Features

Features
	Chapter 24. Linear Barcodes (One Dimensional Barcodes)

This is a summary of the features available in the JpGraph barcode extension.

Supports the following symbologies (with data validation)
1. UPC A
2. UPC E
3. EAN 128
4. EAN 13
5. EAN 8
6. CODE 11 (USD-8)
7. CODE 39
8. CODE 128
9. Industrial 2 of 5
10. Interleaved 2 of 5
11. Codabar
12. Bookland (ISBN)
Input data is verified against the official specification of each symbologies and makes it impossible to create invalid bar codes.
Output format
1. Image format (either PNG or JPG encoding)
2. Postscript
3. Encapsulated postscript
Formatting options
1. User specified module width. This controls the width of the smallest unity in the barcode.
2. Automatic calculation of optional checksum for symbologies where the checksum is optional
3. User specified scaling of resulting bar code
4. Horizontal or vertical bar code layout
5. Suppression of human readable text on barcodes
6. Selectable font for human readable text

Note

The term "symbology" is the term used to describe the combination of encodation method (how characters are translated to bars) and the layout of the bars specified by a particular barcode standard. All of the listed standard symbologies above are still widely used. Many of the symbologies overlap in terms of functionality and multiple symbologies might be possible to use for a particular application unless there is a strict standard that stipulates that a particular symbology should be used.

The reason for the existence of so many symbologies with overlapping functionality is in some cases the result of different companies early on specifying there own patented barcodes in order to gain market shares or in some cases lock customers to a specific brand of scanner. In other cases it is simply the result of that earlier barcodes could not handle new demands.

Sample application

Even though primarily the JpGraph bar code extension is meant, and designed, to be used as a library within a larger system there is a small demo web application to allow easy creation of linear barcodes bar codes. This application is primarily included as a demo of the features available and not as a finalized product.

The application is available under the directory "barcode/demoapp" as "index.html" in the main library directory

Figure 24.2. Linear Barcode Demo application (screen shot from running in WEB-browser) shows a screen shot of the demo application

Figure 24.2. Linear Barcode Demo application (screen shot from running in WEB-browser)

We strongly suggest running this demo application to get a feel for what formatting options and how the different symbologies behave.

Tip

There is also a command line utility that allows the creation of barcodes from the command line "mkbarcode.php"