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Barcode scanner (split from old topic by TG) [message #505679] Wed, 04 May 2011 08:55 Go to next message
h_chunky
Messages: 4
Registered: May 2011
Junior Member
Hi,
Does anyone know of a method to capture the barcode data from the scanner, and load to an Oracle database without the need for a Form? Is ODBC an option here?

Thanks,

Mike
Re: Barcode [message #505689 is a reply to message #505679] Wed, 04 May 2011 09:40 Go to previous messageGo to next message
ThomasG
Messages: 3211
Registered: April 2005
Location: Heilbronn, Germany
Senior Member
ODBC is a method for a software to talk to a database.

There are a lot of options for software to talk to a database.

The thing you would need is a way for the barcode scanner to talk to some software. A lot of scanners come with software that emulates keyboard input, so that you can use any keyboard field to capture the data from the scanner. Some scanners offer an API to talk to the scanner directly, too.

So you would have to write some sort of code that talks to both the scanner and the database. I have done a lot of that, in Perl, Java, VB, etc... The first thing you should check is what sort of interfaces the scanner offers.

[Updated on: Wed, 04 May 2011 09:42]

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Re: Barcode [message #505693 is a reply to message #505689] Wed, 04 May 2011 10:00 Go to previous messageGo to next message
h_chunky
Messages: 4
Registered: May 2011
Junior Member
Hi,
Thanks for the response. I'm familiar with how ODBC talks to Oracle, and happy configuring that part of the communication. I've discovered that by spending lots of money there are very advanced scanners out there and often related software packages, but I am hoping at least initially for a proof of concept to keep costs down.

As you imply, the missing link is how to capture the data when the trigger button is pressed on the scanner, which is then fed through ODBC to Oracle. Maybe I will just have to look at buying software to handle this stage?

Thanks,

Mike
Re: Barcode [message #505694 is a reply to message #505693] Wed, 04 May 2011 10:19 Go to previous messageGo to next message
ThomasG
Messages: 3211
Registered: April 2005
Location: Heilbronn, Germany
Senior Member
Well, that really depends on the goal.

There are a lot of "simple" scanners out there that JUST offer a keyboard hook. Most of them in a way that they send the barcode and an "enter" every time a scan is triggered.

That would mean you can connect the scanner to any computer, write software in any tool you like (even an SQL*Plus script with PROMPT input like this:)

Test.sql :
SET serverout ON;
accept barcode prompt "Barcode: "
BEGIN
Dbms_Output.put_line('Barcode entered :' || '&barcode');
END;
/

Run :
SQL> @u:\test.sql
Barcode: 4444444444444
old   2: Dbms_Output.put_line('Barcode entered :' || '&barcode');
new   2: Dbms_Output.put_line('Barcode entered :' || '4444444444444');
Barcode entered :4444444444444
PL/SQL procedure successfully completed.
SQL>


Then there are scanners you still have to connect to a PC, but have advanced features like you can write a hook directly into the software that triggers something special when the scan button is pressed.

Then there are scanners that don't need a PC at all, but call something over the network, like firing a HTTP request every time something is scanned.

If the scanner is to be used at a PC, then I would go the "cheap scanner as keyboard" route for the proof of concept.

[Updated on: Wed, 04 May 2011 10:20]

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Re: Barcode scanner (split from old topic by TG) [message #505806 is a reply to message #505679] Thu, 05 May 2011 01:42 Go to previous messageGo to next message
h_chunky
Messages: 4
Registered: May 2011
Junior Member
h_chunky wrote on Wed, 04 May 2011 13:55

Does anyone know of a method to capture the barcode data from the scanner, and load to an Oracle database without the need for a Form? Is ODBC an option here?


That's my goal from the original post, as I said I don't want to have a Form of any kind (SQL Plus, notepad, Forms, Apex whatever) open when the data is captured, and I don't want to be restricted to the scanner being connected to a PC, can you recommend any scanners you've used?

[Updated on: Thu, 05 May 2011 01:43]

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Re: Barcode scanner (split from old topic by TG) [message #505821 is a reply to message #505806] Thu, 05 May 2011 03:08 Go to previous messageGo to next message
ThomasG
Messages: 3211
Registered: April 2005
Location: Heilbronn, Germany
Senior Member
Well, for the "no keyboard" option definitely.

For example the Metrologic MS 7120 Orbit or the Datalogic Gryphon M4130.

On the software side they are either really connected via RS232, or connected via USB and we use a RS232 emulation driver. So your software would have to be able to talk to a serial connection.

As for the "not being connected to a PC", there of course crops the problem up how do you connect it to Oracle. There for example we use this handheld here, but it really just as a Citrix client that opens an application on a terminal server. Or this here, which works quite simply by calling a web service with the barcode as parameter and then displaying an black and white bitmap that is returned by the web service.

Re: Barcode scanner (split from old topic by TG) [message #505840 is a reply to message #505821] Thu, 05 May 2011 04:08 Go to previous messageGo to next message
h_chunky
Messages: 4
Registered: May 2011
Junior Member
OK thanks for all the information Thomas (hope that's your firstname?!) Smile
Re: Barcode [message #617580 is a reply to message #505689] Tue, 01 July 2014 21:37 Go to previous message
xiaoyuandlg
Messages: 2
Registered: January 2014
Junior Member
ThomasG wrote on Wed, 04 May 2011 09:40
ODBC is a method for a software to talk to a database.

There are a lot of options for software to talk to a database.

The thing you would need is a way for the barcode scanner to talk to some software. A lot of scanners come with software that emulates keyboard input, so that you can use any keyboard field to capture the data from the scanner. Some scanners offer an API to talk to the scanner directly, too. And to the aspect of
how to write java interface for barcode reader, you may visit some barcode software site.

So you would have to write some sort of code that talks to both the scanner and the database. I have done a lot of that, in Perl, Java, VB, etc... The first thing you should check is what sort of interfaces the scanner offers.




I am having similar questions, this suggestion seems to be practically worthy trying. Fortunate to read this.
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