[OPEN-ILS-GENERAL] QR Codes in Evergreen -- Living example

[Mike Rylander]

On Thu, Jul 7, 2011 at 9:46 AM, Soulliere, Robert
<robert.soulliere at mohawkcollege.ca> wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> At Mohawk College, we implemented QR codes in our catalogue for mobile barcode scanners.
>
> This question came up recently on the list with Joseph Lewis bringing up the possibilities:
> http://libmail.georgialibraries.org/pipermail/open-ils-general/2011-June/005014.html
>
> For an example of our implementation see:
> http://libcat.mohawkcollege.ca/opac/en-CA/skin/default/xml/rdetail.xml?r=36984&t=linux&tp=keyword&d=0&hc=22&rt=keyword
>
> This allows users with cell phones to scan the QR code and load copy location information to their mobile device (with barcode scanner). It does not require phone service on the device -- just open your barcode scanner app, point your devices camera and scan the code.
>

Very cool.  Solid work!

> Our implementation used the Google charts api to generate the codes on the fly on a Google server. In other words, we are not storing those images on our server or creating code images for each item copy location.
>
> For changesets to the code (Evergreen 2.0.6):
> http://libdog.mohawkcollege.ca/projects/evergreen/changeset/109
>
> For more info on QR codes:
> http://brain.mohawkcollege.ca/QRCodes
>
> I am willing to provide a patch to the code base but had a concern about whether it can be easily adapted to the future templated opac?
> I wasn't sure about which version of Evergreen this would be implemented if it was added and I was not sure about the OPAC template switch time line.
>

Thomas mentioned perhaps not farming out to Google, but I don't have a
strong opinion on that point.  We already have Google Preview, so
there's precedent.

Of course, it would be best to point to a generic source of
information on QR Codes, rather than everyone pummeling your server,
but that's simple enough.

As for which OPAC to implement this in, I don't think it actually
matters too much.  Because the will be server-generated images in
either case, the hard part (if we internalize it and generate QRs on
the Evergreen server) will be the same either way.

> The feature does have a on/off toggle in the code.
>

I wonder if we should use an OU setting or such to turn on or off the
inclusion of the images.

[Related: having a memcache cache of OU settings would make this less
painful, and I think could be done in such a way that updating any OU
setting would clear the per-OU cache entries properly by clearing the
entries for self and all descendants (to cover inherited settings).
Thoughts?]


> Let me know if you recommend that I submit a patch in Launchpad.
>

I think that would be worthwhile, if for no other reason than to keep
this on the radar and instigate discussion.

-- 
Mike Rylander
 | Director of Research and Development
 | Equinox Software, Inc. / Your Library's Guide to Open Source
 | phone:  1-877-OPEN-ILS (673-6457)
 | email:  miker at esilibrary.com
 | web:  http://www.esilibrary.com