RE: barcode font

["Andrea Peterson" <Andrea.Peterson@xxxxxxxxxx>]

We use Codabar, so we had to buy a font, but we also used bizfont.  We
bought the EZ Bar code font package for windows.  It gave us a number of
different font sizes to play with to find just the right one for
scanning.

We used this to create smart barcodes.  I extracted the records,
inserted barcodes into the records, and imported them back into the
system, then used create lists to get them back out and print them.
Since you are only asking about printing existing barcodes, I'll focus
on that, but I can also share the smart barcode creation process if
anyone is interested.

How we print out barcodes:
-------------------------
 - Create the file
 - Sort by call#
 - Export delimited file:
       - Chose Call#, barcode, and 245 field to export
       - Use "^" as the delimiter
 - I use the following perl script to add the preliminary and final A to
the barcode.  You can change the script to use a character if your
barcodes require the use of "*" or "!" or whatever, as specified in the
program below. It will ask you for the name of the file, then it will
spit out a copy of the file with the same name and the extension ".out",
and will have the formatting characters that you specified in the
program attached (I hope that makes sense!)
 - open in excel, select barcode column and change font to appropriate
barcode font.

---------------------------------------------

If you have never run a perl program before, you can get ActivePerl for
free at http://aspn.activestate.com/ASPN/Downloads/ActivePerl/ ... 


PERL SCRIPT:
----------------------------------------
# perl program to convert barcodes for loading into III

print "Enter the filename: ";
chomp ($file = <STDIN>);
print "\n";

$outfile = "$file.out";

open(IN, "$file") || die "Sorry, can't find the file.  Make sure you
specified the correct name above.";
open (OUT, ">$outfile") || die "Sorry, can't create the file...";

while ($line = <IN>)
{
	@file=split (/\^/, $line);

      #The line below specifies the character before and after the
barcode.
      #To use a character other than "A", replace the character in
quote, but
      #leave the quotes in place.. 
	chomp($barcode = $file[1]); $barcode="A".$barcode."A";
	print OUT "$file[0]\t$barcode\t$file[2]";
}

close (OUT);
close (IN);		

-----------------------------------

Andrea Peterson
Head of Library Systems
Western Washington University Libraries
516 High  St.
Bellingham, WA 98225-9103
(360) 650-3894 Phone
(360) 650-3954 Fax
andrea.peterson@xxxxxxxxxx




-----Original Message-----
From: Karen Perone [mailto:peroneka@xxxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Monday, January 19, 2004 11:40 AM
To: innopac
Subject: barcode font


Before I end up with digititis (that's tired fingers from typing too 
many barcode numbers by hand), I'd like to know if anyone is using a 
barcode font when printing out reports where you will need to call up 
records on the report to edit them at a future time.

Right now, I am cleaning up inventory reports. The printouts include 
barcode number, call number, author, title, status, notes, etc. for the 
shelf checkers to check the shelves. Now the reports have come back to 
me and I am typing in the barcode numbers to update the missing items.

If you are using a barcode font, could you share:
- The name of the font and where you can get it
- How do you only get the barcode number to print in barcode format 
while the rest of the text is human-readable
- Sample printouts?

Many thanks!
-- 
Karen Perone              peroneka@xxxxxxxxxx
Systems Coordinator
Rodman Public Library     voice: 330-821-2665
215 E. Broadway Street    fax: 330-821-5053
Alliance, OH 44601        http://www.rodmanlibrary.com

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