Open topic with navigation

ShipRush SQL: Bar Coding

ShipRush can read... if you use a supported bar code scanner. The overall system works like this:

The SQL query to retrieve data has this WHERE clause:

WHERE o.OrderID LIKE '%SEARCHPARAM%%'

%SEARCHPARAM% comes from one of two places:

• The ShipRush SQL Search screen (a user types or pastes in a value)
• A supported bar code scanner

Bar coding lets ShipRush read order numbers, customer ID's, and similar data from printed packing lists, cover letters, etc. This lets ShipRush be placed anywhere in the work flow.

For example:

1. Front office prints packing list with bar coded order number (ShipRush is not present on this PC)
2. Back room or warehouse picks the order, scans the bar code, and ShipRush pops up
3. ShipRush writes the tracking number and / or cost back to the application database

In the back room / warehouse, the 'host' application (e.g. an accounting system) does not need to be running or even installed. ShipRush does only what it is asked to do, and no other software needs to be present.

Many reporting systems have built in bar code support. Any bar code format will work (Code 39, Code 128, etc.) as long as the bar code reader can read it. (In other words, essentially all bar code formats can be used.)

To brew your own bar codes, Z-Firm advises using one of the freeware Code39 codes, such as the one by BarcodesInc or OpenBarcodes.

Some notes:

• These systems are font files. They are easy to install.
• To print data, simply open Notepad, type in your data, change the font to the bar code font, and set the size to 18 points or larger
• Code39 requires start and stop characters. The character is the asterisk ('*'). So to encode 'ORDER123' the data needs to read '*ORDER123*'

Presto! Now you are bar coding!

Tips:

To test the system, the best way is to just print a document with some real OrderID values (or whatever ID you need for the query). Often, when doing this in Word, the bar code does not scan because Word sneaks in some characters and breaks the bar code. The best way is to paste the needed ID into Notepad, with a leading and trailing '*' character, e.g.

    *123456789*

Then in Notepad, change the document font to the bar code font (e.g. Code39 or Free 3 of 9), and set the font size to 20 or 30 pts. Print this document and it should scan fine.

Next: Bar Code Scanners