Bar code format |
Bar codes are generated in Code 39 format. This includes bar codes on work order printouts, part labels, and output from the Query/Report Generator.
If you have a Code 39 font, you can make your own bar codes in a document. To do this, the text must start and end with * (asterisk). When used with a bar code font, the asterisk gives the Code 39 bar code the distinctive bar patterns at its beginning and end. Otherwise, the bar code is not scannable. When scanning, the beam must be able to see white space on both sides of the bar code simultaneously to know that the code is valid.
The data within a bar code generated by the application (such as on a work order or a part label) starts and ends with /F. Wedge scanners (properly programmed to interpret Code 39 full ASCII) interpret the /F as & (ampersand). The GUI uses these indicators to determine whether the user is scanning a bar code or typing data. Bar codes generated by the application include a prefix character that identifies the type of data included: P (part), T (task), W (work order ID), and so forth.
If a bar code is being scanned, the graphical user interface (GUI) strips off the prefix character before outputting the scanned data into the field. MobileFocus also uses the prefix character to know the context of what you are scanning. Additional rules apply to some part bar codes.
Bar codes generated by the application may include other special characters, the most common being $I (dollar sign followed by an uppercase i). Wedge scanners interpret $I as a tab, which enables the separation of different fields within a bar code, such as the three parts of a work order ID.
A bar code for part ID A2230001943, suffix 0, at location A21 would contain the following text string:
/FPA2230001943$I0$IA21/F
It would look like the following if scanned into Notepad:
&PA2230001943 0 A21&
To save bar code space, you can omit the location from the bar code:
/FPA2230001943$I0/F
It would look like the following if scanned into Notepad:
&PA2230001943 0&