Shipping Secret Messages Through Barcodes

PyCascades 2018 talk

1. Shipping secret messages through barcodes Karina Ruzinov Software Engineer @ Transfix
2. Logistics Point A ➡ Point B ✈
3. Lingo • Carrier: does the shipping of The Thing • UPS, USPS, FedEx • Shipper: the creator of The Thing • Warby Parker, Five Guys, Nike
4. So…barcodes?
6. UPC Code39
7. How you too can read a (UPC) barcode Credit: http://barcode-labels.com/you-can-learn-read-barcode/
8. What you’re seeing
9. 420112159361289697090020989867 What the carrier is seeing
10. 420 11215 9361289697090020989867 The Identifier for Zip Codes My actual zip code What the customer impatiently stalks
11. But how did the scanner know how to do this
13. Convert the electrical signal from the LED reading to a digital representation First things first.
14. Image credit: carolinabarcode.com
16. 11000101000 11000100010
17. Is the check digit correct? Before we proceed.
18. Convert to ASCII text based on decoder 11000101000 11000100010 = 40 = H = 41 = I
19. Output the final text Allows us to go from To this
20. But how does this relate to Python
21. But before Python, ZPL! (Zebra Programming Language)
23. Python! (writing ZPL)
24. These are important
26. X,Y coordinates
29. A “tall” number
36. Shipping labels are fun and all, but what else is out there? QR CODES!
37. Quick Aside...
38. Quick Response Code?! • Uses our of alphanumeric representation -> integer -> binary map • Data is encoded in a zig zag fashion • Level of error correction impacts the quantity of data that can be stored within the QR Code • Masking to appease the scanner
39. But thankfully we have ZPL (+ Python)
41. Unintuitive ZPL we didn’t have to write Easy QR Code call
43. How about a demo?
44. Takeaway • A lot is hidden in plain sight • Why type something, when you can just scan it? • Barcodes are cool
45. Thanks! Questions? @kruzinov