QRDecoder

Importance of QR codes, decoding, versatility, events, business cards etc With the latest advancement in artificial intelligence, phone cameras can now detect a variety of elements in real life for taking better pictures. A particular improvement in this department is the recognition of QR codes on the fly that make the connection between printed media and the digital realm possible.

While scanning these codes can be easily done via a mobile device, for higher intensity workloads, a desktop can be a better choice when multitasking. QRDecoder aims to ease the process of turning QR codes into text by leveraging the built-in Snipping Tool for a simpler and faster experience.

Booting up the application triggers the default Windows shortcut for the Snipping Tool, making full use of its screen selection functionality in order to capture a portion of the desktop, the active window or the entire screen. This usage scenario will remove the need for users to familiarize themselves with a different interface when picking the selection area.

Once the designated QR code is identified, the program will automatically open a resizable window with the text decoded from the captured screen area, for the user to copy and forward to other applications when necessary.

Thanks to its dependency on the Snipping Tool, the program is lightweight and easy-to-use, without interfering with the original Windows function. The captured QR code is also saved to clipboard and can be opened for editing in any program preferred by the user, thus providing references to the original image.

The application could use some extra functionalities to make the experience even more seamless, in the form of a customizable hotkey for users who are dependent on their keyboard in their workflows. Moreover, when the decoded text is displayed in its dedicated window, a right-click context menu would be very useful for mouse-based workflows, since the only way to copy the characters is by executing the default keyboard shortcut.

Whether you want to test your new business card with a QR code leading to your website or your email address in text form, or your friends like to send links in this particular format, QRDecoder is a great, fast and lightweight utility that leverages the Windows Snipping Tool in order to capture codes and decode them on the fly.