Is there a database of UPC codes out there somewhere?

[Ryan]

I'm working on a project that requires access to as many UPC codes as possible. Basically, the user inputs the code and the program fetches product information on it.

Problem is, I can't find one database containing enough products. Amazon has movies, music and books covered, and I've found another database which seems to have many common food items, but I have yet to find one that has more general items, like blenders or blank CDs or whatnot.

Does anyone know of such a repository? If so, is it accessible using Java?

[Robo]

Well, most books don't have UPCs. They have ISBNs.

(I know ISBN-13 is based on EAN-13, which is more or less compatible with UPC-12. But it's still something to think about, especially as there's still lots of ISBN-10 books around.)

OMG, a post about ISBN-13 that doesn't involve me ranting about the move to a base-ten check digit? Not anymore. ;)

Oh, and to (sort of) answer your question: The definitive database for US ISBNs is Bowker's Books in Print. (http://www.booksinprint.com/bip/) Even Amazon doesn't carry everything. ;) Still, I'm guessing Bowker charges magabucks for access to their database (they do for the print version!), which is probably why programs like Delicious Library use Amazon.

[Brad]

OMG, a post about ISBN-13 that doesn't involve me ranting about the move to a base-ten check digit?
No love for the X? :lol:

Anyway, Roboman is spot-on. Each country has a single body that disseminates and catalogs ISBNs. In the US, it's Bowker. In the UK, it's Nielsen. In the Netherlands, it's Central Boekhuis. Et cetera.

[Robo]

No love for the X? :lol:

Nononono. I love the X, because that meant that ISBN-10 used a prime modulus (specifically, eleven - 0-9 and X) for its check digit. Wikipedia explains it better than I do:

[ISBN-13's] check system — similar to the UPC check digit formula — does not catch all errors of adjacent digit transposition. Specifically, if the difference between two adjacent digits is 5, the check digit will not catch their transposition. For instance, the above example allows this situation with the 6 followed by a 1. The correct order contributes 3×6+1×1 = 19 to the sum; while, if the digits are transposed (1 followed by a 6), the contribution of those two digits will be 3×1+1×6 = 9. However, 19 and 9 are congruent modulo 10, and so produce the same, final result: both ISBNs will have a check digit of 7. The ISBN-10 formula uses the prime modulus 11 which avoids this blind spot, but requires more than the digits0-9 to express the check.

Because nobody ever transposes adjacent digits! :|

It bugs me because I don't understand why they had to change it to something worse. I mean, we were already all using 0-9 and X...I assume they changed it to make it identical to EAN-13, but...why? :(

[Ryan]

Thanks for the information on ISBNs, but does anyone know about non-media items? Clothing, appliances, etc. It seems to be the manufacturers placing barcodes on their packaging, so I imagine there's a central body delegating out UPC codes?

[colivigan]

Have you checked the Internet UPC Database (http://www.upcdatabase.com/)? Looks like they have an XML-RPC API.

[Ryan]

Have you checked the Internet UPC Database (http://www.upcdatabase.com/)? Looks like they have an XML-RPC API.I have, but it doesn't seem very complete.