I have a task ahead of me to have order checkers scan in an order number 

using a Bar code scanner off of a Hostess 16 port RS 232 Serial card.. 24 

users will be inputing into on PC..I want Access to store the information..

Simple..

They log into the system by scanning their users ID(once)

they check orders and when order is complete they scan the order number 

which will send a record to a table with 

User ID; Order number; date & time stamp;

Any help would be great. I haven't worked with scanners before and can't 

find any support for my project. I have used the Wrox books for many 

things but I can't find help on this one..



TIA



Bill

Bill



I've used scanners in a couple of applications and, assuming 

mine worked the same as yours, you can just treat them as a 

keyboard (all be it with a limited number of keys).



My biggest problem was ensuring that the right control had 

the focus before the user scanned the barcode, and 

remembering that the barcode seemed to have a built-in 

<return> character after every scan.



BDS



---- Original message ----

>Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2001 14:17:56

>From: "Bill Anton" <banton@r...>

>Subject: [access] Bar Code scanner as Input Devices..

>To: "Access" <access@p...>

>

>I have a task ahead of me to have order checkers scan in an 

order number 

>using a Bar code scanner off of a Hostess 16 port RS 232 

Serial card.. 24 

>users will be inputing into on PC..I want Access to store 

the information..

>Simple..

>They log into the system by scanning their users ID(once)

>they check orders and when order is complete they scan the 

order number 

>which will send a record to a table with 

>User ID; Order number; date & time stamp;

>Any help would be great. I haven't worked with scanners 

before and can't 

>find any support for my project. I have used the Wrox books 

for many 

>things but I can't find help on this one..

>

>TIA

>

>Bill

>

Brian

Thanks for replying..

I am more of a number cruncher with access.. I have little knowledge on data

entry..

I think the gun will hold the user id and then send the string of user id

and order number to access... then it will be split into 2 fields within

access...



I guess my steps are..

Open database..

connect to all 24 serial devices (not sure how to do this)

make sure gun always has the user id..

scan the order number

new record

send the order number and id to access splitting as I go

save record



Any thoughts?

Thanks Again



I have never looked for help on one of these sights before so this is new to

me

Bill



-----Original Message-----

From: Brian Skelton [mailto:brian_skelton@o...]

Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2001 9:47 AM

To: Access

Subject: [access] Re: Bar Code scanner as Input Devices..





Bill



I've used scanners in a couple of applications and, assuming 

mine worked the same as yours, you can just treat them as a 

keyboard (all be it with a limited number of keys).



My biggest problem was ensuring that the right control had 

the focus before the user scanned the barcode, and 

remembering that the barcode seemed to have a built-in 

<return> character after every scan.



BDS



---- Original message ----

>Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2001 14:17:56

>From: "Bill Anton" <banton@r...>

>Subject: [access] Bar Code scanner as Input Devices..

>To: "Access" <access@p...>

>

>I have a task ahead of me to have order checkers scan in an 

order number 

>using a Bar code scanner off of a Hostess 16 port RS 232 

Serial card.. 24 

>users will be inputing into on PC..I want Access to store 

the information..

>Simple..

>They log into the system by scanning their users ID(once)

>they check orders and when order is complete they scan the 

order number 

>which will send a record to a table with 

>User ID; Order number; date & time stamp;

>Any help would be great. I haven't worked with scanners 

before and can't 

>find any support for my project. I have used the Wrox books 

for many 

>things but I can't find help on this one..

>

>TIA

>

>Bill

>

Hi Bill and Brian



    I have a similar dilemna...I haven't worked on it too much yet though.  I am

using a card scanner to input data.  The data comes in this form:

;6037272227820007?  The ? character actually serves as a carriage return it

seems.  I'm just trying to figure out an elegant way to strip the semi-colon off

the front.  I may just strip it off when I enter it into the database though...



Let me know how it goes...



Ben





Bill Anton wrote:



> Brian

> Thanks for replying..

> I am more of a number cruncher with access.. I have little knowledge on data

> entry..

> I think the gun will hold the user id and then send the string of user id

> and order number to access... then it will be split into 2 fields within

> access...

>

> I guess my steps are..

> Open database..

> connect to all 24 serial devices (not sure how to do this)

> make sure gun always has the user id..

> scan the order number

> new record

> send the order number and id to access splitting as I go

> save record

>

> Any thoughts?

> Thanks Again

>

> I have never looked for help on one of these sights before so this is new to

> me

> Bill

I only had one user\scanner per PC. I'm not sure what extra 

problems you'll come across trying to connect 24 scanners 

through one PC!



