I don't think the camera in the iPhone is capable of focusing close enough to get a good photo of the barcode though. The bars would be too close together to clearly distinguish them.
There are several projects doing this. I read a story about a couple of apps on Google's Android that do this and then place flags on a map where yo could find the item close by as well (price comparison).
It had a link to 4 code projects for doing exactly that, unfortunately I cant find the link right now, but might be able to tomorrow when I am on my other computer.
I'll try to think about posting it here if I find it.
If not search, "android google book bar code camera" that might lead to a few things.
There are several projects doing this. I read a story about a couple of apps on Google's Android that do this and then place flags on a map where yo could find the item close by as well (price comparison).
It had a link to 4 code projects for doing exactly that, unfortunately I cant find the link right now, but might be able to tomorrow when I am on my other computer.
I'll try to think about posting it here if I find it.
If not search, "android google book bar code camera" that might lead to a few things.
Great, but I am new to iphone app dev, so if somebody would like to collaborate, we can share some ideas.
Waiting for your digging in your another computer.
I won't be digging in there until tomorrow... But I believe there were 4-5 listed. But Zebra crossing was the most interesting of them IMHO.
Thank you for so many sharings, Mike.
I am looking through these links now, but I found ZXing can read many types of barcode, while Barcodes on the iphone platform only recognizes QR code. So there might be a heavy work ahead if I want to port them.
Which led me to searching... and reading... (I did find one decent size company that did some research on reading bar codes on cheap cameras that were all fuzzy and so on)
Ok.. And here is what you want (I think) some code to do it in Objective-C for the iPhone. I have not looked at the code yet... but they are offering it.
Which led me to searching... and reading... (I did find one decent size company that did some research on reading bar codes on cheap cameras that were all fuzzy and so on)
Ok.. And here is what you want (I think) some code to do it in Objective-C for the iPhone. I have not looked at the code yet... but they are offering it.
I am looking through these links now, but I found ZXing can read many types of barcode, while Barcodes on the iphone platform only recognizes QR code. So there might be a heavy work ahead if I want to port them.
(I am a developer of zxing)
In case it wasn't clear, Barcodes is the iPhone client from the ZXing project. You are right that we only ported support for QR Codes. The other formats we support are 1D formats and would not decode on the iPhone because it lacks auto-focus or macro mode. (The G1 does, so that's why you see the shopping apps that scan 1D codes. Incidentally these apps also using ZXing for barcode scanning.)
The source code for Barcodes is available from the ZXing project. You are welcome to port the 1D scanning code too, but it won't work on the iPhone. However, I have heard of lenses you can add on to the iPhone to make it focus up close, which would make scanning of 1D codes feasible.
Ya, 1D codes are tough to do on phones that don't have macro lenses because of the fine bar-space patterns in most 1D codes - the bars and spaces get blurred together.
2D codes like QR Code, DataMatrix, etc. typically are easier because they have larger modules, plus they have error correction built into the symbologies, which allows you to survive a less-than-perfect read.
The NeoMedia reader mentioned doesn't actually succeed at doing most 1D codes except in the most extreme and lucky circumstances. Their original app description was a bit misleading in that respect.
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In case it wasn't clear, Barcodes is the iPhone client from the ZXing project. You are right that we only ported support for QR Codes. The other formats we support are 1D formats and would not decode on the iPhone because it lacks auto-focus or macro mode. (The G1 does, so that's why you see the shopping apps that scan 1D codes. Incidentally these apps also using ZXing for barcode scanning.)
The source code for Barcodes is available from the ZXing project. You are welcome to port the 1D scanning code too, but it won't work on the iPhone. However, I have heard of lenses you can add on to the iPhone to make it focus up close, which would make scanning of 1D codes feasible.
Thank you for inside information, Owen.
Then it came to a rash conclusion that porting ZXing to iphone for 1D barcode, JAN/EAN/UPC, does very little to make a steady app, unless iphone has auto-focus and macro-mode.
So we should do nothing but wait, or prepare the ZXing on iphone for iphone's hardware/software upgrade?
I am looking through these links now, but I found ZXing can read many types of barcode, while Barcodes on the iphone platform only recognizes QR code. So there might be a heavy work ahead if I want to port them.
Oops... Didn't read all the posts before posting... redundant!
Last edited by dicklacara; 01-09-2009 at 12:47 AM.
Can the camera be used to read Barcode?
Linear Mode
