How can I quickly learn which white papers are dedicated to integrating BarTender
with other software?
A : Simply visit this handy
index of integration white papers.
What if I need to start producing labels right away, but I am not yet ready to start
an integration project?
A : BarTender is also a powerful stand-alone application. For more details,
please visit the Main BarTender web page
and our Specifications and Features guide.
Do I have to write code in order to integrate BarTender with my existing software?
A : No! Writing code is only one way of controlling BarTender. Our "Commander"
integration utility offers codeless solutions for automatically controlling BarTender
in response to a variety of trigger events, some of which your existing software
system may already ready be generating. These include the creation of files,
e-mail messages, and TCP/IP packets. Depending on your ERP environment, and what
kind of transaction events are already being generated, you may not have to write
any code at all!
Can BarTender read my existing database?
A : With its extremely robust support for the OLE-DB and ODBC database driver
standards, BarTender can directly access label data in literally dozens of standard
databases and data formats. Additional methods, based on use of the Commander companion
application, provide access to data from a variety of ERP software packages, including
those from Oracle, SAP and IBM.
Does BarTender offer prewritten integration support for any major ERP software products,
such as Oracle and SAP?
A : Yes! Please see the Oracle, SAP and IBM WebSphere integration white papers.
If we've got some real "code jocks" on staff, what kind of integration support does
BarTender offer for them?
A : The BarTender .NET SDKs provide a robust development environment for both
C-Sharp and Visual Basic .Net programmers, including Strong-Name support for the
.NET Global Assembly Cache (or GAC). BarTender also supports ActiveX Automation
(sometimes called "COM"). For more information, please see our .NET SDK and ActiveX Automation white papers.
I am already "dumping" transactional inventory data to a delimited text file. Can
I print label data directly from this?
A : Absolutely! Our Commander integration utility can launch BarTender print
jobs in response to any of a great variety of received triggers. You can then have
Commander custom process the label data (if desired) and pass it to BarTender.
Alternatively, you can have BarTender read the data directly. For more information,
please see our Commander white paper and dedicated help system.
What about support for XML?
A : Although BarTender can directly read XML, it is more common to have Commander
receive XML as a "trigger" that is part of an automated integration. With full support
for XSL style sheets, Commander can easily convert from the XML format that you
may already be using into a format readable by BarTender -- all without having to
write code.
What if I want to control my integrations using TCP/IP socket communications instead
of by exporting files?
A : Commander offers rich support for TCP/IP socket connectivity, including
reporting back status information about both BarTender and your printers. For more
information, please search on "TCP/IP" in the Commander help system.
Where can I find answers to more advanced questions about the Commander integration
utility?
Do I have to learn anything about individual printer languages in order to add label
printing and RFID encoding to my existing software?
A : No, BarTender handles this for you! BarTender comes with Windows printer
Drivers by Seagull™ -- the fastest, most reliable, and largest collection
of true Windows printer drivers available for industrial label printers. And, if
you happen to have one of the few printers for which we don't already offer our
own high-speed drivers, we can still communicate with your printer as long as the
manufacturer provides its own Windows printer driver. For more information, please
consult " The Advantage of Drivers by Seagull" white paper.
What if I want more direct control over my printers?
A : Some extremely technical users prefer to directly control the flow of
printer code to their printers from their existing software packages. In order to
avoid having to "hand code" the printer commands, these users can export printer-specific
"Printer Code Templates" from BarTender that contain embedded "tags" into which
they can later insert their label data. These templates are then "embedded" or "compiled"
into their main software application or a desired middleware module. For more information,
please consult the " Exporting Printer Code Templates" white paper.
Once my integration is in production, how can I be alerted if something goes wrong
with my label production operation?
A : Whether a printer has simply run out of labels or you have had a communication
or system failure, a responsive alert system helps keep your production line running
and saves you expensive down-time. BarTender and the Printer Maestro companion applications
offer a number of powerful features to quickly alert you to production problems.
Standard alert methods include e-mail and text messages, so you can learn about
problems on your mobile phone while you aren't even on site! For more information,
please consult the Administer, Alert Setup option within BarTender
and related help topics within BarTender and Printer Maestro. Also see the Printer Maestro white paper.
What if I have a high security application, such as a military, pharmaceutical or
chemical industry application?
A : BarTender's Security Center companion application gives you remarkably
detailed control over who has permission to do what with BarTender and the various
Companion Applications. You can even demand and store "electronic signatures" for
selected actions. For more information, please consult the Label System Security white paper.
What if I am audited by a customer or governing authority?
A : BarTender can log a highly customizable variety of data about each print
job to a searchable database. Storable information includes launch and execution
date and time, the name of the label format(s) printed, any exception event messages
that may have occurred, the actual label data used, and even bitmap images showing
what the labels should have looked like. Then, if and when you need to reexamine
your past print jobs, you can search through these archives in order to inspect
and verify your print job results. For more information, please read about History Explorer.
Where on this web site can I find more information about BarTender?
A : Please visit the Main BarTender web
page.
Is there a free demonstration version available?
A : Absolutely! In fact, our
free Trial Edition works like a full-working version of BarTender for the
first 30 days! (After the first 30-days, you can still continue your development
work, but you will not be able to go into full production until you purchase a full-working
version.)