Generating a Postnet barcode

This article is part of the Scripts series.

This first script is a new version (postnet2.py) which does without the complexity of Tkinter, by using 'valueDialog()' instead. If you compare the two scripts, this one is much simpler. That one line:

S = scribus.valueDialog('Postnet Barcode','Enter your Zip or Zip+4')

replaces ALL the Tkinter material.

Both scripts will generate a Postnet barcode (US Postal Service) for a Zipcode that you enter. You may enter your numbers and include hyphens if you wish, since these and any other non-numeric characters are ignored.

The barcode is a series of lines drawn to USPS specifications, and in this script is placed vertically (meaning the lines themselves are horizonal), with the beginning of the barcode toward the top of the page at position X = 47, Y = 323 (points) [postnet.py uses X = 130, Y = 130] -- see the lines with comments 'Start X' and 'Start Y'.

To relocate the barcode, make the entire barcode a group, so that you can drag it wherever you like or use Properties to place it.

The scripts have been corrected to add "correction character" to the code, per USPS specs.

#!/usr/bin/env python
# File: postnet2.py
# originally 2006.03.06  Gregory Pittman
# this version 2006.03.07
# adds the correction code:
# the sum of all the digits
# must be divisible by 10

import scribus

postcode = ['llsss','sssll','sslsl','sslls','slssl','slsls','sllss','lsssl','lssls','lslss']
a = 1.44      #line width
b="Black"     #line color
relx=47      #Start X
rely=323      #Start Y
correctnum = 0
if scribus.haveDoc():
    S = scribus.valueDialog('Postnet Barcode','Enter your Zip or Zip+4')
    scribus.setRedraw(1)
    scribus.setUnit(0)
    d = scribus.createLine(relx,rely,relx+9,rely,) #Beginning long framing line
    scribus.setLineWidth(a, d)
    scribus.setLineColor(b, d)
    scribus.setFillColor(b, d)
    rely = rely + 3.4
    for x in S[0:]:
        if x.isdigit():
            xnum = int(x)
            correctnum += xnum      # Building the sum of all the digits
            code = postcode[xnum]
            for y in code[0:]:
                if y == 'l':
                    d = scribus.createLine(relx,rely,relx+9,rely,) #Long line
                    scribus.setLineWidth(a, d)
                    scribus.setLineColor(b, d)
                    scribus.setFillColor(b, d)
                    rely = rely + 3.4
                elif y == 's':
                    d = scribus.createLine(relx,rely,relx+3.6,rely,) #short line
                    scribus.setLineWidth(a, d)
                    scribus.setLineColor(b, d)
                    scribus.setFillColor(b, d)
                    rely = rely + 3.4
    correctstr = str(correctnum)  # Here is where the correction code is added
    correctdig = int(correctstr[-1])
    if correctdig != 0:
        correctdig = 10 - correctdig
    code = postcode[correctdig]
    for y in code[0:]:
        if y == 'l':
            d = scribus.createLine(relx,rely,relx+9,rely,) #Long line
            scribus.setLineWidth(a, d)
            scribus.setLineColor(b, d)
            scribus.setFillColor(b, d)
            rely = rely + 3.4
        elif y == 's':
            d = scribus.createLine(relx,rely,relx+3.6,rely,) #short line
            scribus.setLineWidth(a, d)
            scribus.setLineColor(b, d)
            scribus.setFillColor(b, d)
            rely = rely + 3.4
            
    d = scribus.createLine(relx,rely,relx+9,rely,) #Ending long framing line
    scribus.setLineWidth(a, d)
    scribus.setLineColor(b, d)
    scribus.setFillColor(b, d)
    scribus.redrawAll()

Here is postnet.py -- uses Tkinter to give you a requestor for the entry.

This version now also has the correction character

#!/usr/bin/env python

# File: postnet.py
# originally 2006.02.26  Gregory Pittman
# 2006.03.08 now has correction code

import scribus
import Tkinter

class ImageDialog(Tkinter.Toplevel):
    
    def __init__(self, parent):
        Tkinter.Toplevel.__init__(self, parent, bg="#bbbbff")

        Tkinter.Label(self, text='Enter the Postal Code, Click OK',bg="#bbbbff").grid(row=0,columnspan=6)

        self.e = Tkinter.Entry(self)
        self.e.grid(row=1,columnspan=6)
        b = Tkinter.Button(self, text='OK', bg="#55ff88", command=self.ok)
        b.grid(row=2,columnspan=6)
        self.protocol("WM_DELETE_WINDOW", self.quit)

    def ok(self):
        S = self.e.get()
        m = Tkinter.Message(root, text=self.e.get()+'\nClose this\n window')
        m.grid(row=0, columnspan=4)
        postcode = ['llsss','sssll','sslsl','sslls','slssl','slsls','sllss','lsssl','lssls','lslss']
        a = 1.44      #line width
        b="Black"     #line color
        relx=130      #Start X
        rely=130      #Start Y
        correctnum = 0
        if scribus.haveDoc():
            scribus.setRedraw(1)
            scribus.setUnit(0)
            d = scribus.createLine(relx,rely,relx+9,rely,) #Beginning framing long line
            scribus.setLineWidth(a, d)
            scribus.setLineColor(b, d)
            scribus.setFillColor(b, d)
            rely = rely + 3.4
            for x in S[0:]:
                if x.isdigit():           # Excludes nondigit entries
                  xnum = int(x)
                  correctnum += xnum      # Building the sum of all digits
                  code = postcode[xnum]
                  for y in code[0:]:
                     if y == 'l':
                        d = scribus.createLine(relx,rely,relx+9,rely,) #Long line
                        scribus.setLineWidth(a, d)
                        scribus.setLineColor(b, d)
                        scribus.setFillColor(b, d)
                        rely = rely + 3.4
                     elif y == 's':
                        d = scribus.createLine(relx,rely,relx+3.6,rely,) #short line
                        scribus.setLineWidth(a, d)
                        scribus.setLineColor(b, d)
                        scribus.setFillColor(b, d)
                        rely = rely + 3.4
            correctstr = str(correctnum)  # Here is where the correction code is added
            correctdig = int(correctstr[-1])
            if correctdig != 0:
                correctdig = 10 - correctdig
            code = postcode[correctdig]
            for y in code[0:]:
                if y == 'l':
                    d = scribus.createLine(relx,rely,relx+9,rely,) #Long line
                    scribus.setLineWidth(a, d)
                    scribus.setLineColor(b, d)
                    scribus.setFillColor(b, d)
                    rely = rely + 3.4
                elif y == 's':
                    d = scribus.createLine(relx,rely,relx+3.6,rely,) #short line
                    scribus.setLineWidth(a, d)
                    scribus.setLineColor(b, d)
                    scribus.setFillColor(b, d)
                    rely = rely + 3.4
            d = scribus.createLine(relx,rely,relx+9,rely,) #Ending framing long line
            scribus.setLineWidth(a, d)
            scribus.setLineColor(b, d)
            scribus.setFillColor(b, d)
            
            redrawAll()
            self.Tkinter.Toplevel.destroy()

root = Tkinter.Tk()
root.update()
z = ImageDialog(root)
root.wait_window(z)