Help with Barcode Config

[natu67...@gmail.com]

HEy so I was finally able to get the software installed with the help of a php and webserver guru but now i need some help with the barcode scanning functions of PartKeepr. I'm reading the wiki but it's not too helpful it refers to codes to actions but im not too sure what this is referring to. Also it's talking about barcode scanners that support prefix commands would anyone be able to point me in a few good directions that would show me what this means and where I could possibly get one? Again thanks for any help you guys could give me it really means a lot.

[Christian Wolf]

Hello,

just a quick explanation what the prefix command means: The barcode scanner is (from the perspective of the computer) nothing special but a keyboard. So if it detects a barcode, the textual representation is sent to the machine as if you had typed it.

Now assume you are browsing the PartKeepr web page and want to search for a part identifed by the barcode on it. You could click on the search field and then enter the number (aka scanning the barcode). However if you manage to prepend a certain shortcut (I think <Alt><K>) the search field will be automatically activated. So you can only scan the code and your barcode reader prepends the needed shortcut to focus the search field.

Unfortunately I cannot give you good advice where to look for an appropriate device.

Christian

[AGG]

It is not practical to change the mode of the scanning all the time by changing the prefixes of the barcode scanner in order to select another action. For Ubuntu Linux I did some experiments with a Python script working as a custom hid driver, some processing and keystroke simulator for my simple barcode scanner. Changing of the action is done by scanning of one from the barcodes attached to my monitor base. In addition it recognizes 1D and 2D DigiKey barcodes and convert them to a manufacture part number that I use as a part name in Partkeepr. I'm happy with this setup. It is possible the same to be done inside Partkeepr. Instead of defining a prefix key for each action to be able to setup and recognize special strings (as reading from a printed barcode label) in order to switch to 1 from the 3 available actions. This way we can use any cheap barcode scanner without the ability to use prefixes.