QRScreenReader

Version: 0.1
Author: Kevin D. Sandal — BobbleSoft2@gmail.com
Repository: https://codeberg.org/Paladyn451/QRScreenReader
License: GNU GPL v3 — https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.en.html

---

What it does

QRScreenReader lets you select any area of your screen and instantly reads the QR code displayed there. The decoded value appears in a modeless window where you can copy it to the clipboard or open it directly in your browser (when the value is a URL).

---

Prerequisites

• Windows 10 or 11 (x64)
• .NET 8 SDK — https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet/8.0

Verify your installation:

dotnet --version

You should see 8.x.x.

---

Required resource files

Before building, place the following files in QRScreenReader\Resources\:

File	Notes
QRScreenReader\Resources\QRScreenReader.ico	Application icon (Windows .ico format)

QRScreenReader\Resources\splash.jpg is already included as a generated placeholder. Replace it with your own image at any time — it is embedded into the compiled executable and is not needed alongside the .exe after building.

---

Build

Open a Developer Command Prompt or any terminal with dotnet on the PATH, then cd to the folder that contains QRScreenReader.sln.

Debug build (includes .pdb symbols for debugging)

build-debug.bat

Output: QRScreenReader\bin\Debug\net8.0-windows\QRScreenReader.exe

Release build (optimised, no symbols)

build-release.bat

Output: QRScreenReader\bin\Release\net8.0-windows\QRScreenReader.exe

Standalone single-file executable

Produces one .exe that runs without a .NET installation on the target machine:

publish-standalone.bat

Output: publish\QRScreenReader.exe (~70–90 MB, fully self-contained, Windows x64)

---

Opening in Visual Studio

Double-click QRScreenReader.sln to open the solution in Visual Studio 2022 (any edition, including Community). Build and run with F5 (Debug) or Ctrl+F5 (without debugging).

---

How to use

1. Run QRScreenReader.exe.
2. A splash screen is shown for 10 seconds — click it to dismiss early.
3. The compact main window appears. Click "Select Screen Area" (or right-click the system-tray icon → "Scan Area").
4. The screen dims. Drag a rectangle around the QR code you want to read, then release the mouse.
5. The result appears in a modeless window — you can interact with other applications while the result is on screen.
6. Click "Copy to Clipboard" to copy the value, or "Open in Browser" if it is a URL.
7. Closing the main window minimizes it to the tray. Right-click the tray icon → Exit to quit fully.

Esc during area selection cancels the scan.

---

Project structure

QRScreenReader.sln                     Visual Studio solution file
build-debug.bat                        Debug build script
build-release.bat                      Release build script
publish-standalone.bat                 Single-file publish script
README.md                              This file

QRScreenReader/
├── QRScreenReader.csproj              Project file and embedded-resource declarations
├── Program.cs                         Entry point: splash → main form
├── SplashForm.cs                      10-second splash screen
├── MainForm.cs                        Main window + system-tray icon
├── ScreenSelectorOverlay.cs           Full-screen drag-to-select overlay
├── QRDecoder.cs                       Screen capture + ZXing QR decode
├── ResultDialog.cs                    Modeless result window with copy/open
├── ResourceHelper.cs                  Embedded-resource stream helper
└── Resources/
    ├── splash.jpg                     Placeholder splash background (replace freely)
    └── QRScreenReader.ico             ← supply your own icon here

---

NuGet dependencies (restored automatically)

Package	Version	Purpose
ZXing.Net	0.16.9	QR code decoding engine
ZXing.Net.Bindings.Windows.Compatibility	0.16.9	GDI+ Bitmap reader for WinForms