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diff --git a/Master/texmf-dist/doc/fonts/barcode2/bcfaq.tex b/Master/texmf-dist/doc/fonts/barcode2/bcfaq.tex new file mode 100644 index 00000000000..8e2e1085961 --- /dev/null +++ b/Master/texmf-dist/doc/fonts/barcode2/bcfaq.tex @@ -0,0 +1,597 @@ +%% +%% This is file `bcfaq.tex', +%% generated with the docstrip utility. +%% +%% The original source files were: +%% +%% barcodes.dtx (with options: `bcfaq') +%% As this is a generated file, you may perhaps not want to edit it. +%% This file belongs to the barcode package. +%% It may be of no great use without the rest of the barcode package. +%% \CharacterTable +%% {Upper-case \A\B\C\D\E\F\G\H\I\J\K\L\M\N\O\P\Q\R\S\T\U\V\W\X\Y\Z +%% Lower-case \a\b\c\d\e\f\g\h\i\j\k\l\m\n\o\p\q\r\s\t\u\v\w\x\y\z +%% Digits \0\1\2\3\4\5\6\7\8\9 +%% Exclamation \! Double quote \" Hash (number) \# +%% Dollar \$ Percent \% Ampersand \& +%% Acute accent \' Left paren \( Right paren \) +%% Asterisk \* Plus \+ Comma \, +%% Minus \- Point \. Solidus \/ +%% Colon \: Semicolon \; Less than \< +%% Equals \= Greater than \> Question mark \? +%% Commercial at \@ Left bracket \[ Backslash \\ +%% Right bracket \] Circumflex \^ Underscore \_ +%% Grave accent \` Left brace \{ Vertical bar \| +%% Right brace \} Tilde \~} +%% +\documentclass[a4paper]{article} +\bibliographystyle{alpha} + + +\font\itf=wlitf scaled 1200 + +\def\bcbox#1{\lower3pt\hbox{\itf +#1-}} + +\newbox\bsavebox +\newdimen\bcboxdepth +\bcboxdepth=4pt +\def\bdbox#1{\setbox\bsavebox\hbox{\itf +#1-} +\vbox{\hsize=\wd\bsavebox\offinterlineskip% +\copy\bsavebox% +\vskip-\ht\bsavebox\vskip\bcboxdepth% +\box\bsavebox\vskip-\bcboxdepth}} +\def\bebox#1{\setbox\bsavebox\hbox{\itf +#1-} +\vbox{\hsize=\wd\bsavebox\offinterlineskip% +\copy\bsavebox% +\copy\bsavebox% +\vskip-\ht\bsavebox\vskip\bcboxdepth% +\box\bsavebox\vskip-\bcboxdepth}} + +\def\tbs{{\tt\char92}} +\begin{document} +\title{Barcodes-FAQ} +\author{Peter Willadt} +\date{1997-11-09} +\maketitle +\begin{abstract} + +This file deals with questions about barcode fonts created for +\TeX{}. Its purpose is not to replace the regular documents, but to add +informations that may be of no interest for the casual reader. + +\end{abstract} + +\section{Changelog} + +\subsection{Changes of the barcode package in general} +\begin{tabular}{ll} +\em Date & \em Change\\ +1998-11-28 & included wlcr39, wlcf39, and wlc93\\ +1998-04-21 & fixed wlitf bug\\ +1998-04-10 & switched partially to docstrip archive\\ + & added support for code 11\\ +1998-01-24 & added code 128 in MF format, changed codean.pl\\ +1997-11-08 & changed metrics of {\sc itf} start/stop chars\\ +1997-10-09 & released first version of the barcode package +\end{tabular} + +\subsection{Changes within this document} + +\begin{tabular}{ll} +\em Date & \em Change\\ +1998-11-28 & added docs about code 93\\ +1998-04-10 & added docs about code 11\\ +1998-01-24 & added information about code 128\\ +1997-12-08 & added contributions to {\sc ean} coding by Kalvis M. Jansons\\ + & changed section on plessey\\ +1997-11-09 & added several items, rearranged sections\\ +1997-11-08 & started writing first version +\end{tabular} + +\section{Introduction} + +The barcode package itself can be found on {\tt ctan} in the +subdirectory\\ {\tt fonts/barcodes/willadt}. It contains---among +others---several fonts in {\sc vpl} format, so your {\sc dvi} driver +should be able to handle virtual fonts. If it doesn't, you may perhaps +use {\em dvicopy} to resolve the references to virtual fonts, or you +may perhaps upgrade to a more modern \TeX{} package. + +\section{What about docs?