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Barcodes

Barcodes found on real products (like the UPC on the back of a game box) can be used as tokens in Zaparoo. Unlike NFC tags or QR codes, barcodes can't contain ZapScript directly, so you use mappings to assign an action to each barcode value.

This means you can scan the barcode on a physical game case and have it launch that game.

Supported formats​

Zaparoo supports a wide range of barcode formats:

  • UPC-A and UPC-E
  • EAN-8 and EAN-13
  • Code 128, Code 39, Code 93
  • Codabar
  • ITF
  • Data Matrix
  • PDF-417

How to scan​

There are two ways to scan barcodes:

Phone camera using the Zaparoo App. Tap the camera button on the scan screen and point it at a barcode. The app uses Google ML Kit for detection and supports all the formats listed above.

Hardware scanner using an RS232 barcode scanner connected via serial port. These are the same scanners used in retail and POS systems. The hardware scanner is format-agnostic and will read whatever barcode types it supports.

Setting up with the Zaparoo App​

The easiest way to map a barcode is through the Zaparoo App:

  1. Go to Create > Add a Mapping
  2. Tap the Camera button and point at the barcode
  3. The barcode value auto-populates in the token ID field
  4. Write a ZapScript or use the command palette to pick a game
  5. Tap Save mapping

Setting up with mapping files​

You can also create mappings manually. See the mappings documentation for details.

[[mappings.entry]]
token_key = 'uid'
match_pattern = '045496590420'
zapscript = '**launch.search:Super Smash Bros'

Replace the barcode value with the one scanned from your game case.