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Replacing Jetform - Open Source Barcode Printing Alternatives?

Posted by Cliff on from the numbes-as-sets-of-human-unreadable-lines dept.

diabolus_in_america asks: "I work for a mid-size manufacturer. Currently we use Jetform running on HP/UX to print the majority of our barcode labels to Zebra thermal printers. However, Jetform is a dead technology, and we are would like to look at open source alternatives. Is there an open source alternative to Jetform? What we need is a system that lets us mark up and design a barcode label which can then be populated from data files at print time. In its day, the Jetform system was an excellent and quick solution to barcode printing. But those days are over, at least for us, and we'd like to move to an open source alternative, if one exists."

2 of 36 comments (clear)

  1. Why is it dead ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It's nice to think about a Free Software solution, because if you can get to source code without paying licensing fees it increases your businesses reliability and flexibility.

    However, are you sure you have to switch now ? What exactly is it that you can't do that you want to do ? Just because you haven't seen a gushy cutting edge article about jetforms in the trade press lately, is no reason to drop it. Does every portion of your business have to be a current fad ?

  2. Re:bar codes by pi_rules · · Score: 2, Insightful

    While the parent poster has a nice idea, it's way off base. The original seeker of answers knows this, I'm sure, but I thought I'd point it out.

    The printers in question are not normal printers. They do not understand that much and you really do not need to be trying to convert a PDF into a format that they can understand. The printers actually -know- how to print a barcode. You setup a field for it and give the printer some numbers and it'll put it where you want it in the format you want it.

    Reportlab is great. I've used it for some stuff but this just isn't the case. If you wanted to shove barcodes into an inkjet printer that your native OS understood it'd be grand (assuming your printer can do a good barcode) but the Zerbra printers do not understand PDF and trying to cram one down a Zebra's throat would be a HUGE pain in the behind. A huge mistake too.

    The printers are darned good at what they do -- don't make any more complex than it need be.