CODEWITHSUNDEEP
pythondjangoqr-code
soso23
soso23

Reputation: 83

Interfacing a QR code recognition to a django database

I'm coming to you with the following issue:

I have a bunch of physical boxes onto which I still stick QR codes generated using a python module named qrcode. In a nutshell, what I would like to do is everytime someone wants to take the object contained in a box, he scans the qr code with his phone, then takes it and put it back when he is done, not forgetting to scan the QR code again.

Pretty simple, isn't it? I already have a django table containing all my objects.

Now my question is related to the design. I suspect the easiest way to achieve that is to have a POST request link in the QR code which will create a new entry in a table with the name of the object that has been picked or put back, the time (I would like to store this information).

If that's the correct way to do, how would you approach it? I'm not too sure I see how to make a POST request with a QR code. Would you have any idea?

Thanks.

PS: Another alternative I can think of would be to a link in the QR code to a form with a dummy button the user would click on. Once clicked the button would update the database. But I would fine a solution without any button more convenient...

Upvotes: 0

Views: 4892

Answers (2)

Chris Johnson
Chris Johnson

Reputation: 21956

The question boils down to a few choices: (a) what data do you want to encode into the QR code; (b) what app will you use to scan the QR code; and (c) how do you want the app to use / respond to the encoded data.

If you want your users to use off-the-shelf QR code readers (like free smartphone apps), then encoding a full URL to the appropriate API on your backend makes sense. Whether this should be a GET or POST depends on the QR code reader. I'd expect most to use GET, but you should verify that for your choice of app. That should be functionally fine, if you don't have any concerns about who should be able to scan the code.

If you want more control, e.g. you'd like to keep track of who scanned the code or other info not available to the server side just from a static URL request, you need a different approach. Something like, store the item ID (not URL) in the QR code; create your own simple QR code scanner app (many good examples exist) and add a little extra logic to that client, like requiring the user to log in with an ID + password, and build the URL dynamically from the item ID and the user ID. Many security variations possible (like JWT token) -- how you do that won't be dictated by the contents of the QR code. You could do a lot of other things in that QR code scanner / client, like add GPS location, ask the user to indicate why or where they're taking the item, etc.

So you can choose between a simple way with no controls, and a more complex way that would allow you to layer in whatever other controls and extra data you need.

Upvotes: 3

CodeAlkemist
CodeAlkemist

Reputation: 11

If security is not a big concern: an API with a simple get method that takes as argument the object id and I will presume you have the code to make sure if the object is given as taken it will be switched to returned. And why not post? POST needs headers that you can't include in qr unless you have a dedicated app, so GET and the ability to use example.com/api/leaseandret?id=12345 is a better alternative that allows for better usage with a QR.
A summary of the methods*
* A note here is that GET is not forbidden from being used to modify data and send data to a server GET is exclusively for getting data from a REST purist standpoint.

Upvotes: 1

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