Rails - Aug 2005 - Generating barcodes (as gif/jpg)

Hello Rubyists,

I need to generate barcodes (in UPC and codabar symbologies) and  
would like to know if anyone has done this with Ruby. From what I can  
tell, it would be possible to use the gnu-barcode [1] or  
barcodewriter [2] to generate a PostScript, then through RMagick (via  
GhostScript) take the file and create a GIF/JPG.

These will really only be used for web display (to be printed and  
scanned elsewhere), so even though I''m referring to PS above
it''s not
a necessary component. Any solution that takes a numeric code and  
generates a barcode as GIF/JPG is suitable.

I know there is a barcode gem (which uses RMagick directly) but it  
only works for the code-39 symbology. I''ll be happy to add to it if  
it makes sense (and if the author is so inclined).

I have also seen various Perl/Python etc. tools out there. I can port  
it and gemmify if that''s the best solution, but my hunch is PS ->  
RMagick -> GIF/JPG will be the most straightforward.

TIA,
Matt

[1] GNU-barcode (http://www.gnu.org/software/barcode/barcode.html)
[2] Barcode Writer (http://www.terryburton.co.uk/barcodewriter/)

On Fri, 26 Aug 2005, Matt Pelletier wrote:
> Hello Rubyists,
>
> I need to generate barcodes (in UPC and codabar symbologies) and would like
> to know if anyone has done this with Ruby. From what I can tell, it would
be
> possible to use the gnu-barcode [1] or barcodewriter [2] to generate a 
> PostScript, then through RMagick (via GhostScript) take the file and create
a
> GIF/JPG.
         [...]
> I have also seen various Perl/Python etc. tools out there. I can port it
and
> gemmify if that''s the best solution, but my hunch is PS ->
RMagick -> GIF/JPG
> will be the most straightforward.
This perl one exists to create telepen codes as pnm images [not what
you want exactly but maybe worth archiving]:

http://lists.linux.it/pipermail/barcode/2002-November/000136.html

or

http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~mgk25/download/telepen.pl

and I have converted it to Ruby, but have not been able to contact
Markus Kuhn to get permission to release it

It is elsewhere, should that link die: google for
markus kuhn telepen
>
> TIA,
> Matt
         Hugh

And this might be useful as well:

http://www.whytheluckystiff.net/bumpspark/

         Hugh