Code 39 Problem?

[AussieAussie]

Just took delivery of some new stock lines and struck a problem.
Items are manufacturer bar-coded with Code39 *P2031093*
Entered into the stock table, using scanner, as 2031093, which is the actual part number.
Use Stock look-up (F8), using scanner, and it gives me 2031093.
However, when attempting to scan into a purchase it gives me the item in the stock table scanned as 1131503060 (EAN13 code).
Seems to be an issue when entering into purchases if the Code39 bar-code has an Alpha character in it.
This is happening with all stock in the order, the above is just one example.


Any ideas/solutions? Is it a glitch in the way different parts of the program interpret the input? Can it be fixed? Can the program be made to recognise the Alpha characters too? (I reckon that might be too big an ask!)

[daleadmin]

Read this about using the vendor stock number to ring up items in a sale http://www.dhpos.com/discuss/phpbb3/vie ... 551#p10551

Dale

[AussieAussie]

Ok, here is a pic of one of the barcodes in question.

2031093

2031093.jpg (3.19 KiB) Viewed 17850 times

I opened the stock table and used the scanner to input the barcode. Filled out the rest of the information for the product and then exited the stock table.
I then used F8 (stock look up) to check the information. All seemed OK.
A couple of days later I went to scan the item into a purchase and it was all wrong.
The actual barcode translates to *P2031093*

If some others could try it and let me know the results it would be appreciated.

[daleadmin]

AussieAussie,

I printed out your barcode and scanned it with my USB CueCat scanner into the stock table, a sale, the stock number lookup, MS Word, the old Write.exe word processor from Windows 3.1, Notepad, Wordpad, the address line in Internet Explorer 7, the DOS command line, a new message in Outlook Express, into a new email in Yahoo Mail, Excel, a DOS database program I wrote, the QuickBASIC interperter, and text boxes for various sites on the internet, including scanning it here --> 2031093


In every single case the input was 2031093, with no exceptions.

Dale

[AussieAussie]

Thanks Dale. Will see if I can borrow another scanner to try........Both the ones I have here are Gryphon wedge style.

[peewee3ie]

Hi AussieAussie,

You could scan the barcode in to notepad about 20 time and have a loo to see if any scan wrong and how many tiwm it happens. if it happles more that 3 time then you need a new barcode scanner.

Also is it only wrong when you scan it in to purchase.

This mite be the case it this computer on it own or it networked with other tills anif they are networked is there any pc that has internet access.

If so then you could have a keyloger on that pc, that is messing around with you barcode enters. I have see this on a friends system, but was not using DHPOS, it only happend when he done his order of stock from his supplyers.

this keyloger though he was typing in his password or credit card info and change it.

what I am saying is to have a viruse scanner on any windows (from 2000 up) on the network. Windows 98 and me are less lightly to get a virus as they are mainly 16 bit.

I am not saying that is what is happing.

[AussieAussie]

Tony,
It only happens when scanning into purchases.
Scans into Stock table as 2031093
Scans into stock look up as 2031093
Scans into Notepad as P2031093
Scans into Outlook Express email as P2031093 (OE is on the computer but it is not connected to any network)
Scans into purchase as 1131503060 (this belongs to another stock item)
The computer is running W98 and is stand alone with nothing else on it, just W98 and POS ver 7.04b. Solely used as a register/till. Has been scanned for virus with both Avast and Nortons, with nothing found.
It is only happening with items that have an Alpha character in the Code39 bar-code, and every time. Items without an Alpha character in the code work fine.
Tried it this morning with a different brand of scanner and it does the same thing.

Rob

Edit: I get the exact same results when using only the keyboard. When I enter an Alpha character as the first character in either stock table or stock look up I get an error 'beep' and then it lets me enter the numeric characters. When I go to enter an Alpha character in purchase mode I get an item up straight away. This depends on the Alpha character, but A gives me the first item in the stock table, B gives me the second, C gives me the third etc.
I have now tried this on all 4 computers I have, including a laptop, and the result is the same.

[peewee3ie]

AussieAussie,

This must be someting Dale added to the software as it same here if I type in A I get the first item and if I type in C I get the third item.

Dale,

Did you add this to the software or it a bug

[AussieAussie]

In every single case the input was 2031093, with no exceptions.

Dale

Just re-read that and noticed that the P was missing. The input should have been P2031093.
Question now is do only some scanners recognise the Alpha characters in Code39? Both the one's I tried here did.

[daleadmin]

Here is what is happening.

Most of the places in the program that take numeric only input will just ignore any non-numerals that are entered. So if you enter into a stock number field P2031093 the program will return 2031093.

The only exception to this is when you enter a stock number into a sale. Press [F1] when you are asked for a stock number and you will see the first page of the stock table. Notice that this list is marked on each line with the letters A to T. If you (for example) press the letter [C] then the 3rd item in the list will be entered into the sale.

However this also works if you do not first press [F1] to display the stock table. When you are asked for the stock number in a sale if you press [C] the 3rd item in the stock table will be entered.

So what is happening to you is that when you scan P2031093 the program takes the [P] and enters the 16th item from the stock table and puts it into the sale. Look at your stock table, does the item on line 16 have the stock number of 1131503060?

There are two solutions to this. You can make up your own barcodes without the P and stick them over the original barcodes. Or you can enter the P2031093 into the "Vendor stock number" column of the stock table.

Then read this http://keyhut.com/faq.htm#vendor It will tell you how to scan for a vendor stock number when entering items into a sale.

Dale

[AussieAussie]

Ahhh, now it's clearer.
Yes it is the 16th item in the stock table.
I am now making up new labels for this suppliers stock. In EAN13 format!!
Something that people who print up their own in-house or manufacturers bar-codes will need to keep in mind if they use code39, code128, or others that allow Alpha characters.
And now that I know this happens I can have the first 20 items in my stock table bar-coded with just a single letter..(well a letter with an asterisk at either end).

Thanks all.

Rob

[daleadmin]

I am glad we figured it out.

In my shop we do not use barcodes. We have a pricing gun the prints a stock number and price on the sticker. However the first 20 things in the stock table are the keys we sell the most and everyone has memorized the letters needed to ring them up. So if I want to ring up a color head key I just press [A] and for a plain brass key I press [D], etc.

Dale

[AussieAussie]

I also notice when you do an F1 item look up in purchases and then page down you also get A - T on those items, all the way through.

[daleadmin]

AussieAussie,

Yep you can use the A - T keys to select any item on the displayed page of the stock table. However if you do not first display the stock table by pressing [F1] the A - T keys will only select an item from the first 20 lines of the stock table.

BTW the A - T thing has been a feature of the program from almost the beginning.

Dale