fttx / barcode-to-pc-server

Barcode to PC server

Barcode to PC server

Links

Server

• 💾 Download (Windows, macOS and Linux): https://barcodetopc.com/#download-server
• 📁 Source-code: https://github.com/fttx/barcode-to-pc-server

App

• 📱Download (Android): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.barcodetopc
• 📱 Download (iOS): https://itunes.apple.com/app/id1180168368
• 📁 Source-code: https://github.com/fttx/barcode-to-pc-app

Overview

The project is divided into two modules/folders:

• electron: contains the core, native dependencies, and helper scripts
• ionic: user interface

When executing npm commands make sure to change the current directory to electron: cd electron.

Setup

1. Install the required System dependencies:

   • Node.js v14
   • Python 3
   • If you're building on macOS, run: brew install glib

2. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/fttx/barcode-to-pc-server/
   cd barcode-to-pc-server
   cd electron
   npm install

If you get errors check these links:

• nutjs.dev: https://nutjs.dev/tutorials/first_steps
• electron-builder: https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder/wiki/Multi-Platform-Build#linux
• node_mdns: https://github.com/agnat/node_mdns#installation

Run

The npm start command:

• Runs the Electron app in development mode
• Launches the ionic project in livereload mode

Notes:

• If you're editing the electron folder, you have to quit the server and run it again. Use the F6 button on Visual Studio Code.
• If you're using Windows use the PowerShell

Release

npm run build # builds the angular project in prod mode and generates the signed installer for the current platform
npm run publish # same as build, but uploads the installer to GitHub releases

• To enable the publishing to GitHub releases set GH_TOKEN environment variable and give all the repo permissions
• The installer will be put in the electron/dist/ folder.
• If you get sass errors run cd ../ionic && npm rebuild node-sass --force

Code Signing

1. Set certificateSubjectName or certificateSha1 parameter in the package.json
2. Connect the physical token (Use the Microsoft Remote Desktop app to share the token with virtual machines)
3. Run npm run publish

Resources:

• Code Signing - electron-builder
• Any Windows Target - electron-builder
• electron-builder source-code

Simulate updates

1. Install minio as explained here
2. Run ./node_modules/.bin/electron-builder --project ./dist/ -c.compression=store --config.publish.provider=s3 --config.publish.endpoint=http://IP:9000 --config.publish.bucket=test-update

Publishing updates

The server implements electron-update.

To publish an update:

1. Draft a new release on GitHub and name it v<new version number>
2. Increase the version number of the package.json
3. Commit & push the changes
4. Add a tag and name it v<new version number>
5. Push the tag
6. Run npm run publish

Note: for macOS delete the electron/electron-resources/*.rtf folder and run: npm run publish

At this point if all looks good the only thing left to do is to publish the Github release draft.

Translations

Language	Contributors
Chinese	-
Deutsch	Bruno Wenger
Español	Juan Manuel
Italiano	Francesco Accardi
English	Filippo Tortomasi
Arabic	Bassam Mawardi

Are you fluent in any other language than English? If you found a typo, or want to help translate Barcode to PC, get in touch here.

barcode-to-pc-server's Issues

Can't scan to third-party software

Excel and Notepad work fine. Can't scan barcode to any field in Inflow Inventory software even after changing all the settings available in Barcode to PC server in Windows.

Sometimes the barcode is typed two times

The app doesn't duplicate the barcode, but it is typed twice from the server

Clear server data option

Sometimes the server won't start (DNSServiceRef error)

Handle connection loss

Implement delete for scanSession and scan

Run on startup option

Limit the connect url length

Retake scan doesn't put the new scan in the right index

Add travis

Info modal

Automatically scroll to the latest scanSession selected

When a scan session already exists and the user adds a new scans it should scroll to the relative scanSession

Update urls

Welcome page:

• Help
• App store
• Play Store

Add a description for each setting

possible implementation: add a question mark (?) and a popover

Use a element instead of button for Open in browser urls

Add a "Disable antivirus" warning

Check if there is a version mismatch between server and app

Add the QR Code connection in the info dialog

Fix Cannot read enableRealtimeKeystrokes error

Add the EULA in the windows installer

Handle address already in use error

Show the IP address for each interface

Currently it shows only the first

server connection issue

I recently tried to use this app as it would help tremendously with my job. The issue is i have the server running in windows, both devices connected to the same network and the app on my android fails to discover the server and connect.

Setup electron

• Add system menu items
• Set icon, app name, etc.

Enable data persistence

Allow browsing the previously acquired data even if there is no client connected

Add instructions for adding an iptables rule that allows the server communication

Add Settings page

Contents:

• Enable/disable realtime strokes
• Select end character
• Select CSV divider character
• Server informations

Add Welcome page

Install option "For all users"

Check if there is a new version available on app open

Add avahi dependency on linux

Session name doesn't update

It is updated only on app launch

Add auto update

https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder/wiki/Auto-Update

Improve IPC

Include Apple Bonjour in the Windows build

https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder/wiki/NSIS
http://nsis.sourceforge.net/Section_Dependency
http://nsis.sourceforge.net/NSIS_Simple_Service_Plugin
http://nsis.sourceforge.net/Embedding_other_installers

Allow to minimize the server to tray/menu bar

Add a search bar

Add a Config class for static variables

Update electron-builder

License files en_GB and pt_PT are not supported yet

Add Apple Bonjour in the windows installation

Bonjour doesn't announce all IPs

Eg. when vmware virtual NIC is enabled it gets announced instead of the wifi card.

In the info dialog, all IPs must be listed

Automatically open QR Code url on PC's browser ?

Hi,

Really good work, congratz !!

We would like to adopt your solution as a replacement to webcodecamjs which is also great but QR code detection is not really good using a webcam while smartphones handle it really well.

So, I think this is not available right now but we will be glad if there could be an option to automatically open scanned QR code URL on PC.
This would avoid the need to open new tab + point mouse cursor in address bar.

Regards,

Realtime keystrokes are not sent correctly when using UTF-8 characters with accents

It may be related to: octalmage/robotjs#16

Sign the executable

https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder/wiki/Code-Signing

Continue mode

Continue scanning without bothering the user with stop/continue dialog.

Possible implementation: put a timeout inside the dialog

Provide a Windows 32-bit version

Server won't start (fails with JavaScript error)

New to GitHub, so sorry if this is inappropriate, but struggling to find any other form of support forum for this program!

I installed on Windows 10, and the first run attempt resulted in an instant JavaScript error:

Uncaught Exception
Error: DNSServiceRef is not initialized
   at....(loads of different locations)

Any idea what's going wrong here? This program would be very useful to me, so I hope so!

Thanks!

Show local ip addresses

Show IP addresses in the info modal and in the welcome page

Add scannings manually

Communicate over USB ?

It would be also useful if we could pair smartphone to PC over USB instead of network as many office restrict or disable WiFi for security reasons.