Module 4
Plugins and Side Applications

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1. About the plugins

1-1: Installation and activation of the Axicon Verifier software plugins.

The object of barcode verification is twofold. Firstly, to ensure the barcode print quality is good enough for readability first time every time. Secondly, to ensure that the barcode data and structure is correct for the particular symbology and application. AXICON ISO/ANSI barcode verifiers always aim to achieve both criteria. Not only do our verifiers perform a full print quality assessment according to the most stringent international standards but, thanks to an extensive range of plugins and additional programs, we can also validate the data content of many specific barcoding applications.

What exactely is a plugin?
A plugin is an additional application that when required, will be performed when activated in addition to the print quality assessment. It can be: :

• An application standard data compliance check, like the "French pharmaceutical vignette" plugin which when activated, will check all code 128 barcodes to ensure that the data structure complies with the French pharmaceutical requirements (Code length, check digit etc...). A code 128 intended for a pharmaceutical vignette could have a perfectly good print quality but a faulty format. The grade would be good , however, the Plugin result would display an error message. 

• A field for additional information, like the User Data plugin, which allows you to add various relevant data to the anlaysis and save this data with the scan file. 

• A link to another software, like the Product Lookup plugin which allows you to connect the scan result to a product database and display the name of the product being scanned. 

• etc...

How does it work?
To get a plugin to work, it must be both installed and activated.

How do I install a plugin?
1/When you first install the software:
Some plugins are installed by default; all others are contained in the “Extras” directory on the CD-ROM. Click on “Install Optional Plugins” from the Autorun welcome screen and follow the instructions.

2/When updating your list of plugins to the latest upgrades and additions:
You can either choose to download the latest version of the “Extras” folder from the “Download page” (Zip file),  this contains not only an exhaustive list of plugins but other programs and utilities as well. Alternatively, you can handpick the relevant plugins from the “Download Plugins” page. Option 2 is the fastest if you know which plugins you need. Once you have made your selection, you need to copy them onto your PC hard disk in the same folder as verifier.exe. By default the access path is C:\Program Files\Axicon\Verifier.

How do I activate/deactivate a plugin?
You need to run the Verifier software, open the “Setup Screen” and go to the “Plugins” option. There you will see the list of plugins. Tick the box to activate or untick to deactivate. For some plugins you can also access a configuration screen by clicking on the plugin when activated and then on the “Configuration” tab.

Which plugins should I activate?
We strongly recommend that you only activate the plugins as and when they are needed, otherwise you will receive irrelevant or confusing information. For example, if you scan a French pharmaceutical Vignette code, you should activate the “Vignette” plugin. If you activate the “Vignette” plugin and never scan such codes, the plugin results will be displayed each time a Code-128 is scanned giving validation data irrelevant to the scan causing possible confusion to an inexperienced operator. If you need help on this subject, please contact us.

Where can I see the results of the plugins?
At the top of the “Summary” window there is a tab displaying the name of the plugin with either a red cross for wrong data content or a green tick if it is correct. Click on the “More info” tab on the right of the screen for a display of the full plugin results.

1-2: Plugins Table

Click on the plugin name to download.

2. Key features

In this chapter we will provide in depth information on some of the most useful plugins and how they can help you to improve your overall barcode verification procedures.

2-1: AI Check - plugin

AI Check stand for Application Identifier checker. This plugin comes with the Axicon xx15 models and should always be activated when scanning either an EAN/UCC-128 barcode or an RSS barcode, because both symbologies use Application Identifiers (Not on all RSS symbols though).  

The aim is to validate that the code structure and the symbol comply with the GS1 rules as specified in the General Specifications. This is an application standard compliance check.

Comments:
In the example below, note that the ISO grading is an A (4.0), which means that the print quality is good, however the UCC/EAN-128 Content gives a Fail, which enphasizes that the data content is faulty. This code even though it has an excellent ISO grade should be failed. Barcode quality control is not just about the ISO grade, a lot of other factors are involved, this is why it is important to use the AI check plugin when scanning an EAN/UCC-128 barcode.

Click on the more info button to open the dedicated AI check plugin display window. All the Ais of the barcode are listed, the faulty ones are in red. There are several panels in the window which provide comprehensive information. In the example below, only one AI is actually displayed. Here the check digit of the GTIN encoded with the application identifier (01) is 3 but the real value should be 8, hence the data is faulty.

Case Studies:

	Case Study 1: A typical encodation error, where the brackets, used only to identify the application identifiers in the human readable, have been encoded in the barcode. The brackets are never encoded. They can only be used in the human readable.
	Case Study 2: This barcode is made of AIs (02) the GTIN and (37) the quantity of units with this GTIN included in the logistic unit labeled with this barcode. The Check digit of the 14digit long GTIN is faulty. This is a data error and the AI check fails this particular AI.
	Case Study 3: Contrary to case N°2, here it is the symbology check digit that is wrong, therefore the ISO grade is an F. No problem with the data content.

2-2 Product Lookup - plugin

Installation of Database

Install the verifier software, making sure to tick the Lookup option. This also installs the Borland Database Engine (BDE), which is required for Product Lookup to operate.