} + +\subsection{Docs about barcodes} + +With the barcode package, there comes documentation about {\sc ean} +fonts. In the README file, there are short examples of the use of +the other fonts, too. Also the files {\tt examples.tex} shows the look +and basic usage of the barcodes. + +In {\sl TUGboat}, barcoding has been covered in several +articles \cite{bc:ean,bc:sauter,bc:vulis}. The barcode package itself +is covered in an article that has appeared in the december issue, +1997, of {\sl TUGboat}. + +\subsection{Some information about code 128} + +Code 128 is able to print all 128 ascii chars. There are a little more +than a hundred glyphs that are interpreted in three different +ways. Some of the glyphs are used as shift chars to determine which +interpretation to use. A checksum is mandatory. To use it, you must +install {\tt wlc128.mf}. + +The preprocessing---switching among the different character sets, +coding efficiently, calculating the checksum---is handled by the +newer versions of codean.pl. This is perhaps not as pleasing as to do +it with \TeX{} alone, but, alas, it works. + +The way to run the preprocessor is described in {\tt eandoc.tex}. To +use code 128, you have to write a line starting with {\tt\tbs cxxviii\{} +followed by the characters you want to code and followed by a closing +brace. Non-printing seven-bit ascii characters may be specified in hex +in C or \TeX{} style, like {\tt\tbs x3f} or \verb|^^3f|. Anything up to +the rightmost closing brace in this line will be coded---there is no +brace matching. But you will get a warning message if your text +includes a right brace. So you may want to code braces in hex form to +avoid this message. Please note that {\tt codean.pl} does almost no +checking for errors, so if you intend to produce garbage, there are +lots of ways. If you need code 128 escape characters, they may be +included as hex characters with codes starting at 0x80. + +\begin{tabular}{lllll} +\em Input Code & \em C128 number &\multicolumn{3}{c}{\em meaning}\\ +\em(hex) & \em(dec.) & \em Set A & \em Set B & \em Set C\\ +0x80 & 96 & FNC3 & FNC3 & 96\\ +0x81 & 97 & FNC2 & FNC2 & 97\\ +0x82 & 98 & SHIFT & SHIFT & 98\\ +0x83 & 99 & CODE C& CODE C& 99\\ +0x84 & 100 & CODE B& FNC4 & CODE B\\ +0x85 & 101 & FNC4 & CODE A& CODE A\\ +0x86 & 102 & FNC1 & FNC1 & FNC1\\ +0x87 & 103 & START A& START A& START A\\ +0x88 & 104 & START B& START B& START B\\ +0x89 & 105 & START C& START C& START C\\ +0x8a & 106 & STOP & STOP & STOP +\end{tabular} + +But please keep in mind that {\tt codean.pl} does almost anything for you, +you should not have the need to insert start/stop codes and the +like. Only if you use EAN128, you will need {\tt FNC1}. Just to make +it clear: For your barcode to include {\tt FNC1} you have to write +\verb|^^86| before preprocessing. + +{\tt codean.pl} will insert a sequence of hex digits; the original +text will be appended to the line as a comment. +Also, your \TeX{} file has to define some macros. They look like +this: + +\begin{verbatim} +\font\fntcxx=wlc128 scaled \magstep3 +\def\CXXVIII{\bgroup\fntcxx\let\next\hexchar\next} +\def\cxxviii{\message{OOPS, use codean.pl}} +\def\hexchar#1#2{\if#1@ + \global\let\next\egroup + \else\char"#1#2\fi\next} +\end{verbatim} + +If you do not like end recursion, you might use other ones. If +you dislike the hex format produced by {\tt codean.pl}, you are free to +change it---as long as you don't redistribute. + +\subsection{A little bit about code 11} + +Code 11 is a numeric-only barcode. It is almost as space-efficient as +{\sc itf}, and it comes with a checksum. The checksum should be +swallowed by the reading device. The checksum is a weighted mod-11 +checksum. There are apparently two kinds of checksum in use: such with +one checkdigit and such with two checkdigits. + +To use code 11, you should include {\tt barcode.sty}. \TeX{} will +calculate the checksum on its own. If you need two check digits, you +should say\\ +{\tt\tbs codexichecksumktrue}.