Summer Game Tech: QR Code Generator
by ejk
The Summer Game is a really busy time for us at the library; many of us are involved with producing special events, writing up Game Codes & Badges, and processing and filling your orders for prizes. The Summer Game season each summer gives us an opportunity to develop improvements to the game from year to year. One of the new features for our fourth season of the Summer Game is QR Codes on the Game Code posters around the branches and displayed at events. The QR Code has a link embedded that goes directly to the code submission form with the code in the text field, ready to submit and receive points.
Finding a QR code reader for your device is usually a pretty easy affair (I use Red Laser), but getting one generated can be a hassle, especially if you're trying to integrate it with a script. After looking at some hefty looking libraries to integrate with our sign PDF generation script, I found the QR Code API from goqr.me. You can pass in your QR code parameters via a URL with GET or POST variables, and it will return a QR Code image in your desired format. It was a very simple matter at that point to embed the image in our PDF generation script, no additional libraries required.
For example:
http://api.qrserver.com/v1/create-qr-code/?data=http%3A%2F%2Fplay.aadl.org%2Fsummergame%2Fplayer%2Fgamecode%3Ftext%3DCODEMONKEYLIKECOFFEEGenerates the following image:
The service is currently provided free of charge, with no limit. They do request you contact them if you will use more than 10,000 requests per day.
Enjoy the Summer Game, and keep entering those Game Codes!
QR code API: http://goqr.me/api/
GoQR.me: http://goqr.me/
Red Laser: http://redlaser.com/
AADL Summer Game: http://redlaser.com/">http://play.aadl.org
Blog Post
Comments
That was one of the things I
That was one of the things I was going to mention at Monday night's meeting that I couldn't attend. I didn't know it was already there! You guys are way ahead of the patrons. All this time I was busy staring at the codes and completely missed out that small square at the corner. Next time I am at the library I am definitely going to try scanning the bar code. I have already downloaded the app. Thank you ejk and SG team!