NETWORK LINKS
=============

This is GNU-barcode. The latest release can be downloaded from ftp.gnu.org
and mirrors:
	ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/barcode/

It is also available from my own ftp/http server
	ftp://ar.linux.it/pub/barcode/
	http://ar.linux.it/pub/barcode/ (same as above).
	
The current source tree is available by anonymous CVS. See
	http://ar.linux.it/software/#cvs

Plesae note that ar.linux.it/pub/barcode also includes CVS snapshots,
semi-atumatically taken when I commit stuff to CVS. Note that CVS
snapshots include "CVS/" directories, so you can then "cvs update" for
further updates.

The documentation is online at:
	http://ar.linux.it/software/barcode

The MS-Windows port is maintained at:
	http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net/packages/barcode.htm

It as also been included in the FreeBSD ports tree in the "graphics" section.
This means /usr/ports/graphics/barcode. It's thus available from:
	http://www.freebsd.org/ports/graphics.html

GLabels, at http://snaught.com/glabels/, uses barcode internally, too.

DESCRIPTION
===========

The package is meant to solve most needs in barcode creation with a
conventional printer. It can create printouts for the conventional
product tagging standards: UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-13, EAN-8, ISBN, as well
as a few other formats. Ouput is generated as either Postscript or
Encapsulated Postscript (other back-ends may be added if needed).

The package is released as both a library and a command-line frontend,
so that you can include barcode-generation into your application.  The
program is released in the hope that is proves useful but without any
warranty, according to the GPL Licence (see ./COPYING).

If you're specifically interested in making an ISBN (Bookland EAN)
symbol, you might try to get "bookland.py" by Judah Milgram
(http://www.cgpp.com/bookland/, whose version 0.92 is also included in
the directory "bookland" within this package, for your convenience).
While my main target is flexibility his main target is strict
adherence to the standards. Bookland is free software like the barcode
library and will probabily have its role in the GNU project.
Bookland.py is a self-documenting program, you'll enjoy browsing its
source code.

Other contributed patches and/or software are available in the
contrib/ directory.

Please take the "no-warranty" disclaimer seriously: even though I
spent reasonable efforts to make sure the output is useable in
production you should verify it suits your needs as a faulty bar can
cost you a bundle, and you'll be on your own. It's up to you to verify
that the symbol is valid (and, obviously, I'd like to know about any
problem you encounter). [This paragraph copied verbatim from bookland.py]


ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
===============

I would like to thank both Judah Milgram and Michele Comitini
(mcm@glisco.it) for their help with this tool, as well as Jim Westveer
for introducing me to Debian packaging. Several encodings have been
implemented by Leonid A. Broukhis (leob@mailcom.com).


MAILING LISTS
=============

There is a mailing list where development is coordinated, called
barcode@lists.linux.it . To get subscribed you should
	echo subscribe | mail barcode-request@lists.linux.it
or anything equivalent.

To receive notification of CVS commit messages, please subscribe to
barcode-commit@ar.linux.it, by issuing:
	echo subscribe | mail barcode-commit-request@ar.linux.it

(if you guess, "ar" or "arcana" is my own server, while lists.linux.it
is the mail server of the italian association of gnu/linux users).

/alessandro (rubini@gnu.org)