Open source address label/barcodes printing program?

Hey guys,

I was wondering if anyone has had success with an open source program that will print address labels and preferably bar codes. I'm looking to find something that will import comma separated or tab delimited files.

Any platform is fine, Linux, Windows, BSD, whatever. Cept Mac only cause we don't have 'em.

Perl does this admirably, via GD::Barcode. Check out the link below for a tutorial by Randall Schwartz.

http://www.newarchitectmag.com/docu.../new1013636870/

It doesn't do code 128, apparently, but

http://theoryx5.uwinnipeg.ca/CPAN/d...de/Code128.html

does.

Wow, it seems like there is a Perl script for EVERYTHING. Amazing.


Thanks for the tip Hero, I will check that out.

I found a couple of cool things:


1. Free utility originally published by PC Magazine over 10 years ago, and it supports POSTNET. Supposedly all it needs is an ASCII file:

http://download.com.com/3000-2088-5...tml?tag=lst-0-1

2. A plugin for Star Office. But this plugin only works with the company's fonts, which are $140:

http://download.com.com/3000-2067-1...tml?tag=lst-0-2

What kind of barcodes do you need to make? The perl options seem to cover all the major bases.

The advantage of going with the perl version is you'll have the ability to interface with any database/file type that perl can read- Excel, MySQL, MSSQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL, flat text files, whatever.

The disadvantage is that you'll have to code it yourself, or hire someone to do it. The perl version is undoubtedly more flexible, and in this case free.

Actually we're needing POSTNET.

I did find a great program, it looks like what we need. The reason we probably need a program to do it, is that there are all sorts of rules for using POSTNET, and once you apply the barcode, it has to be sorted according to the latest Postal Service rules.

Postage Saver runs for $50 and seems to be the best option I've seen so far for this:

http://www.savepostage.com/psinfo.html


Totally, I think the Perl option is definitley more powerful, however I think for my purposes I'll have to go another route to relieve myself of some of the administration so I can code other things.

Yes, if you need to do postal sorting or CASS certification, buying a program is most definitely the best option.

In a past job I had to prepare MANY bulk mailings, everything from carrier route to plain old 3-5 digits sorts. It's like another world, the postal service. . . The twilight zone. Talking to those guys, it's no wonder they go nuts, all the super-specific rules they have.

Have fun.