Native Barcode Generator for Microsoft Access
Patent Pending

INDEX:

• Order Now
• Download Demo
• Product Overview
• Tutorial
  • Steps to Create the Barcode
  • Creating GS1-128 (UCC/EAN-128) Symbols
  • Creating Multiple Symbols on the Same Report
  • Functions of the Native Barcode Generator
  • Description of the Properties of the Functions
• Support
• Other barcode software products
• If a scanner is needed to verify barcodes, IDAutomation offers several affordable, easy-to-use scanner kits.

The Native Barcode Generator is a product intended for Access Developers that wish to easily integrate barcode capability into their databases and applications without any external dependencies. This product is implemented as a single VBA Module with complete source code, which allows the developer much flexibility in implementation and design, without any annoying add-in menus or license file requirements. Once installed in a database, no other components or fonts need to be installed to create barcodes; it is the complete barcode generator that stays with the database, even when distributed. End users and non-developers may wish to use IDAutomation's Barcode ActiveX Controls instead of this product because ActiveX Controls are easier to implement in Access.

* This package does not support UPCA, UPCE, EAN13 or EAN8 barcodes because of the required OCR text characters that must appear below this barcode type. If these barcode symbologies are required, the UPC/EAN Barcode Font Advantage is available as a separate purchase.

Installing the Native Barcode Generator is a fairly easy process. If problems are encountered with this tutorial, IDAutomation recommends referring to the sample database included in the package. The demo version of this product may only be used within the sample database provided in the download.

1. Extract the files from the Native Barcode Generator package.
2. Open the database the barcode is needed for.
3. Press ALT-F11 to open the Visual Basic Editor. If ALT-F11 does not work, in Access 2000 or 2003 choose Tools - Macro - Visual Basic Editor. For Access 2007, choose Database Tools - Visual Basic.
4. From the Visual Basic Editor, choose File - Import File and import the appropriate VBA module from the files extracted. To add support for all linear barcode types, select the IDAutomation_Native_Barcode_VBA.bas file. VBA modules are not available for importing with the Demo Version; the demo version may only be used with the sample database provided. If PDF417 or Data Matrix barcodes are needed, import the appropriate module from the 2D folder. Once the files are imported, they become embedded in the database file.
   
5. Choose File - Save and then close the Visual Basic Editor. All functions of the Native Barcode Generator are now embedded in the database.
6. Open the report in Design Mode. This is accomplished by right-clicking on the report and choosing Design.
7. Insert a text box in the details section of the form, and increase the height and width so it will be able to contain the bar-code. The text box may be easily added by dragging the field from the Field List. The label on the left side of the text field may be removed because it will not be visible when the report runs. Size the box so it is tall and wide enough to contain the barcode symbol. The height of the barcode is changed by sizing the text box.
   
8. Right-click on the text box and choose Properties. Change the Name of the text box to txtIDAutomationBC1 and verify the control source is the field that needs to be encoded in the barcode.
   
   Optional: The Control Source may be changed to a formula that appends text to the data or combines multiple fields,
   for example: ="PREFIX" & [Field1]  or  =[Field1] & [Field2]  or  =[Field1] & "," & [Field2]
9. Save and run the report. Verify the data that needs to be encoded in the barcode appears in the text box. If it does not, consult Access Help to determine how to get the correct data in the text box. The result of the Control Source in the text box is what will be encoded in the barcode. In some cases, it may be necessary to specify the table and field in the control source, for example: =([Table1.Field1])
10. If it is desired to have a text interpretation appear below or above the barcode symbol, copy the text box and paste it in a suitable location on the form. Save and run the report. Verify the data that needs to be encoded appears in both text boxes.
     
11. Re-open the report in Design Mode. Right-click on the detail section of the report and choose Build Event and then choose Code Builder.
    
12. The Visual Basic Editor will appear. Remove any text that appears in the editor.
13. The code builder may insert text automatically, which should be removed. Copy and paste the following green text into the editor so it is the only text appearing:
    Option Compare Database
    Private Sub Detail_Print(Cancel As Integer, PrintCount As Integer)
        result = IDAutomation_NatG_C128(txtIDAutomationBC1, Me)
    End Sub
14. If necessary, change the function so that IDAutomation_NatG_C128 is the name of the function used to create the barcode and txtIDAutomationBC1 is the name of the text field that is to be encoded as a barcode.
15. To create the barcode with default options, skip this step. To modify parameters of the barcode such as the X dimension in MILS, place a comma after "Me" to view available options. To gain greater control over the size of the barcodes, or to create very small symbols, the DPI must be changed to 600 or greater.
    
16. Save and run the report to verify barcodes are being properly created. If a scanner is needed to verify barcodes, IDAutomation offers several affordable, easy-to-use scanner kits. If the barcode does not appear, check the security settings, double check all steps of this process and refer to Technical Support. To adjust the width of the barcode symbol, change the MILS setting accordingly. The height of the symbol in linear barcodes is determined by the size of the associated text box.
    

