
Orca Scan Variables make it easy to extract data from a barcode value and move it to another field. Simply add a variable as a default value to one of your fields and scan a barcode. To get started:
- Download the Orca Scan barcode app
- Create a new sheet
- Add columns/fields for each value you want to extract
- Enter an Orca Variable as the default value for each field
- Save the changes
- Scan the relevant barcode to see the data extracted
How do Orca Variables work?
Orca Variables have the following structure $TYPE:PROPERTY:FORMAT
TYPE
= type of data$GS1
,$HIBC
,$ISBT
,$JSON
,$CSV
,$PSV
PROPERTY
= property/reference of the item to extractFORMAT
= (optional) output format
There are times when you may need to extract data from an unstructured barcode; that is barcodes that contain data that does not follow a specific standard. In such cases, you would use the $RAW
variable listed below.
Orca Scan supports the following barcode standards:
GS1
Get data from a GS1 barcode using the following variables:
Variable | GS1 AI | Description |
---|---|---|
$GS1:SSCC |
00 |
SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code) |
$GS1:GTIN |
01 |
GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) |
$GS1:CONTENT |
02 |
GTIN of contained trade items |
$GS1:LOT |
10 |
Batch or lot number |
$GS1:MANUFACTUREDATE |
11 |
Production date |
$GS1:DUEDATE |
12 |
Due date |
$GS1:PACKINGDATE |
13 |
Packaging date |
$GS1:BESTBEFOREDATE |
15 |
Best before date |
$GS1:SELLBYDATE |
16 |
Sell by date |
$GS1:EXPIRYDATE |
17 |
Expiration date |
$GS1:SERIAL |
21 |
Serial number |
$GS1:CPV |
22 |
Consumer product variant |
$GS1:GDTI |
253 |
Global Document Type Identifier |
$GS1:GLN |
414 |
GLN (Global location number) |
$GS1:GRAI |
8003 |
Global Returnable Asset Identifier |
$GS1:GIAI |
8004 |
Global Individual Asset Identifier |
$GS1:GSRN |
8018 |
Global Service Relation Number |
$GS1:3340 |
3340 |
Area in square metres |
$GS1:AI |
n/a | Replace AI with GS1 Application Identifier num |
$GS1:ISVALID |
n/a | True if valid GS1 |
Note: if the barcode scanned is not a valid GS1 barcode, no data is returned.
HIBC
Extract data from a Health Industry Bar Code (HIBC) using the following variables:
Variable | Description |
---|---|
$HIBC:BARCODE |
Correctly formatted HIBC barcode |
$HIBC:TYPE |
Concatenated , Line1 or Line2 |
$HIBC:LIC |
Labeler Identification Code |
$HIBC:UOM |
Unit Of Measure |
$HIBC:PCN |
Product or Catalog Number |
$HIBC:EXPIRYDATE |
Expiry Date |
$HIBC:LOT |
Lot number |
$HIBC:QUANTITY |
Quantity |
$HIBC:CHECK |
Check character |
$HIBC:ISCONCATENATED |
True if concatenated HIBC |
$HIBC:ISPRIMARY |
True if primary HIBC |
$HIBC:ISSECONDARY |
True if secondary HIBC |
$HIBC:ISVALID |
True if valid HIBC |
Note: if the barcode scanned is not a valid HIBC barcode, no data is returned.
ISBT
Get data from an ISBT barcode using the following variables:
Variable | Description |
---|---|
$ISBT:DI |
Device Identifier for Blood Container |
$ISBT:SERIAL |
Serial Number |
$ISBT:DIN |
Donation Identification Number |
$ISBT:EXPIRYDATE |
Expiration Date |
$ISBT:MANUFACTUREDATE |
Manufacturing Date |
$ISBT:LOT |
Lot Number |
$ISBT:ISVALID |
True if valid ISBT |
Note: if the barcode scanned is not a valid ISBT barcode, no data is returned.
UDI
UDI barcodes can be encoded using the GS1, HIBC or ISBT barcode standard. Using the $UDI
variable allows you to extract the correct data, regardless of the standard used. To get data from a UDI barcode, use the following variables:
Variable | Description |
---|---|
$UDI:DI |
Device Identifier (GTIN, PCN) |
$UDI:LOT |
Lot Number |
$UDI:EXPIRYDATE |
Expiration Date |
$UDI:SERIAL |
Serial Number |
$UDI:PRODDATE |
Production/Manufacture Date |
$UDI:TYPE |
Data structure GS1 , HIBC or ISBT |
$UDI:ISVALID |
True if valid UDI |
Note: if the barcode scanned is not a valid UDI barcode, no data is returned.
FMD
Get data from an FMD barcode using the following variables:
Variable | Description |
---|---|
$FMD:PRODUCTCODE |
Product Code |
$FMD:SERIAL |
Serial Number |
$FMD:LOT |
Lot or Batch Number |
$FMD:EXPIRYDATE |
Expiration Date |
$FMD:NHRN |
National Healthcare Reimbursement Number |
$FMD:ISVALID |
True if valid FMD |
Note: if the barcode scanned is not a valid FMD barcode, no data is returned.
