Aztec Font Encoder Tutorial

DEMO NOTICE:
The demo version of this product will produce larger symbols because the text of "DEMO<CR><LF>" is encoded in each symbol with the data that is being encoded. The purchased version does not include these limitations.

Aztec Implementation Options

In the event the font encoders and graphic encoders provided are not supported in the desired application, other implementation options are available:

Windows Installation Overview

Extract the file(s) provided with the product and run the installation executable. The installation executable will install the files needed in the application folder under Program Files, and the following components:

If it is necessary to verify Aztec barcodes, consider purchasing a Verifier or Image Reader.

Importing the VBA Module into VB, Excel or Access

The VBA module is required when using the font encoders in VB 6, Excel or Access. The IDAutomation_Aztec_Macro.bas module creates symbols quickly by using the already installed ActiveX DLL for the font encoder functionality.

Importing the module:

Extract the files provided with the product.
Open VB, Excel or Access.
If Excel or Access is being used, choose Tools - Macro - Visual Basic Editor to open the VB editor.
Run the installation executable in the package and go to Tools - References and select IDAutomation Aztec Barcode, click OK.
Choose File - Import File and select the module to import from the VBA folder of the extracted files.
If Excel or Access is being used, choose File - Close to close the VB editor and choose File - Save.
After the file is imported, the IDAutomation_Aztec function may be called according to the chart below. The zero digit is the default for all parameters (which are optional) and is used for automatic mode or a false setting. The one digit is used for a true setting.

IDAutomation_Aztec_Macro.bas

EncAztec(DataToEncode As String,
Optional ProcessTilde, Optional Error Correction) Example:
=EncAztec([Test Data.data])
or
=EncAztec([Test Data.data],1,15)

Microsoft Access Implementation

Two implementation options are available in Access. However, the graphic encoder option may be the easiest implementation.

Graphic encoder implementation:

Run the installation executable in the package and follow the instructions to complete the installation.
Open a report in Design Mode.
Choose Insert - ActiveX control and choose the IDAutomation Aztec control.
Move and size the control necessary. To change the properties of the control such as height and symbology type, right-click on the control and choose Properties.
To bind the control to a data source, enter the table and field or formula in the control source field. The proper barcode will show up after the report is saved and executed.
Additional implementation information is provided in the ActiveX Control Manual.

Font implementation:

Run the installation executable file in the package and follow the instructions to complete the installation.
Import the VBA module into the database.
Open a report in Design Mode.
Add a text field to the report that is to contain the barcode. Size it appropriately, to be large enough to contain the symbol. Change the font point size of the field to 8 points.
Right-click on the text field and enter the function call as a formula in the control source property. For example:
=EncAztec([Test Data.data])
Save the report and run it; several letters should appear in the text field. This is the data that will create a correct barcode when combined with the 2D font.
Open the report in design mode and select the IDAutomation2D font for the text field. The recommended point size is 8 points.
Save the report and run it; a correct symbol should appear in the text field.

Word Mail-Merge Implementation

Aztec barcodes may be created in a Word mail-merge if Excel is used as the data source with the following procedure:

Crystal Reports Integration

Limitations with Crystal Reports prior to Version 9:

The Crystal Reports UFL is designed to work with Crystal Reports 6.0 and above. However, because of a Crystal Reports limitation prior to Version 9, only limited information (up to about 30 to 40 characters) may be encoded; To overcome this limitation, version 9 or greater is required.

Crystal Reports version 9 (and later versions) overcome the 254 character limitation by using a formula that is able to retrieve the data encoded in 254 byte chunks. A simple example of creating a Aztec barcode in Crystal is included in the Font and Encoder package. IDAutomation recommends referring to that example if problems are encountered.

How the Font and Encoder Works with Crystal Reports:

After installing the Aztec Font and Encoder for Windows, the encoder functions will be available in Crystal Reports.

The IDAutomationAztecEncoderAztecSet function returns the number of data segments contained in the barcode and sets up the barcode for retrieval. All fields passed to the encoder set function must be text fields or they must be converted to text.
The IDAutomationAztecEncoderAztecGet function returns a string for the designated data segment. A correct barcode string is achieved when all data segments are combined.
When the resulting string is combined with IDAutomation's 2D font, it will produce an Aztec barcode.

