Crystal Reports Barcode Font Formula Tutorial

• Easily create barcodes with fonts in Crystal Reports without installing UFLs or DLLs.
• Formulas are saved as part of the report file (.rpt) and do not have any external dependencies, except the required barcode font.
• Compatible with Crystal 8 and up.
• Embeds font-formatting technology directly into the report.
• Source code included.
• Royalty free.

Support | Native Barcode Generator for Crystal | Font UFL | Crystal Integration Guide

IDAutomation's Font Formulas for Crystal Reports are saved as part of the report file (.rpt) and do not have any external dependencies (with the exception of the required barcode font). If distributing the report, IDAutomation suggests using this method or implementation of the Native Barcode Generator for Crystal Reports, which creates dynamic embedded barcodes without the installation of any barcode fonts or components.

These formulas are only provided in purchased versions of some barcode font packages. The formulas have been tested in Crystal Reports 8 and 9 and are compatible with later versions as well. For advanced developers using Crystal 9 or above, Report Custom Functions may be created from IDAutomation's formulas and placed into the Repository of Custom Functions. Formulas are currently only supplied with the following font packages:

• Code 128
• Code 39
• DataMatrix
• Interleaved 2 of 5
• Universal Barcode Font Advantage
• UPC and EAN
• PDF417
• Postnet and Planet
• Universal Barcode Font Advantage™

Each formula is to be used with the font supplied in the package. Additional formulas for other fonts will most likely not be created, because the implementation of the Native Barcode Generator offers better performance without installing any barcode fonts or components.

1. If there is a doubt as to which font is needed, IDAutomation recommends the Code 128 Font Advantage Package, this barcode can encode numbers and letters and it is very compact. This Crystal Report Barcode tutorial uses Code 128. When using Code 128 or Interleaved 2 of 5, if the character set is not US English, 1252 Latin-1, 1250 European, 1251 Cyrillic, 1253 Greek, 1254 Turkish, 1255 Hebrew or 1256 Arabic, the Universal Barcode Font Advantage™ must be used.
2. Purchase and install the appropriate barcode fonts by running the INSTALL.EXE file if the package contains one.
3. Open the Crystal Reports Example from the icon in the program group or from the "Crystal Reports Formulas" folder of the supplied ZIP file.
4. Open Field Explorer; in version 9, choose View - Field Explorer.  In versions prior to 9, choose Insert - Formula Field. Right click on the selected formula field and choose Edit to reveal the formula.
   
5. When the source code is on the screen, place the cursor in the code and (1) do CTRL-A to select all and then (2) do CRTL-C to copy the code. Close the report example.
6. Open a report. Right click on Formula Fields and select New.
7. In the Formula Name dialog box, enter the name to identify the formula. This can be any name, for example, "BarcodeFormula." In this case "Barcode."
   
8. Click OK. The Formula Editor appears.
9. If given an option between expert and editor, choose the Editor.
10. Change the syntax of the formula to Basic Syntax.
    
11. Delete any text if it appears in the editor window. Place the cursor in the editor window and press CTRL-V to paste the new formula into the window.
12. Change the "DataToEncode" statement so it connects to the data source; for example:
    DataToEncode = ({Table.Field})
    NOTE: For some double byte language settings such as Chinese, Korean and Japanese languages, Crystal 9 or greater must be used, replace every reference of Chr with ChrW and Asc with AscW in the formulas for compatibility. Additionally, the Universal Barcode Font should be used if possible.
13. If an error such as "A string is required" appears, the data will need to be converted to text with a crystal function.
    For example: DataToEncode = ToText( {Employee.EmployeeID} )
14. If Code 128 is used, another formula may be created to return the Human Readable text. In this tutorial, the @BarcodeHR formula was created in the same way as @Barcode, except the Code128TEXT formula was copied from the Crystal Reports Example.
15. Return to the Field Explorer dialog box. Click on the formula field and drag it onto the report.
    
16. Now that the fields have been created in the report, choose the Preview tab to make sure the data is being pulled from the fields and properly formatted to the barcode font. Note: Some strange characters will append to the beginning and ending of the data from the fields - this is normal. Sometimes the data has to be formatted so much that it will appear to be scrambled. This is normal for Code 128 and Interleaved 2 of 5 when numbers need to be compressed within the barcode. In the graphic below, the first string is produced by the @Barcode formula and the second one is produced by the @BarcodeHR formula which formats text for the bottom of the barcode.
    
17. Choose the Design tab again and size the Barcode formula field to display the appropriate barcode font in the report.
18. Change the font of the formula field to be the appropriate barcode font and set the point size to match the scanner specs. This is a very important step; if this is not done, barcodes will not be displayed. If unsure of the point size to use, 12 points is suggested. UPC and EAN fonts should be printed at 22 points or greater.
    NOTE: When selecting the font from the pull down menu, do not use the fonts that begin with the "@" Symbol. Instead, scroll down in the list and select the ones that begin with "IDAutomation."
19. When the Preview tab (or File - Print Preview) is selected barcodes should be seen in the report. Print one page of the report and test with a barcode scanner. If a scanner is needed, IDAutomation suggests the easy-to-use IDAutomation USB Barcode Scanner, which scans all popular linear, GS1 DataBar and PDF417 barcodes. When 2D Data Matrix, QR Code, Aztec or Intelligent Mail symbols need to be verified, IDAutomation suggests the 4600G Hand Held Products 2D Imager.
    
20. It is also possible to combine multiple fields and place functions in a single barcode when using the Code 128 Auto formula in a report. For example, the following formula combines two fields in a single barcode and places a tab function between them: DataToEncode =({Table1.DataField1} & CHR(9) & {Table1.UPC})
    The following formula places a return function after the barcode: DataToEncode = ({Table1.DataField1} & CHR(13))
    Use CHR(9) for tab and CHR(13) for a return.

For advanced barcode Crystal Report developers using version 9 or above, Report Custom Functions may be created from IDAutomation's formulas and placed into the Repository of Custom Functions. Follow the procedures provided in the Crystal Reports documentation to create the function in the formula workshop and paste the formula (obtained from IDAutomation Formulas for Crystal Reports) in the function. For example:

Function IDAutomationCode128 (DataToEncode as String) as String
  <<<include source code here that creates the PrintableString from DataToEncode>>
  IDAutomationCode128 = PrintableString
End Function

Then in the Crystal Report, all that is needed is to call the function. For example:

IDAutomationCode128 ( {Table1.DataField1} )

NOTE: At this time, IDAutomation's support department does not troubleshoot Report Custom Functions, therefore IDAutomation recommends reproducing the problem with the IDAutomation Formulas for Barcode Crystal Reports Tutorial to obtain support for a particular problem with the formulas. If there is a problem working with IDAutomation's barcode fonts, refer to IDAutomation's barcode font support site. For assistance with other Crystal reports issues refer to Crystal Reports Support Site.

Free product support may be obtained by reviewing articles that are documented at the IDAutomation's Barcode Font Support Site and by searching the resolved public help desk issues. Priority phone, email and help desk support is also 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. For assistance with other Crystal reports issues refer to Crystal Reports Support Site.

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