Any / all scanners are essientially auxillary keyboard devices. In general, you only need to provide somewhere for the input to go (e.g. a set focus operation). In more robust apps, the scanner is set up with codes which are recognized by the app to do the set focus thing and then do some preprcoessing of the input. Look at the docs which come with the scanner for detailos of the programming. The ones I am currently involved with allow all scan inputs to include a prefix and / or postfix code. We use the prefix as a "Function Key", recognized by the application to open a scanner input form. The form sets focus to the input field, receives the input and recognizes the end of the scan as the signal to move focus to the next field. The loct focus event of the input field checks the input field and determines wheather the data represents one of the few items we recognize (part number, serial number, or job number). If the scan input matches the requirements of one of the fields, the code passes the value and the field type to form which was active when the scan code was received. If theinput is not recognized, the scanner is sent another code which is used to output a beep code, hte input field is cleared and the input forn is closed).
MichaelRed