How to Create an Aztec Barcode in Crystal Reports:

Choose View - Field Explorer. Select Formula Fields. Right click and select New. Enter a name to identify the formula created and choose OK.
The Formula Editor should now appear.
- Copy and paste the code below into the Formula Editor dialog box. The Crystal Reports Example.rpt file is provided in this package as an example, and may be referred to for troubleshooting purposes:
  stringVar DataToEncode:= {Table1.Field1};
  stringVar CompleteBarcodeString:="";
  numberVar i:=0;
  numberVar Segments:= IDAutomationAztecEncoderAztecSet(DataToEncode,0,0);
  For i:=0 to Segments Do
  (
  CompleteBarcodeString := CompleteBarcodeString + IDAutomationAztecEncoderAztecGet(i);
  );
  CompleteBarcodeString
Change the DataToEncode = section of the formula so it encodes fields from a database. Save the formula.
The field where the barcode is to be placed on the report must allow multiple lines, because the formula draws the symbol line-by-line. Format the field so that all borders are removed; borders will usually cause scanning problems. Size the field so that it is large enough to contain the barcode.
Choose File - Print Preview or the Preview tab. A series of many characters will be visible in the text field; this is normal.
After the font of the field is changed to the Aztec Font (IDAutomation2D) a correct symbol will be created.

There are a number of ways to encode data in Aztec symbols with Crystal, such as combining multiple fields in a single symbol. A common method is to enable ProcessTilde and use ~d009 for tab and ~d013 for a return. For example:

Refer to the Crystal Reports documentation for additional information about creating reports with formulas. If it is necessary to verify barcodes, consider purchasing a Barcode Verifier or Hand-Held Scanner.

Microsoft .NET Integration

Implementation of Aztec in .NET applications may be accomplished with graphic or font encoders. Integration into ASP.NET and other web applications is best implemented as a graphic encoder with the ASP.NET Server Control provided in the Advantage Package. Information about printing from the .NET Forms Control without using the font is provided in the .NET Forms Control Manual.

.NET Font Encoder Example:

The following example uses the font encoder to obtain the text data, that when printed with the IDAutomation2D font, will create a correct symbol:

In a .NET project, add a reference to the DLL and place the import statement in the declarations section of the project:
Imports IDAutomation.Windows.Forms.AztecBarcode
Obtain the string of data, that when printed with the IDAutomation2D font, will create a correct symbol:
Dim NewBarcode As AztecBarcode = New AztecBarcode()
TextBox2.Text = NewBarcode.FontEncoder(TextBox1.Text, 0, 0, "")

Using the Windows DLL Font Encoder

When using the DLL as an ActiveX graphic encoder, refer to the instructions in the ActiveX Control Manual. When using the DLL as a font encoder, the FontEncode function is used to convert the data to encode into a string, that when combined with the 2D font, will create a correct barcode. The following is Visual Basic 6 code that places the result in the "PrintableBarcodeString" variable:

A Visual Basic project example is included with the package. These files are placed in the destination directory upon installation.

Java Integration

The Java class file was compiled with the Sun JDK 1.3 and is compatible with Windows, MAC, Unix and Linux. Copy the class file from the "Java Class Encoder" folder to the system's classpath in the folder \com\idautomation\fontencoder\aztec. Consult the Java documentation or the company that provides the Java virtual machine for assistance.

Integrate the fontEncode Method:

After the directories are copied to the classpath root, the method to format data to the font can then be called from a method in a Java application as in this example:

import java.io.*;
import com.idautomation.fontencoder.aztec.*;
class AztecBarcodeExample
{
 public static void main ( String [] args )
 {
 String dataToEncode = "Aztec Test";
	AztecEncoder azt=new AztecEncoder();
	System.out.println( azt.fontEncode(dataToEncode) );
    }
}

The data string returned by the fontEncode method will create a proper symbol when printed with the 2D font. To install the font on an operating system, consult the OS documentation or follow IDAutomation's font installation procedures.

Support

The following support issues are links to the appropriate section of the Data Matrix Encoder manual because the issue resolutions are the same:

Font and Encoder Specifications:

The IDAutomation2D Font is used in this package to create Aztec symbols and is included in several formats including TrueType, PostScript, OpenType and PCL. The IDAutomation2D font should be printed at 8 points unless it is necessary to create a larger or smaller symbol. The IDAutomation2D Font is a "universal" 2D font that may also be used with the Data Matrix Encoder, PDF417 Encoder and the QR Code Encoder.

When ProcessTilde is equal to "1" (the default is "0") the following tilde options are available:

Error Correction:

The Reed Solomon error correction level encoded in the symbol is specified as a value from 5 to 95. More error correction creates a larger symbol that can withstand more damage. It is not recommended to use error correction over 23 with large amounts of data, because this may overload the symbol capacity. The default setting of 0 performs the automatic and recommended selection, which is a value of 23.

Aztec Font & Encoder User Manual