Please read through this complete section thoroughly before setting up Product Look-up, as setting up the database incorrectly can cause problems.

Configuring Your Database

• From the 'Options' menu, choose 'Setup...', or press the F5 key
• Choose the 'Plugins' tab
• Select 'Lookup' in the list of installed plugins to the left
• Press the 'Configure' button

The ‘Database’ tab contains controls to select a database, as described later in this section.

The default database is the sample database, supplied by Axicon. You can use this database as described in ‘Method 1’ later on in this section.

‘Open Paradox/DBase’ opens a Paradox or DBase file directly, as described in ‘Method 2’.

‘View Data’ displays the data in your database. Before making any changes to your data, you must click the 'Edit Database' button.

The second tab ‘Parsing’ is used to determine which portion of the bar code number is looked up in the database.

The options for each symbology are independent. There are also some EAN/UPC specific settings, which appear only on the EAN/UPC tab. Using the controls on this tab, you can select that product.

• Prefixes and suffixes data with fixed data before using them to perform lookup.
• Left or right-justifies data in a fixed length field, padding with any character.
• Ignores add-ons of EAN/UPC codes
• Ignores any or all of: EAN-13, EAN-8, or UPC codes.

• Click the 'Code 128' tab button
• Switch fixed length to 'left most'
• Set format to a left truncation of 3 and a fixed length of 14.

The 'Sample' panel displays the effect of the current settings. The 'Sent' field shows what would actually be searched for in the database, if a code containing the data in the 'Scanned' edit field was scanned.

Once you are happy with your settings, click on 'Save Settings'. If you do not save your settings, they will be lost when the verifier software is closed. The ‘Default settings’ button resets the product lookup to factory default settings.

The third tab, ‘Results’, allows you to select the action taken upon finding or not finding a result in the database, and what information about the database, including the database, table and field names, is displayed in the Verifier. The text of the 'Not found' message is also on this tab.

Setting Up and Using Product Look-Up

The Axicon PC verifier range can connect to databases in three different ways.

Method 1 (Using the supplied example database)

The PC Verifier software installs a simple example database. If you do not have a product database already available, this is the easiest method of using Product Lookup. If you do modify the example database, be sure to back it up before un-installing or re-installing the software, otherwise your data may be lost.

Some sample codes have already been set up for you, and you can try these for yourself:

Start the verifier software (and remember to calibrate the verifier if you have not already done so). Now scan the EAN-13 bar code on the bromide calibration sheet and the verifier will display the decoded number. Along the top of the Summary window, a tab with the description ‘Lookup’ will appear (if Product Lookup has been installed and the correct password entered). The ‘Lookup’ tab should now contain the description ‘Sample EAN barcode’. This description is taken from the sample database. The ‘More info...’ button located to the right-hand side will display the database, where you can add in your own records if yrequired.

You can also reach the ‘Lookup Settings’ window via the 'Configure' button on the Plugins tab of the Setup dialog. To view your data from here, select the ‘Database’ tab, and click ‘View data’.

To add your own products to the database is very easy:

1. Click the 'Edit Database' button
2. Click the ‘+’ button to insert a new blank record into the database
3. Click in the ‘code’ field, and type in the barcode number
4. Click in the ‘product’ field, and type in the description
5. Click the tick button to confirm the entry

Now close the Lookup window, and scan the bar code for this product. The verifier will now respond with both the decoded number and the description (in the ‘Lookup’ tab).

This process is simplified if you have the bar code physically with you. Simply verify the barcode, click the ‘Lookup’ tab in the summary window, and press ‘More Info...’. The database will be shown, and a dialog box will ask you whether you want to insert a new record. If you choose ‘yes’, the barcode number is automatically entered in the ‘Code’ field, and you need only enter the description.

If you now clear the data and scan the bar code again, the description will appear on the Lookup tab.

To set up further databases or to link to different databases use the Lookup settings window (as described above). From here you can alter the database settings.

Making a Single Paradox IV Database Accessible by Two or More Users

Whenever a database is in use by more than one user, there is a possibility that two or more users may attempt to update the database simultaneously. For databases which are accessed via a database server (e.g. SQL server), the server deals with this kind of contention. However, for databases accessed by means of shared files, such as Paradox files, some other means of arbitration between users is required.

Access to Paradox IV files by multiple users through the BDE is controlled through a shared file, PDOXUSRS.NET. A single copy of this file must be accessible to all users of shared Paradox databases, and the location of this file must be set manually, as follows:

• It is usually easiest to place the PDOXUSRS.NET file in the same location as your database files, and the following instructions assume this. Be aware that this location is common to all software on the computer that uses the BDE to access shared Paradox files.
• Make sure your Paradox IV database file is in an accessible network location, either on a file server, or in a shared network folder. If you copy the files, make sure to copy both the '.db' (database) and the '.px' (index) files.
• Ensure that the PC Verifier is not running on any of the of the computers from which you need to access the shared database. Then, follow this procedure on each computer in turn:
  1. PDOXUSRS.NET must be accessible via a drive letter. Thus, if you are using Windows networking, you must ensure that a drive letter is mapped to the location of your shared database files.
  2. Ensure that the Verifier has been installed on the computer, including the Product Lookup option, which will install the BDE.
  3. Open the "BDE Administrator" control panel. (Settings | Control Panels | BDE Administrator)
  4. Select the 'Configuration' tab. Double-click on ‘Drivers’ to expand it, double-click ‘Native’ likewise, and finally click on ‘PARADOX’ to select it. You will now see a window which looks like this:

