work with programs
like Access.

 

[Fred Boer]

Dear Danielle:

I don't know for certain about your scanner, but many scanners work by
sharing the keyboard cable. When you scan a barcode, it sends the
information to the computer as if it had been typed in at the keyboard. So,
if you imagine a system where you typed in the book ID in a text box to sign
out a book, then, with a scanner, you would put the cursor in the text box,
and scan the barcode. The barcode number would appear in the textbox as if
you had typed it in manually. Wands can be set up to add a carriage return
after entry if you wish.

There is good information about barcodes and Access here:

http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/barcode.htm

Now, going beyond the barcode question to the idea of creating your own
library system in Access...

It certainly can be done in Access, but before you start you might want
toconsider whether it will be the best choice for you. There are numerous
library programs available, some more expensive, some inexpensive, some
shareware, some freeware. Creating such a system in Access from scratch
might take a lot of time and effort. For the price of a few good reference
books, you might be able to find something that meets your needs.

I created a basic library system for my small school library using Access. I
was a new user to Access. It took me a *lot* of time, and I made many
mistakes on the way. Access has a learning curve, and creating a useful
library system could take you a lot of effort, depending on your
requirements. Now, I think working with Access is a *lot* of fun, so I
didn't mind taking the time to learn the program. I had good reasons to do
"roll my own", but I wouldn't say it was necessarily the most efficient
solution!

So.. I'm not trying to scare you off, but I would encourage you to research
whether something else might meet your needs rather than building from
scratch. You could try looking here:

http://directory.google.com/Top/Reference/Libraries/Library_and_Information_Science/Software/

Or do a search for shareware/freeware at a site like www.tucows.com.

Of course, you are describing a very basic circulation system, so it might
not be a very complex application. What kind of cataloguing are you planning
to do? What do your tables look like? Making sure you get the table
structures correctly designed is critical. If you do decide to go ahead,
then be sure to post here with questions and for advice on getting started
with Access...

HTH
Fred Boer

 

[Guest]

Once you have the scanner working on your computer you have accomplished the
hard part. Since (as you know) the barcode is just a bunch of numbers. Once
the Wasp is working with you computer all you need to do is select the field
where you want the scan to go and scan the item. Then it will place the
barcode numbers onto the field.

 

[Guest]

If your Wasp scanner is a keyboard wedge type you may not need to do anything
but plug it in. A serial scanner may require software.
If you have a keyboard wedge type, placing the cursor in any textbox in
Access and avtivating the scanner will place the information encoded in the
barcode into that textbox. If you didn't buy the barcode package from Wasp,
look for 3of9.ttf font on the web.
This is a free font that creates barcodes in all Microsoft products.
Only rule is an Asterisk in front and back of the data you want in a barcode.
Barcoded readers can be programmed to send tabs and CR and Linefeeds among
many other tricks.
2D barcodes can hold large amounts of data encoded in small areas.
Rick