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I just used QR codes to link to apps in the market.

What's your opinion on using them for linking apps? I think they are widely used, and there are many barcode readers for Android which can handle them, and it is better than searching the market for an app by yourself. So is it ok to use them to link apps?

4 Answers 4

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Yes, I find QR links very useful, especially when there are no many barcode scanners around.

However, There should be a standard for these "Here is an App that will help" posts, just so we aren't A) leaching images, B) not shutting out users who want to see the app without having to go to the market place.

Below, I've listed the way I've been linking apps to answers, including how not to leach images (IMPORTANT) because we don't want to get in trouble, now do we?

For QR images, I've been using the following method:

1) Find the app on (marketplace e.g. AppBrain) you want to share alt text

2) Find the QR Code button, and locate the QR code. alt text

3) Copy the URL of the QR code alt text

The URL is http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?cht=qr&chs=150x150&chl=market://search%3Fq%3Dpname:com.appspot.swisscodemonkeys.appsBlockquote

Which is basically

http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?cht=qr&chs=150x150&chl=LINKHERE

If you use the Image upload tool on the post answer, you can use the image URL to reupload the image to imgur.com alt text

That way, you get the right QR code, generated from a reliable source, and you don't steal bandwidth.

4) MAKE SURE YOU HREF LINK TO APPBRAIN AT THE SAME TIME So annoying when you get a QR link, and no web reference to what it is

(I'm not sure what other services use, I use AppBrain for a lot of my stuff, but if you know the marketplace URL, just go from step 3 and hardcode the charts.api link yourself)

(Freehand circles)

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  • I take that as a "yes", then? ;)
    – keithjgrant
    Commented Sep 20, 2010 at 17:02
  • I seem to have lost half of my post. Shall update with my actual logic now <_<
    – glasnt
    Commented Sep 20, 2010 at 22:46
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Any thought about actually including a QR code generator in the Android SE text editor itself?

That way, we can

  1. be sure we're not leeching
  2. enforce that the QR code is also linked to the URL itself
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  • +1 I agree something like typing ~~~appname-or-url-here~~~ should be converted into a hyperlinked QR code
    – Adam
    Commented Sep 27, 2010 at 23:29
  • Definitely a good idea but you have to have either the package name in order to generate a good Market URL which will take the user straight to the app page or if you don't have that then the app name will allow you to generate a Market Search URL.
    – mlevit
    Commented Oct 22, 2010 at 4:33
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QR codes are great. Just make sure to also make the images a link to what the QR code is pointing to (for people who are browsing this site on their phones).

There is also an ASCII QR code generator, but not sure how well they'd work here.

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Now that we have Android Web Market, do we still need QR?

PS: should this be a separate question?

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