Barcode Scanners
Zaparoo reads barcodes and QR codes through the Zaparoo App's camera or a serial barcode scanner connected to the device running Core.
Scanning with the Zaparoo App
Use your phone's camera to scan barcodes and QR codes with the Zaparoo App. Scans are sent to Core through the app, so you don't need a reader driver on the device running Core, and it works on every platform. Launching from a phone scan needs Zaparoo App Pro.
See the barcodes token page for supported formats and how to set up mappings.
Serial scanners
Connect a physical barcode or QR code scanner through an RS-232 serial port or a USB-to-serial adapter for hands-free scanning. The scanner must be configured for RS-232 or USB-COM output and send each scan as a line of serial text, not keyboard-emulation keystrokes.
Setup
The scanner is not auto-detected. Add it to config.toml with the serial port path for your scanner:
[[readers.connect]]
driver = "rs232barcode"
path = "/dev/ttyUSB0" # Linux/macOS
[[readers.connect]]
driver = "rs232barcode"
path = "COM3" # Windows
To find the port, run ls /dev/ttyUSB* /dev/ttyACM* on Linux or ls /dev/tty.usb* /dev/cu.usb* on macOS. On Windows, open Device Manager and look under Ports (COM & LPT) for "USB Serial Port (COMx)".
Core talks to the scanner at 9600 baud, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit (9600 8N1). These settings are fixed. If your scanner uses different settings, reconfigure the scanner with its manual or programming barcodes.
Many barcode scanners ship in keyboard emulation mode, which this driver does not support. Switch the scanner to RS-232 or USB-COM mode with a physical switch or the programming barcodes in its manual. Look for settings labeled "Serial Mode", "RS-232", or "USB-COM".
Usage
QR codes hold enough text to embed ZapScript directly. Use the QR code generator or another tool to create a code with your ZapScript, and scanning it runs the script:
**launch.random:snes
Linear barcode capacity depends on the format, scanner, and label size. For UPCs, EAN codes, and short custom IDs, use a mapping: the barcode stores an ID, and Core maps that ID to ZapScript. For example, print a barcode containing SONIC001 and add this to mappings/barcodes.toml:
[[mappings.entry]]
token_key = "id"
match_pattern = "SONIC001"
zapscript = "@Genesis/Sonic the Hedgehog"
Troubleshooting
Scanning a barcode types digits into a text field instead of reaching Core. The scanner is in keyboard-emulation mode. Switch it to RS-232 or USB-COM mode as described above.
The serial scanner is not detected. Check the port path, make sure the scanner is in serial mode, and on Linux or macOS add your user to the dialout group (sudo usermod -a -G dialout $USER, then log out and back in). Turn on debug_logging = true and look for "opened RS232 barcode reader" in the log.
Nothing happens when scanning. For QR codes that contain ZapScript, check the text is valid ZapScript. For mapped barcodes, check the mapping uses token_key = "id" and that match_pattern matches the scanned value. Core strips common STX/ETX framing, but a scanner that adds other prefixes or suffixes can break exact mappings; reconfigure it with its programming barcodes.
The App scans the code but nothing launches. Barcodes need a mapping that tells Core what to run, and launching from the phone's scan needs Pro.