Legal Notice: Technology used in this product is Patent Pending. Reports containing this object may only be distributed outside the licensed organization with the purchase of a Developer License to the Native Barcode Generator.

IDAutomation includes the capability in this product to create barcodes and text for GS1-128 (UCC/EAN128) symbols with the Apply Tilde feature. The following describes the changes in the Code and the Control Source selections of the Barcode Integration Tutorial to implement GS1-128. The GS1-128 symbol is created from 17 digits of numbers in the GS1DataField field.

1. Change the ApplyTilde option in Step 15 to "True". The result line should be similar to the following:
       result = IDAutomation_NatG_C128(txtIDAutomationBC1, Me, 12, True)
2. The Control Source selection in Step 8 may be changed to a formula that encodes GS1-128 barcodes, for example: ="Ê" & [GS1DataField] & "~m17"
3. The IDAutomation_C128HR function may be used as the control source for the text interpretation in Step 10 to place the parenthesis in the correct locations of the text. For example: =IDAutomation_C128HR ("Ê" & [GS1DataField] & "~m17" )

IDAutomation includes the capability to create multiple bar-code symbols in the same report. The following describes the changes in the Code and the Control Source selections of the Barcode Integration Tutorial to allow multiple symbols to be created:

1. Add a text box for each barcode needed in the report, described in Steps 7 through 10.
2. Give each text box a unique name instead of the standard name recommended in Step 8. For example, use txtIDAutomationBC1 for the first barcode and txtIDAutomationBC2 for the second.
3. Add additional result lines for each unique text box name that is to contain a barcode, described in Step 13. For example:
   Private Sub Detail_Print(Cancel As Integer, PrintCount As Integer)
       result = IDAutomation_NatG_C128(txtIDAutomationBC1, Me)
       result = IDAutomation_NatG_C128(txtIDAutomationBC2, Me)
   End Sub

The result line in Step 13 of the tutorial may be changed to create various different barcode types, which are abbreviated below. For example, to create a Code 39 barcode, the result line on step 13 may look like:  result = IDAutomation_NatG_C39(txtIDAutomationBC1, Me) .

The following functions are available:

* Available only in 2D versions.

** The OneCode function also supports USPS IntelligentMail. USPS IntelligentMail and OneCode support require the installation of the IDAutomationNativeFontEncoder.dll file, which may be downloaded from
http://www.idautomation.com/fonts/tools/windows_dll/. The file is free to use, provided You or Your organization has purchased a valid License for the Native Barcode Generator for Access.

Description of the properties of the functions:

• MILS - The X dimension, which is measured in 1/1000 of an inch, where 12 is the default. This value changes the width of the barcode symbol.
• DPI - The dots-per-inch the graphic is generated for, where 300 is the default. When using a printer with lower or higher resolution, this value may be changed to create a more accurate symbol. An accurate symbol can only be created on a 203 DPI printer when this value is set to 203.
• DataToEncode - This is a string value that represents the data being encoded.
• N_Dimension - Determines the width of the wide bars, which is a multiple of the X dimension. Valid values are 2 and 3. The default is 2.
• Orientation - Values of 0, 90 and 270 degrees are supported.
• ReportControlName - The name of the report the barcode is to appear on. This should usually be set to "Me", which is the current report.
• TextControlName - The name of the text control as defined in Step 8.
• IncludeCheckDigit - A Boolean value that determines whether a check digit should be automatically calculated and included for the DataToEncode.
• EncodingMode - The encoding mode for the Data Matrix symbology; valid values are 0 for BASE256 (Default), 1 for C40, 2 for TEXT and 3 for ASCII.
• PreferredFormat - The preferred format of the generated DataMatrix barcode.
• ECCLevel - The Reed Solomon error correction level to be used in PDF417.
• Column and Row Specify - The number of rows and columns may be selected, allowing the symbol to be created in various forms. The PDF417 symbol is limited to 30 columns and 90 rows. Some scanners and decoders cannot dependably read symbols with over 20 columns.
• Truncate - By selecting this option, the right hand side of the symbol is removed or "truncated". This option should be used primarily in a clean environment, since it is more susceptible to damage.
• ForceBinary - Forces the PDF417 barcode to be encoded in Binary mode.
• ApplyTilde - In Code 128 AUTO and UCC128, if the ApplyTilde option is set to True, the tilde will be processed and allow the following encoding options:
  • ASCII characters: The format ~ddd may be used to specify the ASCII code of the character to be encoded. For example, if entering the following text in the Data field: 66~02977 it will actually encode 66GS77 where GS is a delimiter ASCII 29 character. Other commonly used ASCII codes are ~009 for a tab and ~013 which is a return function. To encode other functions, please refer to IDAutomation's ASCII chart.
  • Encode GS1-128 (UCC/EAN-128): To encode alpha-numeric UCC/EAN128, the character must be set to "AUTO" for automatic. Then, ASCII 202 or character Ê is entered as the FNC1 before each AI and the required start C is included automatically. For example, the GS1 number of (8100)712345(21)12WH5678 should be entered as: ~2028100712345~2022112WH5678. In most cases, the AI's will be properly represented in the human readable text. If the parenthesis are not around the correct number for the AI, enter the following extended ASCII character as the FNC1 for the correct number of digits in the AI:
    ~212 = 2 digits               ~213 = 3 digits        ~214 = 4 digits
    ~215 = 5 digits               ~216 = 6 digits       ~ 217 = 7 digits
    For example, to encode (1277)560128, 4 digits, enter ~2141277560128.
    For more information, please refer to the GS1-128 section of IDAutomation's Code 128 FAQ.
  • Mod 10 Check digit: To create a Mod 10 check digit for xx number of characters, add the following to the DataToEncode: ~mnn (where nn is a 2 digit number representing the number of characters preceding the tilde in which to base the Mod 10 calculation). The additional MOD 10 check digit is commonly used in GS1 (UCC/EAN) barcode types. For example, setting the DataToEncode property to ~2024021234567890123456~m16 will cause a mod 10 check digit to be created based on all 16 characters before the tilde. The human readable text and scanned data will display as (402)12345678901234560. The final 0 is the mod 10 check digit and replaces ~m16.
  • Encode FNC2: When necessary, the FNC2 character may be inserted into the DataToEncode string by using ASCII 197. For example; ~1978012349091. IDAutomation's SC5USB Scanner may be programmed to hold the barcode starting with the FNC2 in memory and only transmit it to the computer after scanning a barcode containing the FNC1.

