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serial-barcode-scanner is the shop system used by Kreativität trifft Technik, Oldenburg's Hackspace. We have ca. 50 products, which are sold to our members and guests. Initially we used printed lists, but that has two disadvantages:
- one needs too much time to find correct row & column on a 50x50 table
- they must be typed out on the PC later, which is quite annoying
The new system consists of this piece of software and a normal barcode scanner (the ones used in super markets) attached via a serial port. Now products can be bought as follows:
- Scanning a personal barcode from each user
- Scanning the barcode of the product(s)
- Scanning the logout barcode
The purchase (and all other data) is stored in a small sqlite3 database for later usage. We have a python script, which is run every day at 8:15, which sends daily, temporary, invoice messages by email (text & pdf). These are just info mails, so that users can verify nothing incorrect is happening. The real invoice message is send monthly. Our "Schatzmeister" (the guy who is responsible for hackspace's finances), gets a CC for these mails, so that he can collect the money.
Currently in our hackspace it looks like this (drinks are in the left fridge, chocolate is in the right fridge, remaining stock is on the right):
The barcode reader is attached to a computer nearby, which runs the software:
