If your definition of barcode functionality is the ability to read and write barcodes, there are two things to keep in mind.
- Barcodes are actually read by barcode readers, and from the point of view of computers, they are only input devices, like keyboards. When the reader reads the barcode, he simply "types" it, by nature. Usually it sets up what the reader sends after the code, tab, or input are fairly common options. "Enter" is easiest to handle.
- Nothing special about writing barcodes, it's just text with a special font, with * characters before and after the code.
Barcode processing has nothing to do with Django. Some tricks are needed to do this in browsers, but they will apply if you do it in RoR, .net or something else:
- Processing barcodes from a web application is quite simple. Text input and a javascript bit are needed to make sure the input has focus and activate the action when reading a barcode.
- Printing barcodes is also not very complicated, just use the built-in css3 fonts. If this is too cutting edge, you can always create images with barcodes on the server side and work with any browser.