Create Barcodes

[agentforte]

For a custom bar code, it is easy!
pro:
- very easy to code
cons:
- only you know how to read the code
- you need to make a program that can read the code
- Must be careful not to make images too similar

Here is a simple way I just thought of:
1) Have an image for each letter or number. Make sure they are all the same width and height if you want to resize it easily.

2) Replace each letter or number in your string with the image.
ereg_replace('A', '<img src="A.gif" alt=""/>', $barcode);
ereg_replace('B', '<img src="B.gif" alt=""/>', $barcode);
and so on...
or

$barcode = 'ABC';
$code = array ('A', 'B', 'C')
  foreach ($code as $c) {
  $barcode = ereg_replace($c, "<img src=\"$c.gif\" alt=\"\"/>", $barcode);
  }
echo $barcode; 

you can even specify the height and width of each piece.

You can use the same type of logic with divs or 1x1 px images.
instead of replacing each caracter with an image, replace it with many images of certain heights/widths.

I strongly recommend you use something that is already out there if you want to have an easier time using it with a bar code scanner. (although I know nothing about the code that interprets the images... it might not be that difficult)

[F10]

Can someone give me a starting point, on how to grasp how barcodes are generated?

[F10]

I now know the codes for the chracters, how do I convert the codes into bars?

'0' => '000110100',
'1' => '100100001',
'2' => '001100001',
'3' => '101100000',
'4' => '000110001',
'5' => '100110000',
'6' => '001110000',
'7' => '000100101',
'8' => '100100100',
'9' => '001100100',
'A' => '100001001',
'B' => '001001001',
'C' => '101001000',
'D' => '000011001',
'E' => '100011000',
'F' => '001011000',
'G' => '000001101',
'H' => '100001100',
'I' => '001001100',
'J' => '000011100',
'K' => '100000011',
'L' => '001000011',
'M' => '101000010',
'N' => '000010011',
'O' => '100010010',
'P' => '001010010',
'Q' => '000000111',
'R' => '100000110',
'S' => '001000110',
'T' => '000010110',
'U' => '110000001',
'V' => '011000001',
'W' => '111000000',
'X' => '010010001',
'Y' => '110010000',
'Z' => '011010000',
'-' => '010000101',
'*' => '010010100',
'+' => '010001010',
'$' => '010101000',
'&#37;' => '000101010',
'/' => '010100010',
'.' => '110000100',
' ' => '011000100'

[F10]

Can anybody tell me what type of barcode is in the pictures at the following address, and how is it encoded?

http://www.freewebs.com/mail2go/Barcode.bmp

[Wildhoney]

Bar codes are binary.

[F10]

So would the barcode value for 284861 be: "1000101100010111101"?

[Wildhoney]

I couldn't say for sure, I'm afraid. I've never studied bar codes. Try having a look through the following information from HowStuffWorks.com. I'm sure they will give you a more in-depth answer.

[F10]

What type of Bar Code is it? Code 128, Code 39 etc.?

[F10]

Hi,

What is the type of Bar Code found at the following URL:?

http://www.freewebs.com/f10f10/barcode.jpg

[Raffles]

Tesco Stores is a British supermarket chain (biggest in the UK). I'm pretty sure that thing is something they swipe over the reader to top up someone's pre-paid mobile phone or buy some other item that isn't an actual object you can slap a barcode sticker on. I top up my mobile phone credit at Tesco and that's how they do it. They have a bunch of those on a keyring of sorts.

[longneck]

if you're asking for the particular encoding of the barcode, i can print it and try and scan it with my reader tomorrow. but that's so low-resolution, it might not be able to be read.

alternatively, you can download the PEAR barcode class and render that number in all of the available formats and see which one matches.

[longneck]

any chance you can post a higher-resolution scan of the barcode? and make it straight?

[F10]

How do I encode this type of barcode using PHP and 1 pixel images, for the black & white bars.

I have the following higher res image:

http://www.freewebs.com/f10f10/Barcode2.bmp

[Jake Arkinstall]

As longneck said, use the PEAR package's barcode class

[F10]

Is it not possible to use PHP and 1 pixel images?

[Jake Arkinstall]

Yes, PEAR is a part of PHP

[F10]

Is it possible to use PHP, CSS, and 1 pixel images to create the barcodes?

[longneck]

sure, if you want to completely reinvent the wheel.

also, that second scan is not really any better. i need something 300 or 600 dpi, non-interpolated.

[longneck]

ok, i was able to clean up the image in photoshop and scan it. the barcode is EAN128. however, the data in the barcode is 9794022152508947, not 634004022152508947 like in the picture.

[Jake Arkinstall]

F10, Just please read the responses.

PHP's PEAR package makes it easy to do what you've asked, and saves alot of time. You don't need to go to any bother with CSS, it generates it all.

If you have any restrictions with PEAR, just say so instead of repeating the same question over and over again.

[F10]

F10, Just please read the responses.

PHP's PEAR package makes it easy to do what you've asked, and saves alot of time. You don't need to go to any bother with CSS, it generates it all.

If you have any restrictions with PEAR, just say so instead of repeating the same question over and over again.

OK, Sorry

I don't want to use PEAR. How else can this be done?
What actually is PEAR, and what needs to be installed in order to use it. Does the end user need any special software etc?

[longneck]

http://pear.php.net

if you can't install pear (it's probably already installed if you're on a shared host) or the image_barcode class is not already installed, you can just download the necessary class file from pear's website and extract them in your applications directory.

[F10]

Hiya,

Using nothing special but PHP, CSS, and 1 x 1 pixel images for the black and white bars, how do I create Code 128 bar codes?

Many Thanks, much appreciated!!!

[Immerse]

Not trying to be rude, but haven't you already posted this question about three times before? There are lots of people trying to help you in those threads, read their answers, they tell you how to go about doing this...

[Mittineague]

Using nothing special but PHP, CSS, and 1 x 1 pixel images for the black and white bars, how do I create Code 128 bar codes?

Not very easily.
Seriously though, you should check out the PEAR Image_Barcode package
http://pear.php.net/package/Image_Barcode
as simple as

Image_Barcode::draw('3773', 'code128', 'png');