Barcode Data Sampling Compiler

Barcode Compiler - Data Sampler


In order to quickly provide sampling data related to uniquely barcoded items, this program was devised. This app interfaces with an existing barcode scanning device that is already installed and can provide compiled data from it. (It is known to work with the free 'Barcode Scanner' by Team ZXing in Play Store, which works with QR codes and the standard line-barcodes. If you have multiple scanning programs and this doesn’t work, you may want to check to ensure that another program isn’t set as the default scanning app in your Settings.)

In the past, people sampling data would find barcoded items that they needed, write down the respective numbers (which may be written down incorrectly) of suchs, and/or take pictures of the barcodes (which may not be properly focused). The numbers would then be manually typed (sometimes incorrectly) into a program for analysis a day or two later in order to determine if there were any bottlenecks when going from one location to the next. This program is designed to speed up that data collection methodology.

The eMail address line references the phone’s internal list of contacts for quickly populating the field. Additional comments, related to the scans, may also be put in the comments section.

When the Scan Barcode button is selected, it calls the Team ZXing Barcode Scanner. The scanning number is then shown in the associated text box, which can be modified at the user’s discretion. After ensuring that the scan was completed, the user would then select the Add to List button, which will include it in the existing list of barcodes and increment the label list by 1. The Delete button removes the barcode.

Pressing the Configure button will take you to another screen. This screen allows you to change the default delimiter to a space, new line, semicolon, or keep it as a comma. The New Line option is very useful when pasting the data into other applications such as Excel for automatic analysis; or the comma for direct insertion into user-specific programs such as PTS-2.

You can also change the number of scans before an email is automatically invoked. By default, the number is set at 10. You may also un-check a box which will then show a “Manual Email” button (not shown) in the first screenshot above. That will allow you to scan as many times as needed, and then you would press the Manual Email to invoke your eMail application when ready. (If you are only doing 1-barcode at a time, select the Manual button as well.)

You can also provide an addition to the Subject header of the email that will be shown in your email. (By default, the subject header will say, “Last Scan @ [time~H:MM:SS AM/PM mmm-d-yyyy].” Simply type in text in the Email Subject textbox for it to appear alongside the default subject header, which may be useful for segregating emails for different samples.

Why does the Barcode Compiler want to access ...
... my contacts?
This device allows you to quickly pull a contact from your email list for emailing the data. It is done to save you time. If you don’t see the name when typing in the first few letters of the email name (and it’s in your phone’s list), try turning your phone sideways, as your phone’s auto-keyboard may be hiding the name. It wants to be able to access your contacts for that reason alone. It does not use them for any other purpose.
... my SD card?
The device needs to temporarily store the data, before compiling it inside your email. That is the sole reason why it is kept there.
... my wi-fi settings?
When scanning QR codes, they can encode the user name, password, etc. for a wi-fi network so that you don't have to type them into your phone. To do this, the application needs to be able to change wi-fi settings.