JPos The Big Deal?

[Johnny Kewl]

Newbie: Still dangerous ;)

Guys I'm struggling to understand why JPos is even needed.
Just started playing with ofbiz, saw POS module, got excited, rushed out and
got myself a symbol barcode scanner... and I see that when I plug it into
the usb, it behaves just like a keyboard, no driver, no nothing needed. If I
scan whichever and whatever type of of barcode... it reads it.

So I'm wondering what on earth JPos is supposed to do, why do we need it?

I'm thinking that if I rush out and get a printer... the thing is going to
work just like any other printer and will work from word, or notepad, or
swing... so we "just printing".

A terminal post... is probably just going to be a printer as well?
A credit card scanner... probably gives you the number?... like the keyboard
again... or would be completely separate and chat to the bank... and the
person behind the POS just records a credit sale, or something?

So what is JPos really doing for us... its just standard pc stuff?

One could turn Excel into a little POS... no?
I dont get it?
What makes Jpos really needed?

I read that is about standardizing... but a printer is a printer, a scanner
is a keyboard, whats to standardize, its plug and play anyway? What is a
cash drawer... probably print char Esc A to the printer... hardly reason for
a standard? What am I missing?

Thanks....

[rajsaini]

Johnny,

I think you are confused between JPos and JavaPos. I don't know much
about POS, but I think it is JavaPos which is used and not the JPos.
JPos is totally different beast  that is implementation ISO-8583
protocol which is a low level messaging protocol between devices like
ATM and financial switches/hubs.

You can know more about JavaPos (http://www.javapos.com/).

Thanks,

Raj

Johnny Kewl wrote:

> Newbie: Still dangerous ;)
>
> Guys I'm struggling to understand why JPos is even needed.
> Just started playing with ofbiz, saw POS module, got excited, rushed
> out and got myself a symbol barcode scanner... and I see that when I
> plug it into the usb, it behaves just like a keyboard, no driver, no
> nothing needed. If I scan whichever and whatever type of of barcode...
> it reads it.
>
> So I'm wondering what on earth JPos is supposed to do, why do we need it?
>
> I'm thinking that if I rush out and get a printer... the thing is
> going to work just like any other printer and will work from word, or
> notepad, or swing... so we "just printing".
>
> A terminal post... is probably just going to be a printer as well?
> A credit card scanner... probably gives you the number?... like the
> keyboard again... or would be completely separate and chat to the
> bank... and the person behind the POS just records a credit sale, or
> something?
>
> So what is JPos really doing for us... its just standard pc stuff?
>
> One could turn Excel into a little POS... no?
> I dont get it?
> What makes Jpos really needed?
>
> I read that is about standardizing... but a printer is a printer, a
> scanner is a keyboard, whats to standardize, its plug and play anyway?
> What is a cash drawer... probably print char Esc A to the printer...
> hardly reason for a standard? What am I missing?
>
> Thanks....
>

[Branden Strickland]

The bar code scanners work becuase their emulated at the machine level....
You'll need the javaPOS stuff for things such as receipt printers,
cashdrawers, MSR's,....etc.

Hope that helps!


On Thu, Jun 26, 2008 at 12:19 AM, Raj Saini <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Johnny,
>
> I think you are confused between JPos and JavaPos. I don't know much about
> POS, but I think it is JavaPos which is used and not the JPos. JPos is
> totally different beast  that is implementation ISO-8583 protocol which is a
> low level messaging protocol between devices like ATM and financial
> switches/hubs.
>
> You can know more about JavaPos (http://www.javapos.com/).
>
> Thanks,
>
> Raj
>
>
> Johnny Kewl wrote:
>
>> Newbie: Still dangerous ;)
>>
>> Guys I'm struggling to understand why JPos is even needed.
>> Just started playing with ofbiz, saw POS module, got excited, rushed out
>> and got myself a symbol barcode scanner... and I see that when I plug it
>> into the usb, it behaves just like a keyboard, no driver, no nothing needed.
>> If I scan whichever and whatever type of of barcode... it reads it.
>>
>> So I'm wondering what on earth JPos is supposed to do, why do we need it?
>>
>> I'm thinking that if I rush out and get a printer... the thing is going to
>> work just like any other printer and will work from word, or notepad, or
>> swing... so we "just printing".
>>
>> A terminal post... is probably just going to be a printer as well?
>> A credit card scanner... probably gives you the number?... like the
>> keyboard again... or would be completely separate and chat to the bank...
>> and the person behind the POS just records a credit sale, or something?
>>
>> So what is JPos really doing for us... its just standard pc stuff?
>>
>> One could turn Excel into a little POS... no?
>> I dont get it?
>> What makes Jpos really needed?
>>
>> I read that is about standardizing... but a printer is a printer, a
>> scanner is a keyboard, whats to standardize, its plug and play anyway? What
>> is a cash drawer... probably print char Esc A to the printer... hardly
>> reason for a standard? What am I missing?
>>
>> Thanks....
>>
>>
>

[Johnny Kewl]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Branden Strickland" <[hidden email]>
To: <[hidden email]>
Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2008 3:30 PM
Subject: Re: JPos The Big Deal?


> The bar code scanners work becuase their emulated at the machine level....
> You'll need the javaPOS stuff for things such as receipt printers,
> cashdrawers, MSR's,....etc.
>
> Hope that helps!

Thanks, seems like I even got the name wrong JavaPos, not JPos....
... I need to do more homework, and hey, its open source so its changable...
I just think its strange that a POS printer...is not just a "small printer".
... Just me I guess... still learning ;)

[Branden Strickland]

well You have to understand that it's all being done within the JVM.