My application captured two pieces of fixed length data, both 

contained within the same barcode, saved the record and then 

moved to a new record in time for the next scan.



To do this I created a simple form, linked to the table where 

the data was to be held, with two text boxes (one for each 

field) and a control button on it.



The two text boxes had input masks. These were used to set 

the length of the data to be placed in each field. The 

Autotab setting of the textboxes was set to 'Yes'. The 

control button simply moved the form to a new record. The 

control button Default setting was set to 'Yes'. The forms 

Data Entry setting to 'Yes'.



So, when the form was opened a new blank record is presented 

to the user, and the focus is in the first text box. The user 

scans a 10 character string using the scanner. The scanner 

sends this string down to the PC, with a <return> character 

appended to the end.



Access assumes that the data is coming from a keyboard and 

enters the data, one character at a time, into the first text 

box. After six characters are entered, the first text box has 

filled its input mask, and autotabs to the second textbox. 

More characters come through and now the second box is full. 

Focus shifts to the command button, which receives the 

<return> character and runs the code to move to a new record.



Voila!



All a bit primitive, and highly dependent on the database 

receiving perfect data, but maybe you can use it as a 

starting point.



To timestamp the data, create a date\time field in your table 

and set its Default Value to Now(). Whenever a new record is 

created the field will be automatically populated.



BDS

---- Original message ----

>Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2001 10:27:18 -0500

>From: Bill Anton <BAnton@R...>

>Subject: [access] Re: Bar Code scanner as Input Devices..

>To: "Access" <access@p...>

>

>Brian

>Thanks for replying..

>I am more of a number cruncher with access.. I have little 

knowledge on data

>entry..

>I think the gun will hold the user id and then send the 

string of user id

>and order number to access... then it will be split into 2 

fields within

>access...

>

>I guess my steps are..

>Open database..

>connect to all 24 serial devices (not sure how to do this)

>make sure gun always has the user id..

>scan the order number

>new record

>send the order number and id to access splitting as I go

>save record

>

>Any thoughts?

>Thanks Again

>

>I have never looked for help on one of these sights before 

so this is new to

>me

>Bill

>

>-----Original Message-----

>From: Brian Skelton [mailto:brian_skelton@o...]

>Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2001 9:47 AM

>To: Access

>Subject: [access] Re: Bar Code scanner as Input Devices..

>

>

>Bill

>

>I've used scanners in a couple of applications and, assuming 

>mine worked the same as yours, you can just treat them as a 

>keyboard (all be it with a limited number of keys).

>

>My biggest problem was ensuring that the right control had 

>the focus before the user scanned the barcode, and 

>remembering that the barcode seemed to have a built-in 

><return> character after every scan.

>

>BDS

>

>---- Original message ----

>>Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2001 14:17:56

>>From: "Bill Anton" <banton@r...>

>>Subject: [access] Bar Code scanner as Input Devices..

>>To: "Access" <access@p...>

>>

>>I have a task ahead of me to have order checkers scan in an 

>order number 

>>using a Bar code scanner off of a Hostess 16 port RS 232 

>Serial card.. 24 

>>users will be inputing into on PC..I want Access to store 

>the information..

>>Simple..

>>They log into the system by scanning their users ID(once)

>>they check orders and when order is complete they scan the 

>order number 

>>which will send a record to a table with 

>>User ID; Order number; date & time stamp;

>>Any help would be great. I haven't worked with scanners 

>before and can't 

>>find any support for my project. I have used the Wrox books 

>for many 

>>things but I can't find help on this one..

>>

>>TIA

>>

>>Bill

Im my (limited) experience the bar code scanner is attached to a device 

called a wedge which makes the signal look like keyboard entry to the 

computer. However the wedge can be programmed (by scanning certain codes 

that came on a card) and it retains those settings which allow for 

different styles of bar codes and well as leading and trailing characters 

which it adds to the data. I suppose you could have the userID programmed 

in. 



In my case I needed to append CTRL-ENTER and it was a bit tough to find a 

brand of wedge that would use that particular code, but it's working now.



Hope that Helps,

- John 

www.TheSmallBusinessCoach.com 



> I have a task ahead of me to have order checkers scan in an order number 

> using a Bar code scanner off of a Hostess 16 port RS 232 Serial card.. 

24 

> users will be inputing into on PC..I want Access to store the 

information..

> Simple..

> They log into the system by scanning their users ID(once)

> they check orders and when order is complete they scan the order number 

> which will send a record to a table with 

> User ID; Order number; date & time stamp;

> Any help would be great. I haven't worked with scanners before and can't 

> find any support for my project. I have used the Wrox books for many 

> things but I can't find help on this one..

> 

> TIA

> 

> Bill