Barcode Reader

Barcode readers are used to read information from the bar code.

                                                                       Bar Code

The readers are normally in the form of a barcode scanner and are often built into POS (Point Of Sale) terminals in supermarket.
Handheld scanners or wands are also very common for reading barcodes.

                                                                           Barcode Reader                                                                     


Advantages:
Scanning data using barcodes is much faster than keying data manually.
It can improve safety.
It enables automatic stock control.
It is a tried and trusted technology.

Disadvantages:
Barcode scanning is relatively expensive to administrator since every item needs a barcode and every barcode needs to be entered into the central database.
The system is not foolproof - barcodes can be swapped around on time.