Scan of Driver's License 2D Barcode

[MikeC]

Re: Scan of Driver's License 2D Barcode

oops--I oddly set your character variable DBB_DOB to equal the STOD value---set instead whatever you need to set to be equal to the STOD()

like: Your_Date_Variable = STOD(EXTRACT_STRING(MEMO,"DBB","DB"))

[Tim Kiebert]

Re: Scan of Driver's License 2D Barcode

Richard,
I will respond a little later with a description of what I was alluding to but in the mean time I tested the following expression which seems to work.

Use this for the calc in the actual date field.

IF(EXTRACT_STRING(Memo,"DBB","DB")="",{}, STOD(LEFT(EXTRACT_STRING(Memo,"DBB","DB"),8)))

This accounts for the memo field initially being empty. And the extract_string function was returning the carriage return which the stod function did not like.

EDIT: Oops, Left my field names in the expresion

[Rich Hartnett]

Re: Scan of Driver's License 2D Barcode

Hi Tim

Your expression works correctly, however now another weird thing is happening.

If I enter the barcode scan data directly into record via browse, the DOB calculation works fine.

But if I enter it via the web page, as soon as I hit the submit button, I get an error message on the DOB field, that says "CAN'T PUT TO CALCULATED FIELD."

Any thoughts?

BTW, here's the link to the form:
http://pd.serveftp.com/pd/rms/barcodescan.a5w

If you want to see what I'm getting, manually paste the following data into the memo field and hit the submit button:

AAMVA6360030101DL00290197DLDAQS-542-738-870-099
DAASMITH,RICHARD,WELLINGTON,JR
DAG26 SAUCER CT
DAITAKOMA PARK
DAJMD
DAK20912
DARC
DAS
DAT
DAU600
DAW167
DBA20110124
DBB19820124
DBC1
DBD20051126
DBHN

[mmaisterrena]

Re: Scan of Driver's License 2D Barcode

I think your DOB field has an expression on the "calculated" property or is being calculated in the query section and at the same time is a required field so you might want to change one of those things

[Rich Hartnett]

Re: Scan of Driver's License 2D Barcode

Hi Tim

Your expression works correctly, however now another weird thing is happening.

If I enter the barcode scan data directly into record via browse, the DOB calculation works fine.

But if I enter it via the web page, as soon as I hit the submit button, I get an error message on the DOB field, that says "CAN'T PUT TO CALCULATED FIELD."

Hey Tim just wanted to let you know that your expression is working perfectly. I don't know what was causing the above error message, but I fixed it by rebuilding the grid.

I have another question regarding parsing that I was hoping someone could shed some light on.

Sample barcode extract into memo field:
AAMVA6360030101DL00290197DLDAQS-542-738-870-099
DAASMITH,RICHARD,WELLINGTON,JR
DAG26 SAUCER CT
DAITAKOMA PARK
DAJMD
DAK20912
DARC
DAS
DAT
DAU600
DAW167
DBA20110124
DBB19820124
DBC1
DBD20051126
DBHN

Presently I'm using the expression of (for example):
EXTRACT_STRING(MEMO,"DAG","DAI")
to parse the address from the memo field and similar expressions to parse the other data. This works fine as long as the next field starts with the delimiter of "DAI," which it always does in Maryland. But I just found out that other states layout their data differently. They still use the same delimiters, as that is based on a national standard, but the data doesn't always flow the same way.

For example, in one state, the address field is followed by the Organ Donor field. The delimiter for the Organ Donor field is DBH. Obviously this causes a problem with the "Exact String" expression because it is looking for DAI as the end point, now it does not follow DAG.

So my question is this: There is a set maximum number of characters that can be used in each field, so that will never change and that being the case, is there a similar expression I could use that would still parse the data from the set delimiters of "DAG," "DAS," etc., but instead of using the next text delimiter to indicate the end of the parse, it would only parse the string up to the maximum number of allowable charcters, then stop.

In other words, something like:
EXTRACT_STRING(MEMO,"DAG",30) or something like that, so that once a space of 30 characters was reached, the expression would know it was the end of the string.

(I know this is not a real expression, but in looking at it you can get the drift of what I'm trying to do.)

[Tim Kiebert]

Re: Scan of Driver's License 2D Barcode

Richard,

Is the list always as you have supplied in post 20, ie with carriage returns or does it come in as in your first post which looks like one line?