JSON
Get values from a barcode containing JSON data:
Variable | Description |
---|---|
$JSON:KEY |
Replace KEY with property name |
$JSON:ISVALID |
True if valid JSON |
Note: if the barcode scanned does not contain valid JSON, no data is returned.
CSV
Get values from a barcode that contains CSV data:
Variable | Description |
---|---|
$CSV:ROW1 |
Replace 1 with row number to get full row |
$CSV:ROW1COL1 |
Replace 1 with row and column number to get cell value |
Using the following as input:
Col1,Col2,Col3,Col4
A1,B1,C1,D1
A2,B2,C2,D2
A3,B3,C3,D3
$CSV:ROW1
returnsCol1,Col2,Col3,Col4
$CSV:ROW2
returnsA1,B1,C1,D1
$CSV:ROW3COL3
returnsC2
PSV
Get values from a barcode that contains Pipe Separated data:
Variable | Description |
---|---|
$PSV:ROW1 |
Replace 1 with row number to get full row |
$PSV:ROW1COL1 |
Replace 1 with row and column number to get cell value |
Using the following as input:
Col1|Col2|Col3|Col4
A1|B1|C1|D1
A2|B2|C2|D2
A3|B3|C3|D3
$PSV:ROW1
returnsCol1|Col2|Col3|Col4
$PSV:ROW2
returnsA1|B1|C1|D1
$PSV:ROW3COL3
returnsC2
TSV
Get values from a barcode that contains Tab Separated data:
Variable | Description |
---|---|
$TSV:ROW1 |
Replace 1 with row number to get full row |
$TSV:ROW1COL1 |
Replace 1 with row and column number to get cell value |
Using the following as input:
Col1 Col2 Col3 Col4
A1 B1 C1 D1
A2 B2 C2 D2
A3 B3 C3 D3
$TSV:ROW1
returnsCol1 Col2 Col3 Col4
$TSV:ROW2
returnsA1 B1 C1 D1
$TSV:ROW3COL3
returnsC2
RAW
Get data from a barcode value regardless of the format used:
Variable | Description |
---|---|
$RAW:GET |
Get full value |
$RAW:GET:FIRST3 |
Get first 3 characters |
$RAW:GET:LAST3 |
Get last 3 characters |
$RAW:GET:EX3 |
Get all but first 3 characters |
$RAW:GET:EX-3 |
Get all but last 3 characters |
Using the following as input:
Hello World
$RAW:GET:FIRST3
returnsHel
$RAW:GET:LAST3
returnsrld
$RAW:GET:EX-3
returnsHello Wo
Formatting
The third segment of an Orca Variable is used to format the output; there are two ways to do this:
1. Dates
Convert dates into another format
Token | Description | Example output |
---|---|---|
DDDD |
Full day name | Saturday |
DDD |
3 char day name | Sat |
DD |
Day in double-digit format | 02 |
D |
Day in single-digit format | 2 |
MMMM |
Full name of month | January |
MMM |
Month in 3 character format | Jan |
MM |
Month in double-digit format | 03 |
M |
Month in single-digit format | 3 |
YYYY |
4 digit year | 2019 |
YYY |
3 digit year | 019 |
YY |
2 digit year | 19 |
CC |
2 digit century | 20 |
HH |
2 digit hour | 03 |
H |
1 digit hour | 3 |
mm |
2 digit minute | 02 |
m |
1 digit minute | 3 |
Using the following GS1 barcode value as an example:
01050601301313832152888501717543172303311000327C
$GS1:EXPIRYDATE:DDMMYYYY
returns31032023
$GS1:EXPIRYDATE:DDMMYY
returns310323
$GS1:EXPIRYDATE:DDDD
returnsFriday
2. Characters
Get only a specific number or type of characters:
Prefix | Description |
---|---|
N |
Numeric digit (followed by number of characters) |
A |
Alpha character (followed by number of characters) |
X |
Alphanumeric character (followed by number of characters) |
FIRST |
First n characters from the left (followed by number of characters) |
LAST |
Last n characters from the right (followed by number of characters) |
EX |
All but n number of characters (followed by number of characters) |
You must follow the prefix with a number of characters, for example:
Example | Description |
---|---|
N3 |
3 numeric digits |
A3 |
3 alpha characters |
X3 |
3 alphanumeric characters |
N..3 |
0 to 3 numeric digits |
A..3 |
0 to 3 alpha characters |
X..3 |
0 to 3 alphanumeric characters |
FIRST3 |
First 3 characters |
LAST3 |
Last 3 characters |
EX3 |
All but first 3 characters |
EX-3 |
All but last 3 characters |
Using the following barcode value as an example:
Orca Scan
$RAW:GET:X6
returnsOrca S
$RAW:GET:A4
returnsOrca
$RAW:GET:EX-3
returnsOrca S
Need help using Orca Variables? Chat to us live.