BarcodePlugin Development Discussion

Here's the first release of a barcode plugin based on the Barcode::Code128 module. This is my first public plugin so any tips/feedback are welcome.

I wrote this to use to generate bar codes for boxes and storage containers that can then be scanned with a CueCat.

-- StevenSprouse - 04 Nov 2004

Very interesting - is there an associated TWikiMarketing.SuccessStory that describes the processes that your company has solved with TWiki? I think we'd all be interested in hearing them.

-- MartinCleaver - 04 Nov 2004

Twiki for Home Inventory Control!

This hasn't been used in a corporate environment, just for my own hacking and home inventory control at my house. I've got 30-40 boxes stored around the house, shed, attic, garage, etc...

I use a Twiki form to create a page for each box: ie. HouseBox001, HouseBox002, ...

Each box has information like owner (husband, wife), and location (shed, garage, attic, closet1, closet2, ...)

Then I generate a table with all the boxes and their barcodes. When I transfer an object in a box, I scan the associated barcode and it takes me to the appropriate page for editing. I add the object to the page.

Finally, each box's page is printed and a copy is used as a manifest in each box.

For scanning I use a USB based CueCat. You can get these off of ebay for $5-$15. The plug in to your computer and when you scan a barcode, it shows up just as if you had typed it on your keyboard.

-- StevenSprouse - 04 Nov 2004

I am amazed on how many ideas people have for Plugins, I would never had thought of this one

Small suggestion: Perform and document the TWiki:Plugins/Benchmark for this Plugin

-- PeterThoeny - 05 Nov 2004

I just added the benchmark info. My "GoodStyle" performance is pretty bad. I'm not sure how to improve it though. I basically copied the GaugePlugin and made mods from there.

Also, I just released a new set of code that optionally swaps upper/lower case to better support the quirks of CueCat

-- StevenSprouse - 05 Nov 2004

A bad GoodStyle performance and a better FormattedSearch performance indicate that the Plugin intitialization takes a long time. Try to load Barcode::Code128 and GD only when needed. This will speed up TWiki initialization except for topics that have a barcode. Study the $mailInitialized code in NetDotPm.

-- PeterThoeny - 05 Nov 2004

I found the root cause of my performance problem. Perl newbies like me don't know the difference between use and require. I was using "use Barcode::Code198", loading it only when a barcode was encountered. But "use" seems to be loaded at compile time.

Switching to "require" seems to have made the performance on GoodStyle close to 100%. Does this sound correct?

-- StevenSprouse - 07 Nov 2004

Yes, performance of a Plugin typically is around 98-99% if it does not load additional modules at compile or init time and if the Plugin does not use the outsidePREHandler or insidePREHandler.

Read use vs require doc at http://iis1.cps.unizar.es/Oreilly/perl/cookbook/ch12_04.htm

-- PeterThoeny - 08 Nov 2004

checked .zip into CVSplugins:BarcodePlugin

-- WillNorris - 23 Nov 2004

Added signature to Plugin topic, the report on PluginPackage topic depends on it.

-- PeterThoeny - 23 Aug 2005