>Does VFP care which bar code scanner I use?
>Is a scanner specific to a type of barcode or can it read any bar code?

Hi Andy,

Most barcode scanners use a 2-tier setup: The scanner and a "wedge". The wedge is a little device that serves as the interface between the computer and a variety of scanners (barcode, MICR - checks, Magnetic band).

The wedges usually connect to the computer's keyboard connector (i.e. the keyboard and the scanner are connected to the wedge, and the wedge is connected to the computer), or they connect via serial port.

Keyboard wedges feed their input as if the user typed it. Even at the hardware level, there is no way to distinguish keystrokes from barcode scans.

Serial wedges require a special driver, which in most cases "stuffs" scans into the computer's keyboard data stream, so your programs think that someone just typed the information.

Hope this helps!

Alex