     

  5. In the right-hand definition pane, there is a line ‘NET DIR C:\’. Click on this line, and a button containing three dots will appear at the end of the line. Click this button and select the network drive and directory containing your database files. This sets the location of PDOXUSRS.NET.
  6. Now re-start the computer and start up the verifier software. The process of doing this will create the PDOXUSRS.NET file, if it does not already exist.
  7. Close the verifier software.
• Move to the next computer and repeat this process

Method 2 (opening a Paradox or DBase file directly)

1. Using your existing database program, save the data to a DBase or Paradox file, if it is not already in this format. If possible, you should generate an index on the field which contains your bar code numbers.
2. Start the verifier software.
3. Click the 'Configure' button, on the Plugins tab of the Setup dialog.
4. You will see a window named ‘Lookup Settings’ with three tabs named ‘Database’, ‘Parsing’ and ‘Results’. Choose the ‘Database’ tab.
5. The first line ‘Database Name’ shows the ‘alias’ name assigned by the BDE to the database in use. It can also display the directories in which your database files are located, if you have already used the 'Open Paradox/DBase' button.
6. Click the ‘Open Paradox/DBase’ button, and select the database file to use. 'Database Name' will be set to the directory path, and 'Table Name' to the file name.
7. Choose the name of the field containing the bar code number from the 'Lookup Index' drop-down list. If the database is not indexed on the selected field, a warning will appear now and every time this database is opened in the future. You can disable this warning by unchecking the 'Warn if not indexed' check box. However, if your database is large or accessed via a network, you will find that product lookup works faster if this field is indexed.
8. Choose the field containing the description from the 'Product Field' drop-down list
9. Click the ‘Save Settings’ button
10. Your database is now ready for use

Method 3 (access through a BDE alias)

The Axicon Verifier can also link to many other types of database, including Microsoft Access, plain text files, CSV format, SQL, or any database for which you have an ODBC driver. It does this through a BDE alias, which is effectively a link to a database.

This is not as straightforward to set up as the previous options, but offers the most flexibility in interfacing with existing data sources. If you do choose this option and encounter problems, Axicon can provide a consultancy service to assist you.

For ODBC data sources, this software should be used in conjunction with the 32-bit ODBC server only. It is not compatible with the 16-bit version.

The Setting up and linking of the database is in two sections:

Setting up the BDE Driver and Alias

1. a. Smile and take a deep breath, It's always good before commencing this sort of excercise. 
2. Open the "BDE Administrator" control panel. (Settings | Control Panels | BDE Administrator)
3. It will display a window with several tabs. Ensure that the ‘Databases’ tab is selected.
4. Choose 'New...' from the 'Objects' menu.
5. A dialog containing a drop-down list of the available database drivers will appear. Choose the appropriate driver for your database from the list, and click 'OK'. The 'STANDARD' driver works for DBase, Paradox and FoxPro database files. For Access (.MDB) files, use the MSACCESS driver. If you have any ODBC drivers installed, they will also appear in this list.
6. The alias name of the new database will be automatically selected for you to name as required. This is the name by which this database will be known in the verifier software. You can also rename it later by clicking the name here and typing.
7. The definition of your new database alias will be displayed in the right-hand pane. Now, you must associate this alias with your database file. The exact procedure for this depends on the database driver you selected.
   • For the MSACCESS driver, click on the ‘Database Name’ row, click the button showing three dots that appears at the end of the row, and choose your database file.
   • For the STANDARD driver, click on the 'Path' setting, and click the 'three dots' button to choose the directory containing your database files.
   • Other drivers work in a similar way. Exact instructions for all possible ODBC drivers are beyond the scope of this document.
8. Now save changes and close the BDE Administrator. For further information on configuring BDE aliases, consult the BDE Administrator help.

Setting up the Verifier

1. Start the verifier software.
2. Click the 'Configure' button, on the Plugins tab of the Setup dialog.
3. From the 'Database Name' drop-down list, choose the alias name you just created in the BDE Administrator.
4. Select the correct file from the 'Table Name' list
5. Choose the field containing the bar code number from the 'Lookup Index' drop-down list
6. Choose the field containing the description from the 'Product Field' drop-down list
7. The ODBC server may request a user name and password. These can normally be left blank.
8. The database is now ready for use.

2-3 Scan File Data Extractor - side application

DISCLAIMER 
This document is intended as a recommendation of work practices sponsored by Axicon Auto ID Ltd. Whilst this document is believed to contain correct information, neither Axicon Auto ID Ltd nor any of it’s associated companies, nor any of it’s employees, make any warranty, express or implied, or assume any legal responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of such information that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by its trade name, trademark, manufacturer or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute nor imply Axicon Auto ID Ltd endorsement nor recommendation. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of Axicon Auto ID Ltd.

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