RE: Barcode scanners and Databases

[Stuart Poulton <swp@xxxxxxx>]

Does anyone have access to a list of supermarket barcodes, as these
probably won't be listed anywhere, for example own brand products.

As is mentioned below, there may be a possibility of developing an
database of products that don't already exist in current barcode lists.

Stuart



On Thu, 2002-02-28 at 09:07, steve.cooper@xxxxxxx wrote:
>=20
> 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 =A310-=A320.  My only concern is that it is
gre=
at 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.
>=20
> Stu - I'ld be interested in a scanner to give this a try or even 2+ if
we
> can get to the 100+ pricing.
>=20
> S
>=20
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>                                                                       
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>                     "Keith Doxey"                           
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>                     <lists.diyha@btint        To:    
<ukha_d@yahoogroups=
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>                     ernet.com>                cc:                  
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>                                               Subject:     RE:
[ukha_d] B=
arcode scanners  and Databases                                         =
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>                     27/02/02 23:55                                    
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>                     Please respond to                                 
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>                     ukha_d                                            
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>=20
> Hi Stuart,
>=20
> I'm definately interested, especially if we can get to the 100 pricing
:-=
)
>=20
> I notice the company is Zygo. They were the company I bought the TSOP
> 1838's from for the IR extenders that people built.
>=20
> 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.....
>=20
> Our normal scribbled shopping list is usually along the lines of
>=20
> Bread
> Milk
> Beans
> Mushrooms
> ....etc
>=20
> 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
alo=
ng
> the following lines
>=20
> GROUP
>     PRODUCT
>         SIZE(optional)
>=20
> eg
>=20
> Frozen
>     Chicken Breast
>     Cauliflower
>     Peas
>     Burgers
>     Mince
>         500g or small
>         1kg or large
> Tinned
>     Beans
>     Peas
>     Spaghetti
>=20
> 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
th=
e
> database you can accomodate multiple barcodes per item.
>=20
> 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 f=
or
> 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
fo=
r
> sarnies or a curry.
>=20
> 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
us=
er
> interface. I suggest the following sequence of operations.
>=20
> 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
>=20
> 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.
>=20
> 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
fro=
m
> 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 y=
ou
> 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
mil=
k,
> eggs etc.
>=20
> 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 a=
dd
> 8, but irrespective of which pack you scanned on the way out you would
on=
ly
> 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.
>=20
> Meat from the deli would be stored in the database as Deli - Ham and
have=
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=
..
>=20
> 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.
Setti=
ng
> 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=
..
>=20
> >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
availabl=
e
> from the database you only need to print it and take it with you. Any
ite=
ms
> you add to database when you get home are deleted fromthe shopping
list a=
nd
> anything you couldnt get would remain for the next trek to the
supermarke=
t.
>=20
> 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 t=
he
> touchscreen to order a Pizza over the Internet :-)
>=20
> So..... am I just a Krazy Web Database developer or does this sound
like
> the kind of thing others are interested in doing?
>=20
> Krazy Keith :-)
>=20
> PS. Yes Mark, if I get this working I will send you the code :-)
>=20
>       -----Original Message-----
>      From: Stuart Poulton [mailto:swp@xxxxxxx]
>=20
>      I notice that there is a discount as follows
>=20
>      Number      1      10+      100+
>      Cost =A3      20      12.45      6.10
>=20
>=20
>      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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