Tom Pemberton spoke:

>How do you rationalize a mixed system with some check-digit bar codes and
>some non-check-digit bar codes?????   It's not fun and the extra effort
>will cost you.  Don't worry - the solution is in the database - you don't
>have to re-label all the files.

I have the very system you describe in your post, Tom and am working on
having the database reconfigured to better reflect our business model.  You
intimate that the "solution is in the database."  Could you expand on that
comment?  I was told that checkdigit reduces scanning errors because of the
algorithm performed on the barcode by the scanner.  That way the scanner
doesn't mistakenly read 5551212 as 5551213 because the checkdigit is
calculated on the barcode number.  The problems arise, as you said, when you
begin to interact with the real world.  We are currently producing a
duplicate barcode to paste over a non-checkdigit barcode that was provided
to us by a third party.  A pain, but what else can we do?  The third party
vendor says they can't figure out the algorithm that our database uses so we
are stuck.

Any help you or anyone else can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Jim Koontz
Records Manager
Brinson Partners, Inc.
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312-220-7831 voice
312-220-7199 fax
All comments are my own and do not reflect the policies or opinions of
any present or former employer.