[Rich Hartnett]

Re: Scan of Driver's License 2D Barcode

It looks like Post #20. The first one was "doctored up" by me to show everybody what data is embedded in the barcode. However my barcode scanner is stripping out the carriage return symbol and entering straight text.

This was done on purpose. When I first started this project, every time I would input data on to the memo field of the web page, the browser screen would go crazy and try to open up all kinds of browser related options. In the end, the only thing that was left in the memo field was the "@" symbol.

To to counter that, the tech from the barcode reader company set the gun so that it stripped out everything but straight text, and the problem disappeared.

And I think I know where you're going with this .......
Are you going to suggest using the carriage return as the ending delimiter?

I thought about that. I'm not sure how the expression reads, but I guess I'll have to put the carriage returns back in the bar code reader's output first if I'm going to experiment with that. We didn't determine that the problem was the carriage returns, as there are other symbols inserted during the initial data input that could have been causing the problem, but the tech suggested just getting rid of all the non-text characters and trying it. That's what we did and it solved the problem so I just left it that way.

So maybe if I put the carriage returns back in and nothing else, I'll be able to have it "both ways."

[Tim Kiebert]

Re: Scan of Driver's License 2D Barcode

Yes you were right on where I was heading. I did a test and crlf() can be used as the second delimiter.

Instead of putting the carriage returns back is it possible to replace them with something else that would not be in the data. Like a ~ or | or some combination like xzzx.

[Rich Hartnett]

Re: Scan of Driver's License 2D Barcode

Not sure Tim, but I'm waiting for a return call from the tech at OptiCon, and I'll check with him to see if that can be done.

Meanwhile, here's what the barcode scanner output looked like before we removed all the invisible characters:

@<LF><CR>
AAMVA6360030101DL00290197DLDAQS-542-738-870-065<LF>DAASAMUELS,RICHARD,WELLINGTON,JR<LF>DAG26 SEEK CT<LF>DAITAKOMA PARK<LF>DAJMD<LF>DAK20912 <LF>DARC <LF>DAS <LF>DAT <LF>DAU600<LF>DAW167<LF>DBA20110124<LF>DBB19820124<LF>DBC1<LF>DBD20051126<LF>DBHN<CR>
<CR>
<ETX>

I'm not sure what was causing all the browser problems, but I guess I could play with some different things.

[Darruss008]

Re: Scan of Driver's License 2D Barcode

Was interested in creating a similar sort of data-base-like "application", can you recommend a source for deciphering certain terms, ie., the following: a.) EMEMEWPFD b.) DBIN c.) DBE

I ask because you seem to be working with the kinds of data that my App would be marketing to those businesses dealing in the level of security above say, "bar bouncers and package good store clerks". Thank you.

[Rich Hartnett]

Re: Scan of Driver's License 2D Barcode

Very interesting Mike.

Unfortunately in my situation things have changed a bit. We are now using an electronic traffic citation program provided by the state, and it has a 2D barcode reader attached to it already. This is both good and bad for my purposes. On one hand the state has taken care of my problem of getting the driver's license data parsed and inserted into the correct fields on THEIR form, but it doesn't allow me to use that data for anything else, like my web based records application.

In this case, the scanner (L-Tron/Honeywell model) is plugged into usb and grabs a port in the computer. The state's software then talks to that port and tells the scanner when to turn on and when to turn off. It also takes the data and forces it directly into their program, then closes the scanner application. According to L-Tron, it would be very complicated to try to re-route that port's data to another application, then switch it back again on the fly, but I am still playing with it so we'll see what happens.

It seems like such a waste to have a $500 barcode scanner sitting in the police car and only be able to use it on one application, and not on the multitude of other forms that we need DL data from.

[Rich Hartnett]

Re: Scan of Driver's License 2D Barcode

Darrell I'm sorry that I did not notice your post several months ago, and a I swear I wasn't ignoring you!

I got my manual for deciphering the delimiter codes on the driver's licenses by simply performing a google search on "AAMVA Barcodes." The Amercian Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators sets the standards for Driver's License, Registration and other ID barcodes, and their free manual is downloadable from their website at this address:

AAMVA DL/ID Barcode Manual

Or just go here for more info: http://www.aamva.org/KnowledgeCenter/DLIDStandards/

Rich

[WKRichard]

Re: Scan of Driver's License 2D Barcode

Does anyone have the barcode calibration sheet for each state? We have created the process of scanning driver license and populating infortion directly into forms that are filed at each state. The problem we are experiencing is parsing out the data correctly for each field. We have been able to configure about 20 states, but not all.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Rick