Re: differentiating barcode data from keyboard entry

<rmagness1_at_ev1.net> wrote in message news:<vvmj9tc83ncf0b_at_corp.supernews.com>...
> Use a data idenfier that you place as the piece of data in the bar code. DO
> NOT print the data identifier just the real data. This has been used in manufacturing
> for many years, look around and you can find the standards to use to identify
> items such as delivery date, ship date, customer number and so on. As an
> example contents of a bar code would look like this XXYYYYYYYYY
> Where
>
> XX Data Identifier 3S
> YYYYYYYYY PO number 1234567
>
> 3S1234567
> Your program always looks for the data idenfier, if not there , it was entered
> manually.

Thanks, this is the concept I'm using. I was more worried about the forms navigation, since the barcode contains values for numerous fields (eg "delivery date, ship date, customer number and so on") but forms focus ... and hence apparent "keyboard" entry ... was in one forms field -- which could be any enterable field on the form. I've "sorta" addressed that by putting a "scan barcode" button on the screen which calls a canvas that looks like a message box that says "scan barcode now". This message window has a "hidden" field into which the scanned value is captured and interpreted ... once that is done the appropriate forms fields are populated. The shortcomings of this approach are a) operator has to press the "scan" button before scanning and b) if the operator scans the bacode anywhere else a bunch of "codified" garbage is all written to that one field. But hey, no harm, no foul. If anyone else has a different approach (or would like to see this one) let me know. Received on Thu Jan 22 2004 - 14:39:54 CET