RE: Barcode scanners and Databases

["Nikola Kasic" <nikola@xxxxxxx>]

Guys,

I'm happy to participate, to bring the price down, although I don't know yet, why I need it for. I'm sure that you will come out with ideas. This could open new, interesting horizons.

How this scanner looks like?

Nik

-----Original Message-----
From: steve.cooper@xxxxxxx [mailto:steve.cooper@xxxxxxx]
Sent: 28 February 2002 09:07
To: ukha_d@xxxxxxxSubject: RE: [ukha_d] Barcode scanners and Databases

Loads of great ideas on this one Keith, looking down the list there is
nothing in there that would take too much to implement.  With one or two
barcode scanners and a spare Fuji in the Kitchen the whole thing wouldn't
cost much more than about £10-£20.  My only concern is that it is great to
do but on a practical level the extra time scanning in products may be a
bit much for just an automated shopping list.  The killer app on this is
going to be linking it up to the recipe books.

Stu - I'ld be interested in a scanner to give this a try or even 2+ if we
can get to the 100+ pricing.

S


                                                                                                                                                
                    "Keith Doxey"                                                                                                               
                    <lists.diyha@btint        To:     <ukha_d@xxxxxxx>                                                                  
                    ernet.com>                cc:                                                                                               
                                              Subject:     RE: [ukha_d] Barcode scanners  and Databases                                         
                    27/02/02 23:55                                                                                                              
                    Please respond to                                                                                                           
                    ukha_d                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                



Hi Stuart,

I'm definately interested, especially if we can get to the 100 pricing :-)

I notice the company is Zygo. They were the company I bought the TSOP
1838's from for the IR extenders that people built.

I want to do the "shopping list" database as well. With the Fuji this now
becomes a real possibility. The way I see it working is as follows.....

Our normal scribbled shopping list is usually along the lines of

Bread
Milk
Beans
Mushrooms
....etc

Not "Beans Heinz 440g". By that I mean we dont specifically go out for a
particular product but a tin of beans. I see produce being classified along
the following lines

GROUP
    PRODUCT
        SIZE(optional)

eg

Frozen
    Chicken Breast
    Cauliflower
    Peas
    Burgers
    Mince
        500g or small
        1kg or large
Tinned
    Beans
    Peas
    Spaghetti

These would be the types of items within the database. As others have
pointed out, Barcodes vary depending on brand, special offer, bulk pack (eg
4xbeans), price etc. By using a table to join barcodes to items within the
database you can accomodate multiple barcodes per item.

I dont think it is neccesary to store details of the size of a joint of
beef etc, just the fact that you have 2 Beef Joints, 3 Chickens etc, as for
a given family you will always tend to buy the same size, the exception
being when a whopping great joint has been "Whoops'd" at which point you
buy it and cut it in two anyway or cook it whole and use the leftovers for
sarnies or a curry.

I only want to know there are 4 tins of beans, not that 1 is Heinz and 3
are Asda. By using ASP's and a database you can use the browser as the user
interface. I suggest the following sequence of operations.

Unpack Shopping
    Do while not End_Of_Shopping
        Hold Item to scanner
        Barcode read
        If Match found then
            Show keypad on touchscreen to enter quantity
            X items added to item stock level
        Else
            (Unknown Barcode)
            Show Groups on touchscreen *
                Touch "Tinned"
            Show products on screen *
                Touch "Beans"
            Show size/multiple on screen *
                Touch "Large"
            Show keypad on touchscreen to enter quantity
            Barcode assigned against item
            X items added to item stock level
            (* option to add Groups/products/sizes not in database to
accomodate new items)
        End If
    Loop
sit and watch television
END

When using items, they are scanned and because the database already has
codes for BrandA, BrandB, BrandC tins of beans the quantity of beans is
decreased by 1.

The issues mentioned by Phil regarding part used items are not much of a
problem (Like him, I tend to finish things!). Scan Beans when removed from
cupboard, wether you use the whole tin or not, you still need to replace
it. Consumables like Flour, Sugar, herbs etc you wouldnt scan everytime you
used them but would press the touchscreen to add a bag/jar to the next
shopping list when you notice the level is getting low, likewise with milk,
eggs etc.

Frozen foods like Burgers, Fish, etc could be added as the pack quantity eg
12 but when removing the burgers you scan the code once for every burger
you remove. The Barcode translation table could have an additional field
for AddQty so scanning a 4pack of burgers would add 4, and 8 pack would add
8, but irrespective of which pack you scanned on the way out you would only
remove one burger. I believe the special offer packs with "50% extra free"
have different barcodes so when you arrive home with a "4pack" that
contains "6" the code would not be recognised so you would add it as
Burgers with a multiple of 6.

Meat >from a
useby date associated with it as would other perishables like Yoghurt etc
which would be entered when adding the item to the database. The
touchscreen could have options for entering any date but also quick touch
buttons for 1-7(or 14) days as stuff from the deli often has a very short
life. Likewise for stuff that has to be used within 3 days of opening eg
prepacked meat/pate etc, scan it as you open it and the 3 days starts NOW.

fields can be added for "MinQty" and "OrderQty" so having less than 2
bottle of Diet Coke would automatically add 8 to the shopping list. Setting
up the initial database would take a little time, but once up and running
would require little upkeep apart from correcting stock level when you
forgot to scan something or adding items to the database for new products.

From some Intranet work I did a while back I know that Asda have an
inventory of >33000 lines with the average store stocking about 23000 of
them. Most people probably only ever buy a couple of hundred (so why are
the things I want always sold out??). Once your shopping list is available
from the database you only need to print it and take it with you. Any items
you add to database when you get home are deleted fromthe shopping list and
anything you couldnt get would remain for the next trek to the supermarket.

Once you have the food in the database then the next thing is to add the
recipies so that you can choose meals from what is available.....or use the
touchscreen to order a Pizza over the Internet :-)

So..... am I just a Krazy Web Database developer or does this sound like
the kind of thing others are interested in doing?

Krazy Keith :-)

PS. Yes Mark, if I get this working I will send you the code :-)

      -----Original Message-----
     From: Stuart Poulton [mailto:swp@xxxxxxx]

     I notice that there is a discount as follows

     Number      1      10+      100+
     Cost £      20      12.45      6.10


     If anyone is interested then perhap a bulk buy is in order that I'm
     willing to handle, costs above exclude VAT

                                                   
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