Wasatch Barcode "pull" from Android

This software has been produced to work with Wasatch SoftRIP and the Wasatch Automation option. The Automation option is an extra-cost add on to Wasatch SoftRIP.

This software runs on Android phones and tablets. The Python script is short and intended to demonstrate the interface in the simplest possible way. Wasatch SoftRIP and Automation are doing all the "heavy lifting". It may be more useful for documentation than deployment.

Complete source code is below.

The phone or tablet serves as the barcode scanner and also as the system that makes the job submission to Wasatch SoftRIP via network.

The first step in using this software is to set up Wasatch SoftRIP with XML Access enabled, and an active hot folder for the print unit to be used. Configure the hot folder for "RIP Only", as shown here:

Files placed into the hot folder will be RIP'ed and then held in suspense in the "Print Queue", ready to be pulled out through scanning of the barcode. The "Print Queue" can comfortably hold up to 10,000 jobs ready-to-go, on a suitably configured computer.

Source Code

# Sample implementation of Wasatch Barcode Pull in Python 3 on Android phones/tablets
# Requires installation of Qpython3 and ZXing Team Barcode Scanner in Android
# 
wasatchSoftRIP = '192.168.1.104:80'  # edit this to address your local Wasatch SoftRIP
printUnit = 1 # edit this to aim work at a particular print unit
copiesToPrint = 1 # edit this as needed

import android
import urllib.request

droid = android.Android()

def scan():
    c = droid.scanBarcode()
    #print(c) #  just for debugging
    
    code = c[1]['extras']['SCAN_RESULT']
    code = code.rstrip().lstrip() # clean off any leading or trailing white space
    #print('This script has just read:  "' + code + "'") # just for debugging

#code += '.ps'  # append a file extension here if appropriate
    
    url = 'http://' + wasatchSoftRIP + '/xmlSubmission.dyn?'
    data = '<WASATCH ACTION=JOB><PRINTUNIT>' + str(printUnit) + '</PRINTUNIT><PRINTQUEUE>'
    data += '<SOURCEFILE>' + code + '</SOURCEFILE>'
    data += '<Copies>' + str(copiesToPrint) + '</Copies>'
    data += '</PRINTQUEUE></WASATCH>'
    url += urllib.parse.quote_plus(data)  # escape all special characters in data

if True:  # simple point for turning network operations on/off during debugging
        fp = urllib.request.urlopen(url)
        mybytes = fp.read()  
        fp.close()

while True: # endless loop
    scan()