\\ +How many check digits you +actually need should be made clear in the documentation to your +reading device\footnote{You may also want to check the documentation +to find out if your reading device supports code 11 at all; code 11 is +not that common.}. You may code the digits 0--9, and the minus +sign. The start and stop sign is mapped to the @ character. Here is a +full example. {Please note: If you do not use \LaTeX{}, you may +have to supply a definition for {\tt\tbs makeatletter} +and {\tt\tbs makeatother}}: + +\begin{verbatim} +\input barcodes.sty +%% with two check digits +\codexichecksumktrue +\codxi{12-1234} + +%% with only one check digit. +\codexichecksumkfalse +\codxi{12-1234} +\bye +\end{verbatim} + +\subsection{About code 93} + +Code 93 is a little bit more compact than code 39 (as it uses also the +gap between the characters), but in other aspects it is quite +similiar. A checksum with two digits is mandatory. As with code 11, +checksumming works by weighing the characters different depending on +their position within the barcode. + +The version of code 93 that is included within the package resorts to +uppercase ascii, digits, and to some other signs. Start and stop sign +are mapped to {\tt<} and {\tt>}, respectively. + +Full ascii works similiar to full ascii with code 39 (that means with +escape characters), but fortunately the escape characters are +different from ordinary characters, so that you can hardly be +misunderstood. Unfortunately the escape characters are named (\$), +(\%), (/), and (+), so I decided to map them to opening and closing +parentheses and brackets, respectively. This may not seem very clever +when it comes to full ascii, but these characters may also appear as +checksum characters, so we need them when doing uppercase ascii, +too. For full ascii, it would be clever to redo the font in a +completely different way and to map start sign, stop sign and the four +escape characters to positions above 128, so that any 7 bit ascii +character can be input directly. + +Code 93 is supported by codean.pl in the same way as ean or code 128 +are. You have to write {\tt\tbs xciii\{YOUR DATA 123\}}, run the file +through {\tt codean.pl}, then you'll get\\ +{\tt\tbs XCIII\{YOUR DATA 123NN\}\%Code93(YOUR DATA 123)} + +The NN make up the two check characters. Normally, they are different, +but in this example they are equal, by incident. + +\subsection{Docs about VPL Files} + +VPL files are documented in the files {\tt VPtoVF.WEB} and {\tt +VFtoVP.WEB}. Both files can be found on {\sc ctan} under {\tt +SYSTEMS/KNUTH}. {\em WEAVE} may be used to produce \TeX{} files. The +documentation about the VPL/VF file formats is covered within the +first few sections. + +\section{I want other metrics etc.} + +\subsection{My barcodes should have depth} + +You have got several possibilities to obtain depth. The most simple +approach may be to set the barcodes with the regular barcode fonts into an +{\tt\tbs hbox} and then to {\tt\tbs lower} this hbox. + +Let's look at an example: + +\begin{verbatim} +\font\itf=wlitf scaled 1200 +\def\bcbox#1{\lower3pt\hbox{\itf +#1-}} + Example: +{\sc itf} barcode looks like \quad\bcbox{1009}\quad +for 1009, e.g. +\end{verbatim} + +This code yields the following result: + +{\sc itf} barcode looks like \quad\bcbox{1009}\quad for 1009, e.g. + +Another approach is to edit the font sources. In case of {\sc