I want to enter information into a database using a barcode reade.

[Steve Roach]

I want to enter information into a database using a barcode reader - how can
I do this using Office? I can buy a USB laser scanner and I have barcode
printing software so I can print out sheets containing the information I want
to gather. What is the easiest way to design and set up a form/record that I
can fill in using information gathered by the barcode reader - it could be in
Excel, Access I imagine. I don't want to have to tab between fields every
time I scan a barcode but some fields will be variable length, i.e. I want to
be able to scan one or more barcodes into a list. I imagine I will have to
scan a code that is associated with a tab character - is that the way it's
done?

 

[Thomas Lutz]

Most USB bar code scanners behave exactly like a second keyboard when
attached to a USB port on a PC. When you scan the bar code, the data
encoded in the bar codes gets entered into the PC as "keystrokes" so
all you need to do is put the cursor in the input field in th other
program and scan the bar code.
Most bar code scanners are also configurable regarding the keystroke
that gets sent after the bar code data. The default behavior for most
scanners is to send an "Enter" keystroke after the bar code data. You
can usually change this behavior so that the scanner sends a "TAB"
keystroke instead. Your bar code scanner should have come with a users
manual with a numbe of "configuration bar codes" that you can scan to
set different options in the scanner including the terminating
keystroke.
Set your scanner to send a TAB key as the terminating keystroke and
then set up the database with a form containing an input textbox where
you can scan all the bar code data in.


On Thu, 17 Feb 2005 09:41:03 -0800, "Steve Roach" <Steve

 

[Steve Roach]

Thanks for the reply clarifying the point about the terminating
character and the operation of the scanner - I've not programmed for
one before so I don't know first hand how to use it for data entry.

cheers
Steve

 

[SirPoonga]

Also, if you already have a products table with the barcode values
stored and want to make an inventory form you will need a little bit of
programming.

Once the code gets entered into the input text box and the ENTER
keystroke is sent, this should trigger the onUpdate event for that
textbox. In that event you can handle what you want to do with that
code, say tally it for inventory.

Funny thing is, this is how I kept track of my CD collection for some
time