Barcode Detection API

#1

Post by addcninblue » Wed, Mar 09, 2022, 10:26 PM UTC

Barcode Detection API
developer.mozilla.org

Re: Barcode Detection API

#2

Post by miohtama » Wed, Mar 09, 2022, 10:47 PM UTC

As the page does not discuss the motivation behind the API, does anyone know why this is ”native” API and not just a generic image processing script implemented with JavaScript / WebGL / etc.?

Re: Barcode Detection API

#3

Post by bena » Wed, Mar 09, 2022, 10:54 PM UTC

miohtama wrote: post #2

As the page does not discuss the motivation behind the API, does anyone know why this is ”native” API and not just a generic image processing script implemented with JavaScript / WebGL / etc.?

Because while barcode scanning is a subset of image processing, it's a use case that's pretty common.

Re: Barcode Detection API

#4

Post by ape4 » Wed, Mar 09, 2022, 10:55 PM UTC

Even thought its on mozilla.org is not supported by Firefox according to the matrix at the bottom.

Re: Barcode Detection API

#5

Post by rahimnathwani » Wed, Mar 09, 2022, 10:57 PM UTC

miohtama wrote: post #2

As the page does not discuss the motivation behind the API, does anyone know why this is ”native” API and not just a generic image processing script implemented with JavaScript / WebGL / etc.?

To allow the implementation to take advantage of libraries provided by the operating system[0] (where available), without the web site developer needing to even know that it's happening.

[0] or things like Google Play Services.

Re: Barcode Detection API

#6

Post by PaulHoule » Wed, Mar 09, 2022, 10:58 PM UTC

... it decodes the barcode too?

Re: Barcode Detection API

#7

Post by happytoexplain » Wed, Mar 09, 2022, 10:59 PM UTC

ape4 wrote: post #4

Even thought its on mozilla.org is not supported by Firefox according to the matrix at the bottom.

These docs are a general web developer resource that Mozilla maintains - they are not specific to Mozilla products.

Re: Barcode Detection API

#8

Post by hunterb123 » Wed, Mar 09, 2022, 10:59 PM UTC

ape4 wrote: post #4

Even thought its on mozilla.org is not supported by Firefox according to the matrix at the bottom.

You'll find many features in MDN docs that applies to.

That's mainly because of the expansiveness of MDN docs, but somewhat due to the funding distribution of Mozilla going to officers, not Firefox devs.

Re: Barcode Detection API

#9

Post by PaulHoule » Wed, Mar 09, 2022, 11:02 PM UTC

miohtama wrote: post #2

As the page does not discuss the motivation behind the API, does anyone know why this is ”native” API and not just a generic image processing script implemented with JavaScript / WebGL / etc.?

At this point in time it's a pain point for me that Android devices don't usually have built-in QR reader software. I can tell iOS users to just "scan the code with the Camera" app but I have to tell Android users to find a QR scanner app on the app store.

My experience with an actual bottom-of-the-line prepaid phone was that the first QR scanner app I downloaded from Google Play worked right the first time but I had to try six different apps before I found one that worked with my Samsung Tablet.

A web-based scanner would be a possible answer, though really Google and the phone makers and the carriers should have prioritized a "just works" solution years ago.

Re: Barcode Detection API

#10

Post by idealmedtech » Wed, Mar 09, 2022, 11:02 PM UTC

miohtama wrote: post #2

As the page does not discuss the motivation behind the API, does anyone know why this is ”native” API and not just a generic image processing script implemented with JavaScript / WebGL / etc.?

Native code allows for performance gains that a script (even a performant one) may not be able to match. After all, this is fundamentally an image processing problem, one of the more computationally expensive things a browser has to do.