vpl} +files, this is quite painful. Rules in {\sc vpl} files do not have +depth, so you have to change the characters mapping in a way that you +add a {\em movedown} before you draw, and a {\em moveup} afterwards. +You may see the changes for an arbitrary character from {\tt +WLITF.VPL}: + +\begin{verbatim} +(CHARACTER D48 + (COMMENT from WLITF.VPL} + (CHARWD D 14) (CHARHT R 10) + (CHARDP R 0) (CHARIC R 0.0) + (MAP + (SETRULE R 14 R 1)(MOVERIGHT R 1) + (SETRULE R 14 R 1)(MOVERIGHT R 1) + (SETRULE R 14 R 2)(MOVERIGHT R 2) + (SETRULE R 14 R 2)(MOVERIGHT R 2) + (SETRULE R 14 R 1)(MOVERIGHT R 1) + ) + ) +\end{verbatim} + +This character may be lowered by four units by editing in a way that the +following lines result. Please note that there were not only the {\em +moveup} and {\em movedown} commands added, but also the height an +depth have been changed. + +\begin{verbatim} +(CHARACTER D48 + (COMMENT Lowered to give some depth) + (CHARWD D 14) (CHARHT R 10) + (CHARDP R 4) (CHARIC R 0.0) + (MAP + (MOVEDOWN R 4) + (SETRULE R 14 R 1)(MOVERIGHT R 1) + (SETRULE R 14 R 1)(MOVERIGHT R 1) + (SETRULE R 14 R 2)(MOVERIGHT R 2) + (SETRULE R 14 R 2)(MOVERIGHT R 2) + (SETRULE R 14 R 1)(MOVERIGHT R 1) + (MOVEUP R 4) + ) + ) +\end{verbatim} + +\subsection{My barcodes are too tall} + +For the sake of the person who has to scan the barcodes, barcodes just +can't be tall enough. If the complete code is as tall as wide, the +reading device can be twisted against the code at an angle of 45 +degrees. If they are half as high, the angle reduces to 26 degrees. + +If you really want short codes, you have to edit the sources. In the +{\sc vpl} file, you have to change the {\em charht} and the first parameter +to the {\em setrule} command at well. You also should change the {\em +designsize} parameter. + +\subsection{My barcodes are not tall enough} + +You may also change the sources, like described in the previous +subsection. But there is another solution that is perhaps more +practical. The idea is simple that double black is still black and +that you may overlay several printouts of the same barcode. Here is +the example code (it may be made taller by adding more copies of the +barcode box, of course). There is an extra dimension {\em bcboxdepth} +added to yield depth for the barcodes. + +\begin{verbatim} +\newbox\bsavebox +\newdimen\bcboxdepth +\bcboxdepth=4pt +\def\bdbox#1{\setbox\bsavebox\hbox{\itf +#1-} +\vbox{\hsize=\wd\bsavebox\copy\bsavebox% +\vskip-\ht\bsavebox\vskip\bcboxdepth% +\box\bsavebox\vskip-\bcboxdepth}} +\def\bebox#1{\setbox\bsavebox\hbox{\itf +#1-} +\vbox{\hsize=\wd\bsavebox\copy\bsavebox% +\vskip0pt\copy\bsavebox% +\vskip-\ht\bsavebox\vskip\bcboxdepth% +\box\bsavebox\vskip-\bcboxdepth}} + Example: +Tall {\sc itf} barcode looks like \quad\bdbox{1009}\quad +or (still taller) \quad\bebox{1009}\quad for 1009, e.g. +\end{verbatim} + +And here is the result, you may compare it with the output of the +previous example: + +Tall {\sc itf} barcode looks like \quad\bdbox{1009}\quad or (still +taller) \quad\bebox{1009}\quad for 1009, e.g. + +\subsection{My barcodes are too wide/too narrow} + +Perhaps you should change the barcode size (by changing +{\tt\tbs magnification}) and then read the subsections above about too +tall bars and bars that are not tall enough. + +\subsection{My barcodes should run vertically} + +Vertically oriented barcode is a good idea for cans, bottles and +similiar things. + +It just depends on your {\sc dvi} driver. Perhaps there is a +possibility to handle rotation via {\tt\tbs special}, as with {\em +dvips} and the {\em rotate} macros. For experimantal purposes I have +included a code 39 version running down instead right ({\tt +wlcr39.mf}). You may perhaps use it with {\tt\tbs shortstack} or +similiar. Here is some code I used (successfully) with plain \TeX: + +\begin{verbatim} +\font\testfont=wlcr39 scaled 1200 +\def\bcbax{\let\next\bcbox\vbox\bgroup + \offinterlineskip\testfont\setbox0\hbox{@}\hsize=\wd0 + \noindent{}@\hfil\break\next} +\def\fertig{@\hfil\break\egroup} +\def\bcbox#1{\if @#1\let\next\fertig\else#1\hfil\break\fi\next} + +Look buddy, this is \bcbax1406632@ code 39 +stacked and running downwards. +\end{verbatim} + +\subsection{I heard something about full ascii code 39} + +Well, umh, now that you ask\dots The truth is: You may perhaps be able to +configure your reading device to accept full ascii code~39. Then you may +code any 7~bit character you may think of. The bad news is that most of +the symbols have to be coded by two +characters -- and as code 39 has already low density, you should not +expect to get much use of it. Perhaps you might want to try code 128 +instead---it features full 7-bit ascii without any compromise. + +Another anti-feature is that switching to reading full-ascii code~39 +may lead to some bad reads of `normal' code~39. In full ascii, the lower +case letters, e.g., are made by prepending the uppercase letters with a +plus sign, so {\tt+A} is read as {\tt a}. So, if you have got regular +code~39 that contains such character sequences, and you have switched +your reading device to full ascii, you may get bad results. + +But, now that you want it: With the barcode package there comes a font +{\tt wlcf39.vpl}. You may install it like the other vpl files. It has got +132 characters and has already taken all the coding for full ascii, so +when you typ {\tt e,\$4+A}, it will silently be mapped to what you +would have typed as {\tt+E/L/D/KA}, if you would use the plain code~39 +format\footnote{Please take note: 6 characters are blown up to 9, +think again about using another code}. In my version of full ascii +code~39, the start/stop sign is mapped to @@ (or \verb|\char128|). So +you actually had to add @@ to the front and the end of the example +string. If you can not exclude that the character sequence @@ appears +within the text you want to code, you have to avoid ligature +processing. You may do that like this: + +\begin{verbatim} +\font\fullas=wlcf39 scaled 1728 +\def\alphanolig{\char64\kern0pt} +\def\printacode#1{{\fullas@@{\catcode`\@=\active% +\let @=\alphanolig#1}@@}} +\end{verbatim} + +You also have to escape or circumscribe special characters to make +them really printable, of course, so that when you wanted a backspace, +a tab, a space, a dollar sign, a percent sign, and a bell character to +be coded, you would type something like + +\begin{verbatim} +{\fullas @@\char8\char9\char32\$\%\char7} +\end{verbatim} + +\section{Troubleshooting} + +\subsection{My barcodes can't be decoded} + +At first, try to make them larger. If that does't help, make them +larger, again. If that will not help, obtain fonts in \TeX{} or +Metafont format and make them brighter. Or, perhaps better, obtain a +better printer. + +You also should check the contrast between bars and background, +especially when using a dot matrix printer or coloured background +or---still worse---red bars. + +\subsection{My decoder reads extra digits, sometimes} + +I guess you use {\sc itf} barcode with a number of digits that is +sometimes even and sometimes odd. As {\sc itf} always codes two digits +at once, you should take care just to code an even number of digits at +any time. If an excess zero at the beginning of your number is not +acceptable, you might try another kind of barcode instead of {\sc +itf}. + +\section{Missing