iOS Bar code scanning using iphone

[arnieterm]

Is it possible to scan bar code using iphone?
If so then how?
I think we need to use camera to take a snap of the bar code and then decode(?) it.
I am stopped at the word decode here
Will the time needed to scan bar code using iphone will be less than the one using a bar code scanner machine?
Using iphone sdk how we can create a bar code reader, any idea?
Thanks
Arnieterm

 

[mkrishnan]

Before the 3G S, at least, people were saying it was unlikely to be possible because the camera has no macro mode for short-distance focusing, and the SDK did not allow the camera's output to be interpreted in realtime (which would allow multiple frames to bypass, essentially, the need for a macro).

So, there were apps that scanned barcodes in the form of pictures that were not taken with the iPhone but rather uploaded in some other way, but now I think there are some barcode apps, e.g.:

http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/06/1...barcode-scanning-to-the-iphone-with-redlaser/

 

[raison]

Yep, redlaser does that - it scans barcode with realtime processing. I had that idea before those programs were released but unfortunately they beat me.. now it's the top 10.. oh well

I was using http://code.google.com/p/zxing/ back at the time I was trying to develop such kind of app.