I need to change a zip code into a series of dots and dashes (a barcode), but I can't figure out how.

Question

Here's what I've got so far:

def encodeFive(zip):

    zero =  "||:::"

    one =   ":::||"

    two =   "::|:|"

    three = "::||:"

    four =  ":|::|"

    five =  ":|:|:"

    six =   ":||::"

    seven = "|:::|"

    eight = "|::|:"

    nine =  "|:|::"

    codeList = [zero,one,two,three,four,five,six,seven,eight,nine]

    allCodes = zero+one+two+three+four+five+six+seven+eight+nine

    code = ""
    digits = str(zip)
    for i in digits:

        code = code + i    

    return code

With this I'll get the original zip code in a string, but none of the numbers are encoded into the barcode. I've figured out how to encode one number, but it wont work the same way with five numbers.

Answer 1

I don't know what language you are usingm so I made an example in C#:

int zip = 72353;

string[] codeList = {
  "||:::", ":::||", "::|:|", "::||:", ":|::|",
  ":|:|:", ":||::", "|:::|", "|::|:", "|:|::"
};
string code = String.Empty;
while (zip > 0) {
  code = codeList[zip % 10] + code;
  zip /= 10;
}
return code;

Note: Instead of converting the zip code to a string, and the convert each character back to a number, I calculated the digits numerically.

Just for fun, here's a one-liner:

return String.Concat(zip.ToString().Select(c => "||::::::||::|:|::||::|::|:|:|::||::|:::||::|:|:|::".Substring(((c-'0') % 10) * 5, 5)).ToArray());

Answer 2

You're just adding i (the character in digits) to the string where I think you want to be adding codeList[int(i)].

The code would probably be much simpler by just using a dict for lookups.

Answer 3

codeList = ["||:::", ":::||", "::|:|", "::||:", ":|::|",
    ":|:|:", ":||::", "|:::|", "|::|:", "|:|::" ]
barcode = "".join(codeList[int(digit)] for digit in str(zipcode))

Answer 4

This is made in python.

number = ["||:::",
    ":::||",
    "::|:|",
    "::||:",
    ":|::|",
    ":|:|:",
    ":||::",
    "|:::|",
    "|::|:",
    "|:|::"
    ]
def encode(num):
    return ''.join(map(lambda x: number[int(x)], str(num)))

print encode(32345)

Answer 5

Perhaps use a dictionary:

barcode = {'0':"||:::",
           '1':":::||",
           '2':"::|:|",
           '3':"::||:",
           '4':":|::|",
           '5':":|:|:",
           '6':":||::",
           '7':"|:::|",
           '8':"|::|:",
           '9':"|:|::",
           }

def encodeFive(zipcode):
    return ''.join(barcode[n] for n in str(zipcode))

print(encodeFive(72353))
# |:::|::|:|::||::|:|:::||:

PS. It is better not to name a variable zip, since doing so overrides the builtin function zip. And similarly, it is better to avoid naming a variable code, since code is a module in the standard library.

Answer 6

Thanks everyone who replied, I really appreciate the help! I used int() and it worked. =)

Answer 7

I find it easier to use split() to create lists of strings:

codes = "||::: :::|| ::|:| ::||: :|::| :|:|: :||:: |:::| |::|: |:|::".split()

def zipencode(numstr): 
    return ''.join(codes[int(x)] for x in str(numstr))

print zipencode("32345") 

Answer 8

It appears you're trying to generate a "postnet" barcode. Note that the five-digit ZIP postnet barcodes were obsoleted by ZIP+4 postnet barcodes, which were obsoleted by ZIP+4+2 delivery point postnet barcodes, all of which are supposed to include a checksum digit and leading and ending framing bars. In any case, all of those forms are being obsoleted by the new "intelligent mail" 4-state barcodes, which require a lot of computational code to generate and no longer rely on straight digit-to-bars mappings. Search USPS.COM for more details.