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Rattail for Palm OS
"Rattail for Palm OS" is an application which runs on certain Palm OS handheld devices. It is meant to be used as a simple and generic data collection utility, e.g. for the purpose of performing an inventory count, setting shelf locations, etc.
The basic usage involves the user scanning a barcode, then optionally inputting a case and/or unit quantity amount for the item. This is repeated until the scan "batch" is complete from the user's perspective. The handheld is then synced with the desktop PC, and a CSV file is created which contains the barcode and count data from the handheld batch.
The screenshot below gives some idea of the app's function (shown here running in the Palm OS Emulator):
Supported Devices
Before you get too excited, know that there is currently only one device model supported:
It is hoped that others will be added in the future. Unfortunately most device manufacturers only support using the Metrowerks CodeWarrior development suite, which is not free. Thus far however the Rattail app is built with the free Garnet OS Development Suite. Therefore future device support will depend either on locating scanner libraries which may be linked by the GCC compiler, or else a purchase of the CodeWarrior suite will be an inevitable requirement.
For now focus will remain on the former option; however there is not a lot of urgency to the problem in general. It is likely that all development will sit still for a while.
Installation
There are really two components to this application: the Palm OS application which runs on the handheld device, and a Palm HotSync "conduit" which runs on the desktop PC.
Handheld Application
Assuming you have a Palm OS handheld device which is already configured to sync with a desktop PC, simply download the Rattail app and use the HotSync installer to install it to the handheld. Usually this is as simple as double-clicking the application file and then doing a sync; however this will depend somewhat on your configuration.
The application file can be downloaded here.
Aceeca Meazura MEZ1000
In addition to the Rattail app, this handheld also requires the presence of the "BCS2 Shared Library" app. This is distributed by Aceeca as part of the IDV1000-BCS2 SDK (Software Development Kit).
The filename of the app you must install is BCS2ScannerLib_V143.prc. It is installed in the same way as the Rattail app. I would prefer to offer this file as a direct download; however I'm not certain that the license allows it, so I'm leaving it as an exercise for the user, for now.