items} + +\subsection{I am missing two-of-five} + +I got specs for two-of-five (three bars). If you want it, let me know; +I might implement it. For other kinds of two-of-five, I haven't got +complete specs. + +\subsection{I am missing plessey} + +I got the specs but I haven't yet got the time to implement them. With +plessey, there also rise several questions due to the fact that +plessey has never been officialy standardized. The only thing that is +absolutely sure about plessey is how binary ones and zeros are +encoded. There are codes that are more wide-spread. Several modern +barcode readers can't cope with plessey code. + +\subsection{I am missing \dots{} some other barcode} + +I have checked out several two-dimensional barcodes. But for most of +them, support by \TeX{} seems to be rather pointless. Perhaps Metafont +could be called any time you have to code something to draw the +symbols, but you might as well use a custom drawing program that comes +from the barcode vendor. Also, most two-dimensional barcodes (and +other barcodes not mentioned here) are proprietary. Last not least the +reading devices I have access to can deal only with a finite range of +barcodes. + +I am sorry, but I haven't got the specs for further barcodes +not mentioned here. If you could be so kind as to send them to me, I +might perhaps implement them. + +\section{Contributions} + +\subsection{EAN without preprocessing} + +The following code is due to Kalvis M. Jansons. + +It handles printing of {\sc ean} without having to run a +preprocessor. Not only are the {\sc ean} bars drawn, also the checksum +checksum is checked. It can be easily +adapted to non-\LaTeX{} use by omitting anything before \verb|\font| + +\begin{verse} +Kalvis M. Jansons + +eMail: \verb|<kalvis@math.ucl.ac.uk>| + +\end{verse} + +An easy way to use the barcode fonts in \LaTeX{}: + +\begin{verbatim} +\documentclass[a4paper]{article} + +\pagestyle{empty} + +\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{0pt} +\setlength{\textwidth}{\paperwidth} +\addtolength{\textwidth}{-2in} +\setlength{\marginparwidth}{0pt} + +\setlength{\textheight}{\paperheight} +\addtolength{\textheight}{-2.5in} +\setlength{\topmargin}{0pt} + +\font\eanfont=WLEAN scaled 2000 +\def\ean#1{\vbox{\vskip20pt\eanfont#1\vskip20pt}} +\newcount\num +\def\a#1{\num=#1 \advance\num by `A \char\num} +\def\b#1{\num=#1 \advance\num by `a \char\num} +\def\c#1{\num=#1 \advance\num by `K \char\num} +\def\C#1#2#3#4#5#6{\c#1\c#2\c#3\c#4\c#5\c#6} + +\def\A#1#2#3#4#5#6#7{\ifcase #7 +{\a#1\a#2\a#3\a#4\a#5\a#6}% +\or {\a#1\a#2\b#3\a#4\b#5\b#6}% +\or {\a#1\a#2\b#3\b#4\a#5\b#6}% +\or {\a#1\a#2\b#3\b#4\b#5\a#6}% +\or {\a#1\b#2\a#3\a#4\b#5\b#6}% +\or {\a#1\b#2\b#3\a#4\a#5\b#6}% +\or {\a#1\b#2\b#3\b#4\a#5\a#6}% +\or {\a#1\b#2\a#3\b#4\a#5\b#6}% +\or {\a#1\b#2\a#3\b#4\b#5\a#6}% +\or {\a#1\b#2\b#3\a#4\b#5\a#6}% +\fi} + +\newcount\cha +\newcount\chb +\makeatletter +\long\def\for{\@for} +\makeatother +\gdef\mysix#1#2#3#4#5#6{,#1#2,#3#4,#5#6} +\gdef\mywork#1#2{\advance\cha by #1 \advance\chb by #2} +\gdef\barch#1.#2.#3.{ +\xdef\mylist{0#1\mysix#2\mysix#3} +\cha=0 +\chb=0 +\for \x:=\mylist\do{\expandafter\mywork\x} +\multiply\cha by 3 +\advance\chb by \cha +\cha=\chb +\divide\cha by 10 +\multiply\cha by -10 +\advance\chb by \cha} +\def\bar#1.#2.#3.{\barch#1.#2.#3. +\ifnum\chb>0 #1#2#3 has a bad check sum!\\[20pt] +\else \ean{#1 +\A#2#1-\C#3+}\fi} +\begin{document} + + Examples + +\bar3.034325.106199. + +\bar4.074400.410000. + +\bar5.449000.055521. + +\bar5.010027.522336. + +\bar8.410005.421052. + +\bar9.780192.828941. + +\end{document} +\end{verbatim} + +\bibliography{bcfaq} + +\end{document} +\endinput +%% +%% End of file `bcfaq.tex'. |