I thought it might work a bit easier too, but having your java virtual
machine communicate though the serial / Ethernet / USB for things such as
printers, and drawers where there is actual control code to make the
phisical machine do different things, is quite technical, which is why
JavaPOS providers all have specialized software (IE Star, Epson, etc. all
have their own packages )



On Thu, Jun 26, 2008 at 11:27 AM, Johnny Kewl <[hidden email]> wrote:

>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Branden Strickland" <
> [hidden email]>
> To: <[hidden email]>
> Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2008 3:30 PM
> Subject: Re: JPos The Big Deal?
>
>
>  The bar code scanners work becuase their emulated at the machine level....
>> You'll need the javaPOS stuff for things such as receipt printers,
>> cashdrawers, MSR's,....etc.
>>
>> Hope that helps!
>>
>
> Thanks, seems like I even got the name wrong JavaPos, not JPos....
> ... I need to do more homework, and hey, its open source so its
> changable...
> I just think its strange that a POS printer...is not just a "small
> printer".
> ... Just me I guess... still learning ;)
>

[Branden Strickland]

Oh, FYI JPOS is an org that does kinda (sorta) what OFBIZ is doing... It's
the software itself.... JavaPOS is just for provideing resources to run the
hardward, and is part of many java based POS packages!

On Thu, Jun 26, 2008 at 11:40 AM, Branden Strickland <
[hidden email]> wrote:

> well You have to understand that it's all being done within the JVM.
>
> I thought it might work a bit easier too, but having your java virtual
> machine communicate though the serial / Ethernet / USB for things such as
> printers, and drawers where there is actual control code to make the
> phisical machine do different things, is quite technical, which is why
> JavaPOS providers all have specialized software (IE Star, Epson, etc. all
> have their own packages )
>
>
>
> On Thu, Jun 26, 2008 at 11:27 AM, Johnny Kewl <[hidden email]>
> wrote:
>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Branden Strickland" <
>> [hidden email]>
>> To: <[hidden email]>
>> Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2008 3:30 PM
>> Subject: Re: JPos The Big Deal?
>>
>>
>>  The bar code scanners work becuase their emulated at the machine
>>> level....
>>> You'll need the javaPOS stuff for things such as receipt printers,
>>> cashdrawers, MSR's,....etc.
>>>
>>> Hope that helps!
>>>
>>
>> Thanks, seems like I even got the name wrong JavaPos, not JPos....
>> ... I need to do more homework, and hey, its open source so its
>> changable...
>> I just think its strange that a POS printer...is not just a "small
>> printer".
>> ... Just me I guess... still learning ;)
>>
>
>

[Johnny Kewl]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Branden Strickland" <[hidden email]>
To: <[hidden email]>
Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2008 5:40 PM
Subject: Re: JPos The Big Deal?


> well You have to understand that it's all being done within the JVM.
>
> I thought it might work a bit easier too, but having your java virtual
> machine communicate though the serial / Ethernet / USB for things such as
> printers, and drawers where there is actual control code to make the
> phisical machine do different things, is quite technical, which is why
> JavaPOS providers all have specialized software (IE Star, Epson, etc. all
> have their own packages )

Yes exactly... thats the question, why struggle through another interface
when Swing is already printing through the JRE.
And the system doesnt care whether one is printing to a scanner/fax/printer,
local, on the lan... or to a file, or through a PDF driver, or or or.
Java's direct serial, USB support sucks... but the one thing it does do is
print to whatever is on the machine...
Why dont POS printers just behave as normal printers... well I'm not sure
they dont.
I wouldnt be surprised at all if a USB POS printer, after loading the
driver, popped up in Word, Excel, and Java Swings print manager...
I guess is someone bought a serial version... that could be painful, like
one wont even find a serial port on new PC's, which could be a problem ;)
It like there are two alternatives.... I need to do more homework ;)
But I'm already thinking that I'm going to say to the sales guy.... if I
cant open notepad, type "hello" and print to this thing, or open JEdit, type
"hello from linux" and this printer doesnt print it... I dont want it ;)  I
want a real printer ;)

Anyway thanks...

[BJ Freeman]

I think once you under stand the requirements of a POS things maybe more
clear.

Johnny Kewl sent the following on 6/26/2008 11:43 AM:

>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Branden Strickland"
> <[hidden email]>
> To: <[hidden email]>
> Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2008 5:40 PM
> Subject: Re: JPos The Big Deal?
>
>
>> well You have to understand that it's all being done within the JVM.
>>
>> I thought it might work a bit easier too, but having your java virtual
>> machine communicate though the serial / Ethernet / USB for things such as
>> printers, and drawers where there is actual control code to make the
>> phisical machine do different things, is quite technical, which is why
>> JavaPOS providers all have specialized software (IE Star, Epson, etc. all
>> have their own packages )
>
> Yes exactly... thats the question, why struggle through another
> interface when Swing is already printing through the JRE.
> And the system doesnt care whether one is printing to a
> scanner/fax/printer, local, on the lan... or to a file, or through a PDF
> driver, or or or.
> Java's direct serial, USB support sucks... but the one thing it does do
> is print to whatever is on the machine...
> Why dont POS printers just behave as normal printers... well I'm not
> sure they dont.
> I wouldnt be surprised at all if a USB POS printer, after loading the
> driver, popped up in Word, Excel, and Java Swings print manager...
> I guess is someone bought a serial version... that could be painful,
> like one wont even find a serial port on new PC's, which could be a
> problem ;)
> It like there are two alternatives.... I need to do more homework ;)
> But I'm already thinking that I'm going to say to the sales guy.... if I
> cant open notepad, type "hello" and print to this thing, or open JEdit,
> type "hello from linux" and this printer doesnt print it... I dont want
> it ;)  I want a real printer ;)
>
> Anyway thanks...
>
>
>