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Barcode Scanner

The Scanner is ChefByte's primary tool for quickly adding products to your system with minimal manual entry.

Scanner Interface
The Scanner page with transaction modes and keypad

How It Works

  1. Scan or Enter Barcode: Use a USB barcode scanner or type the number manually
  2. Auto-Lookup: ChefByte searches OpenFoodFacts and Walmart for product data
  3. AI Enhancement: GPT-4 cleans up product names and fills missing nutrition info
  4. Quick Edit: Adjust quantities before committing the transaction

Action Mode Selector

Choose what happens when you scan a barcode:

Mode What It Does
Add to Grocy Add product to inventory
Track Nutrition Log as consumed, add to daily totals
Both Add to inventory AND track nutrition

When to Use Each Mode

  • Groceries coming home: Use "Add to Grocy"
  • Eating something: Use "Track Nutrition"
  • Meal prep: Use "Both"

All vs Incomplete Tabs

Filter your scanned items:

Tab Shows
All Everything you've scanned
Incomplete Items missing nutrition data or Walmart links

Use Case

Focus on "Incomplete" to clean up your database after bulk scanning sessions.

Status Badges

Quick visual indicators on scanned items:

Badge Meaning
NEW Product just added to Grocy by this scan
MP "Missing Product" - not found in Grocy or Walmart databases

What to Do with MP Items

  1. Manually add to Grocy first
  2. Then rescan or link in Walmart Manager

Transaction History

View past scans organized by date and time.

Features:

  • Review yesterday's scans
  • Check nutrition totals by day
  • Undo accidental scans (coming soon)

The Keypad

The on-screen keypad provides quick numeric entry:

Features

  • Number Entry: Tap digits to enter quantities
  • Clear/Backspace: Fix mistakes quickly
  • Nutrition Display: Shows macros for selected item
  • Unit Toggle: Switch between Servings and Containers

Smart Behaviors

  • First Digit Overwrites: When you select an item, the first digit you tap replaces the current value
  • Subsequent Digits Append: After the first tap, numbers append to build the full value
  • Auto-Scaling: Editing calories proportionally adjusts all macros

Global Scanner Detection

ChefByte listens for barcode scanners anywhere on the page:

  • Rapid digit input (characters within 50ms) triggers scanner mode
  • Works with any USB barcode scanner
  • Buffer resets after 300ms to distinguish from typing
  • Nutrition fields are protected from scanner input

Scanner Setup

Configure your USB barcode scanner to add an Enter key after the code. ChefByte will automatically process the scan.

Behind the Scenes

When a new barcode is scanned:

  1. Database Check: Look for existing product with this barcode
  2. OpenFoodFacts Query: Fetch nutrition data from the open database
  3. Walmart Search: Find matching products with prices
  4. AI Analysis: GPT-4 normalizes the product name and fills gaps
  5. Product Creation: Save to your product catalog with full metadata

Recent Items

After scanning, products appear in the "Recent New Items" section on the Home page:

  • Items show in red until acknowledged
  • Click to edit name, location, or expiration
  • Filter by "New" to see only unprocessed scans

Best Practices

  1. Batch Scanning: Scan all groceries at once after shopping
  2. Review New Items: Check names and locations after bulk scanning
  3. Set Defaults: Configure default location for faster processing
  4. Use Purchase Mode: Always use Purchase mode when adding stock
  5. Meal Plan Integration: Enable "Add to meal plan" in Consume mode for automatic tracking