Show Barcode

[jez]

Hello everyone!

I'm wondering if it's possible to show a barcode in the CF simply by
using a normal font. I know that in Windows one can use a "barcode
font". So typing 123456 using a barcode font would result in a
"123456"-barcode.

I'm looking to either perform a calculation on the PPC and then turn
the unique result into a barcode, or otherwise receive a number from a
server and transform it using a barcode-font to a barcode.

The resulting barcode on the display of the PPC would then be scanned
by a barcode-scanner.

I hope that's kind of clear..

thanks !

 

[Alex Feinman [MVP]]

It's all fine except that most scanners will not be able to read a barcode
from the LCD screen. If you want to check, scan an existing barcode using a
regular scanner attached to a pc and copy bitmap to device where you need to
display it. My bet is that your barcode scanner will barf on that

 

[jez]

Alex, when you say it's all fine do you mean it's do-able without
third-party software ?

Do you reckon that the scanner won't be able to read the barcode of
the PPC because of contrast/illumination problems? Perhaps I could
back this up by writing down the barcode in large plain numbers just
under the barcode so that manual entry can be done in case
barcode-reading doesn't work. Unfortunately I don't have a
barcode-scanner at hand so I can't really test that out:/

 

[Paul G. Tobey [eMVP]]

It's not a software problem. The screen is reflective. Laser and CCD
scanners don't deal well with highly reflective surfaces. It would be like
trying to scan a barcode that was under a plate of glass. The laser is
mostly reflected from the surface of the glass, never making it to the
barcode.

Paul T.

 

[Chris Tacke, eMVP]

it's also becasue pixel widths don't always line up to the exact bar widths
on a barcode, which have precise, mathematically calculated widths and
spacings. This is a larger problem than the reflectiveness of the screen.

--
<ctacke/>
www.OpenNETCF.org
Your CF searches start and end here

 

[Guest]

Okay, two problems here :
1) reflection
2) barcode alignment

I supose there's no way around it ? I read about aeritas' solution
(www.aeritas.com) that sends a barcode to a passenger's mobile/pocket pc in
lieu of a boarding pass. I found it a pretty interesting concept and thought
I'd follow the same type of idea.

Without explaining what my whole final-year project is about (that's for my
next post), I'm basically looking to show a unique form of identification
on the Pocket PC that could be used by airports to identify a passenger.
Hence, I thought of barcodes seeing as most airports already own
barcodescanners and it shouldn't be too difficult to generate one on the CF.
Can't really think of something else - can any of you ?

thanks for the brainstorming!

 

[Paul G. Tobey [eMVP]]

If it *is* a pixel size problem, you can query the display for the
dots-per-inch information and adjust how you draw the barcode, if you want.
I've never been able to get a laser scanner to scan something on a screen,
though, regardless of its similarity to the specification or the scanner's
supposed ability to read out-of-spec barcodes.

Paul T.

 

[Louis Haußknecht]

Hi.
I had the same problems using a laser scanner.

Now I'm using a CCD - Imager. This one is recognizing 1D Barcodes as well as
2D Barcodes such as PDF417 and DataMatrix from a CRT Monitor, TFT and
Windows CE Display.

Regards
Louis Haußknecht

If it *is* a pixel size problem, you can query the display for the
dots-per-inch information and adjust how you draw the barcode, if you
want. I've never been able to get a laser scanner to scan something on a
screen, though, regardless of its similarity to the specification or the
scanner's supposed ability to read out-of-spec barcodes.

Paul T.

Okay, two problems here :
1) reflection
2) barcode alignment

I supose there's no way around it ? I read about aeritas' solution
(www.aeritas.com) that sends a barcode to a passenger's mobile/pocket pc
in
lieu of a boarding pass. I found it a pretty interesting concept and
thought
I'd follow the same type of idea.

Without explaining what my whole final-year project is about (that's for
my
next post), I'm basically looking to show a unique form of
identification
on the Pocket PC that could be used by airports to identify a passenger.
Hence, I thought of barcodes seeing as most airports already own
barcodescanners and it shouldn't be too difficult to generate one on the
CF.
Can't really think of something else - can any of you ?

thanks for the brainstorming!

it's also becasue pixel widths don't always line up to the exact bar
widths
on a barcode, which have precise, mathematically calculated widths and
spacings. This is a larger problem than the reflectiveness of the
screen.

--
<ctacke/>
www.OpenNETCF.org
Your CF searches start and end here


"Paul G. Tobey [eMVP]" <ptobey no spam AT no instrument no spam DOT com>
wrote in message It's not a software problem. The screen is reflective. Laser and CCD
scanners don't deal well with highly reflective surfaces. It would be
like trying to scan a barcode that was under a plate of glass. The
laser
is mostly reflected from the surface of the glass, never making it to
the
barcode.

Paul T.

Alex, when you say it's all fine do you mean it's do-able without
third-party software ?

Do you reckon that the scanner won't be able to read the barcode of
the PPC because of contrast/illumination problems? Perhaps I could
back this up by writing down the barcode in large plain numbers just
under the barcode so that manual entry can be done in case
barcode-reading doesn't work. Unfortunately I don't have a
barcode-scanner at hand so I can't really test that out:/

It's all fine except that most scanners will not be able to read a
barcode
from the LCD screen. If you want to check, scan an existing barcode
using a
regular scanner attached to a pc and copy bitmap to device where you
need to
display it. My bet is that your barcode scanner will barf on that

--
Alex Feinman
---
Visit http://www.opennetcf.org
Hello everyone!

I'm wondering if it's possible to show a barcode in the CF simply
by
using a normal font. I know that in Windows one can use a "barcode
font". So typing 123456 using a barcode font would result in a
"123456"-barcode.

I'm looking to either perform a calculation on the PPC and then
turn
the unique result into a barcode, or otherwise receive a number
from a
server and transform it using a barcode-font to a barcode.

The resulting barcode on the display of the PPC would then be
scanned
by a barcode-scanner.

I hope that's kind of clear..

thanks !