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I'm a backend developer who wants to put together some decent fullstack service for the community (entirely non-commercial): a shared library. User is supposed to scan a barcode on a book to save the book's info. I would really prefer to use the web and stay away from native apps for now (I don't have time to make it for different devices etc). Could I implement barcode scanner within a webpage? How would it look like? I haven't found any good examples.

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  • You certainly can use a barcode scanner in a web page (I'm doing that in a project I'm currently working on). A barcode scanner just interacts with the site as another input device. Most barcode scanners have settings you can adjust for how the text should be formatted and how the text is inserted. Your site would just need a text field to accept input which can then be processed.
    – maxathousand
    May 15, 2019 at 13:25
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    If I understand this right, this post could help: stackoverflow.com/questions/8581081/…
    – Ren
    May 15, 2019 at 13:40
  • Here's an ESM ready one that does QR codes and barcodes: github.com/chainparency/zxinger
    – Travis Reeder
    8 hours ago

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You can Yulia, I'll give you a scenario of how things will work:

1- You need to prepare and generate a QR Code for every book in the library. As a developer, I think you know lots of tools which can generate free QR codes.

2- Make a separate page for every book on the system include the book name, or image or whatever. and besides this info place the QR in good size, as Whatsapp is doing check this image I placed a book on the right just to show how will look like for you:

enter image description here

3-Then when the users in the library come to any of the computers spread in the library he/she can access the system and type the name of the book and the book page popup in front and then pick the mobile and scan the QR code and get all book info. like this:

enter image description here

If you want to see how this is working check this attached video for Whatsapp how to scan the QR code from mobile for Desktop version. This will give you a good idea https://faq.whatsapp.com/en/web/28080003/

Hope this will help. Best of luck!

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    I was thinking about generating QR codes, however I'd print a sticker and put it on each book in the library. This way one does not need to use the computer (point 3) and can directly scan the code on their mobiles. Now, if the QR code contains an URL to your service and the ID of the book, the smartphone can redirect the user to the specific page immediately.
    – Mike
    May 15, 2019 at 15:41
  • For sure this must be implemented. But I think that the Librarian has the right to know how many readers have been scanned the book. I think it also important to store these data for his usage and improve the library and get more books under the interest of the readers. Also, it must be stored in a server. May he need a book someone else has borrowed it. so to have a database for all the books on the server has its benefits. It helps to tell the librarian that I need that book after it returns back. and add his name to the queue of that book.
    – Khalil Hanna
    May 15, 2019 at 16:00
  • also having a database of all books on the database and accessing the info through the computer is important. may you need to know where the book is existing on which shelf? This will help him/her to find the book easily.
    – Khalil Hanna
    May 15, 2019 at 16:03

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