Regretfully, I am no longer actively developing BeOS software. If anyone is interested in obtaining rights to the source code for any of my BeOS programs, contact me. The BeOS pages on this site are archival in nature.

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ScannerBe - Scanning API for BeOS

Download the ScannerBe SDK, version 1.0b2

This is currently in beta, please look over the API and SDK and give me feedback. Please do not release any products based on the current documentation until version 1.0 is released. The SDK will not appear on BeWare until it version 1.0 has been released.

From the introduction in the documentation:

ScannerBe is an API for applications that use image capture devices. In particular, it was designed for flatbed desktop scanners. By implementing the ScannerBe interface, an application can take advantage of multiple scanner makes and models without having to write scanner-dependent code. By writing a ScannerBe add-on, a scanner can be made available to these applications.

Here is a quick overview:

C-based API A shared library, libscanbe.so, is installed in ~/config/lib, and it loads scanner add-ons from ~/config/add-ons/Scanner. It is written in C++, but exports a C API. Applications accessing libscanbe may be in C or C++, as may be the add-ons called by the library.
Standalone or Plugin The API supports add-ons which are simply a driver abstraction layer, as well as a "plugin" mode to put up a user interface and scan directly into applications.
Skeeter The Skeeter scanning utility shows both sides of the API; it runs in standalone mode calling the driver-mode add-ons through the API, and can also be invoked via the API to act as a plugin, scanning directly into applications.
SDK An SDK is available with documentation and examples for application or add-on writers.
License, Source The shared library is freely re-distributable, as is the  SDK which contains the its source code. Armed with the SDK and BeOS, anyone should be able to replace either Skeeter or any of my scanner support add-ons.

Still interested? Download the SDK!

Go to Jim Moy's home page, BeOS page, and BeOS Scanner page