Common Problems and Solutions:

• Barcodes do not Appear in the Report:
  A security setting may be the cause. Security may need to be changed to allow VBA macros to run.
  • To enable macros to run in Access 2000 & 2003:
    Choose Tools - Macro - Security.
    Change the security level to Medium or Low.
    Close the database and re-open it. Macros should now be enabled.
  • To enable macros to run in Access 2007:
    Open "Customize Quick Access Toolbar" menu to the right of the office button.
    Select "More Commands."
    Choose the "Trust Center" menu button on sidebar.
    Choose the "Trust Center Settings" button on main pane.
    Choose the "Macro Settings" menu button on sidebar.
    Select the "Enable all macros."
    Choose "OK" to close Trust Center.
    Choose "OK" to close Access Options.
    Close the database and re-open it. Macros should now be enabled.
• Barcode is Truncated:
  Size or move the text box object as described in Step 7 above.
• Barcodes do not Scan with Default Settings:
  Check to make sure that barcode type is enabled in the scanner and that there is sufficient white space surrounding the barcode. Additional solutions for this issue are provided in the Barcode will not scan KB article.
• Access Reports run Slow:
  Encoding a large amount of data with PDF417 or Data Matrix may cause reports to slow down because of the complex calculations that must be performed in VBA code for the generation of these symbols. If this issue is observed, consider decreasing the amount of data being encoded, or implement IDAutomation's Barcode ActiveX Controls which are compiled in C++ for improved calculation speed.
• Scanning Problems with Small Barcode Sizes:
  Verify a printer of 300 DPI or greater is being used. An X dimension of 12 MILS or greater should be used with low resolution thermal 203 DPI printers. IDAutomation also offers many barcode fonts that print well to low resolution thermal printers. Additionally, verify the scanner being used is able to read small barcodes.
• Additional problems and solutions are provided at IDAutomation's barcode font troubleshooting site and by searching resolved public help desk issues. Priority phone, email and help desk support is provided up to 30 days after purchase. Additional priority phone, email and help desk support may be obtained if the Priority Support and Upgrade Subscription is active.

IDAutomation has many other products to offer for barcoding purposes including:

• ActiveX Controls - easy-to-use add-ins for Microsoft Access, Excel, VB and C++.
• .NET Forms Controls - create and print barcodes from Microsoft Visual Studio.NET applications. Also generates images that can be saved to a file.
• ASP Barcode Server for IIS - add barcodes to any web application with this component for Microsoft IIS.
• ASP. NET Barcode Web Controls - for creating bar codes in VB .NET or C# .NET web applications.
• Barcode Label Design Software - allows easy printing of barcodes with database support.
• Hosted Barcode Services - allow dynamic creation of barcodes without installing any software.
• Image Generators - easily create barcode images for almost any Windows application.
• Java Servlets, JavaBeans, Class Libraries & Applets - create barcodes on any operating system with a JVM.
• Additional options for bar-coding in Access are provided in the Microsoft Access Barcode Integration Index.

© Copyright 2006-2007 IDAutomation.com, Inc., All Rights Reserved. Legal Notices.