Barcode scanning from a webform
-
Is anyone familiar with a technology for reading strings from a barcode scanner into a web form (where the scanner is a peripheral attached to the web client)? Certain scanners are configurable to emulate keyboard input. Unfortunately, this is a last resort for the page I need to build. Does anyone know of an ActiveX control or equivalent that will permit reading scanner data from the RS-232 port or... ANYTHING but a keyboard? Can anyone suggest guidelines for writing one myself? Any and all input is much appreciated. Very Highest Regards, Guy If you are going through hell, keep going. -Churchill
-
Is anyone familiar with a technology for reading strings from a barcode scanner into a web form (where the scanner is a peripheral attached to the web client)? Certain scanners are configurable to emulate keyboard input. Unfortunately, this is a last resort for the page I need to build. Does anyone know of an ActiveX control or equivalent that will permit reading scanner data from the RS-232 port or... ANYTHING but a keyboard? Can anyone suggest guidelines for writing one myself? Any and all input is much appreciated. Very Highest Regards, Guy If you are going through hell, keep going. -Churchill
Hmm..I must say I know a fair bit about what you describe but I have no idea what you are after or why. A keyboard line scanner is about the simplest most easy to work with device you can connect to a computer. Are you saying you need to scan into something that isn't a computer or ???
"I don't want more choice. I just want better things!" - Edina Monsoon
-
Is anyone familiar with a technology for reading strings from a barcode scanner into a web form (where the scanner is a peripheral attached to the web client)? Certain scanners are configurable to emulate keyboard input. Unfortunately, this is a last resort for the page I need to build. Does anyone know of an ActiveX control or equivalent that will permit reading scanner data from the RS-232 port or... ANYTHING but a keyboard? Can anyone suggest guidelines for writing one myself? Any and all input is much appreciated. Very Highest Regards, Guy If you are going through hell, keep going. -Churchill
I work with scanners all the time, particularly for embedded systems. The Windows Mobile platform has a tiny SDK that allows to receive a Windows message when the scanner is fired, and then use some functions to retrieve information. Unfortunately, most of the scanner providers (such as Intermec) simply doesn't implement that SDK. So, most of the time, I have to download the SDK for the specific scanner model and use it. I guess you'll have to do the same. If you'll be using scanners of different models... well, good luck. Once I had to enable scanning for Intermec 730, Symbol MC50w and some rusty iPaq, and the program had to work in the three models without recompiling (that is, no
#ifdefs allowed). X| Well, in short, look for the scanner's SDK in the vendor's website.
Hope is the negation of reality - Raistlin Majere
-
Hmm..I must say I know a fair bit about what you describe but I have no idea what you are after or why. A keyboard line scanner is about the simplest most easy to work with device you can connect to a computer. Are you saying you need to scan into something that isn't a computer or ???
"I don't want more choice. I just want better things!" - Edina Monsoon
-
Is anyone familiar with a technology for reading strings from a barcode scanner into a web form (where the scanner is a peripheral attached to the web client)? Certain scanners are configurable to emulate keyboard input. Unfortunately, this is a last resort for the page I need to build. Does anyone know of an ActiveX control or equivalent that will permit reading scanner data from the RS-232 port or... ANYTHING but a keyboard? Can anyone suggest guidelines for writing one myself? Any and all input is much appreciated. Very Highest Regards, Guy If you are going through hell, keep going. -Churchill
To be able to transmit data from a barcode scanner connected to the RS-232 port you need either to write some kind of function that will listen to that port and get the data each time the scanner fires, the other solution is to use WinKey. WinKey is a tiny tiny app that will gladly run in the background and do the work for you. We have that setup at some of our workstations at work. The easiest way if you want to reach a broader public however is to have them use a keyboard-wedge scanner. Hope this helps!
-
To be able to transmit data from a barcode scanner connected to the RS-232 port you need either to write some kind of function that will listen to that port and get the data each time the scanner fires, the other solution is to use WinKey. WinKey is a tiny tiny app that will gladly run in the background and do the work for you. We have that setup at some of our workstations at work. The easiest way if you want to reach a broader public however is to have them use a keyboard-wedge scanner. Hope this helps!
Thanks! I appreciate all the perspective on this issue. For the record, I am gathering requirements and doing some prototyping for a webpage where scanning activity will occur independently of data entry. A very real chance exists that a user will be typing into a textbox at the moment a barcode is scanned. (hence my caution about keyboard emulation) Again, thanks for the seriously short turnaround in providing all the feedback! I now have a lot of avenues to explore. Guy If you are going through hell, keep going. -Churchill