Oracle Reports Barcode Font Tutorial & Integration Guide

This is a tutorial for implementing barcodes in Oracle Reports with the IDAutomation PL/SQL Barcode Library and IDAutomation barcode fonts. The barcode library is a PLL file that formats data from fields in the report to the barcode fonts, to create a correct barcode. The library contains functions for Code 128, Code 39, GS1, Codabar, UCC/EAN 128, Interleaved 2 of 5, UPC and EAN barcodes.

IDAutomation also provides the Java Barcode Package, which is easier to use implement in Oracle Reports for versions 9i, 10g and above. Additionally, the Java Package it is much easier to use in Unix and Linux environments. Additional options are also provided at IDAutomation's Barcode Integration Guide and Tutorial for Oracle Reports.

Oracle Barcode Font Implementation Tutorial

Step 1 - Install the Bar Code Fonts

IDAutomation offers many varieties barcode fonts for various purposes. If in doubt about which to use, IDAutomation recommends using Universal Barcode Font with the Code 128 function. To install IDAutomation's barcode fonts on Windows for Oracle Reports, run the INSTALL.EXE file included in the font package or follow the font installation procedures. Because of the complexities and several different distributions of Unix and Linux systems, IDAutomation does not provide installation assistance for Unix and Linux systems. However, IDAutomation does provide two sets of installation instructions that may help as a guide:

1. Installing Fonts on Unix for Oracle Reports
2. Font Installation on Unix and Other Systems

IDAutomation recommends using the Java Solution if possible for Unix and Linux environments.

Step 2 - Oracle Reports Barcode PLL Library Installation

This PLL library is compatible with any version of Oracle Reports that supports attached libraries. It was developed and tested against Reports 6i. If used in the database itself, then the version of the database would be any version that supports PL/SQL. PL/SQL source code is also provided for advanced Oracle developers in the IDAutomation.pkg file.

1. Open Oracle Reports Builder.
2. Open the report rdf file that will contain the barcodes.
3. Select the attached libraries option.
4. Press the create button (Green Plus symbol) on the left toolbar.
5. In the dialog box, select the File System radio button, click on the Browse button.
6. Download the Oracle Barcode Library Package which contains the IDAutomation.pll and IDAutomation_Universal.pll files. After decompressing, save these files to an appropriate directory.
7. Select the IDAutomation.pll or the IDAutomation_Universal.pll file and choose the Attach Button. If in doubt about which to use, IDAutomation recommends using the IDAutomation_Universal.pll file with the IDAutomation Universal Barcode Font.
8. A dialog box will appear asking to remove the path. If "Yes" is selected, the PL/SQL library will need to be re-attached to the report every time the report is opened. If "No" is selected, it will always look for the path in the same location. It is preferable to leave the library in the same directory as the report.
9. The barcode functions in the library are now ready to be used in the report. After the library is attached, the Object Navigator should look similar to the screen shot below; which shows the attached IDAutomation_Universal.pll:

Step 3 - Setup the Function Call with the Appropriate Barcode Font

1. IDAutomation's barcode library contains many function calls for linear barcodes as described in the method table. Add a Formula Column to the report by using the Data Model option of the Report Layout, clicking the Formula Column button on the toolbar, and sizing the column in the layout area.
   
2. The properties of the newly added Formula Column need to be adjusted to call the PL/SQL function from the IDAutomation.pll library. Access the property page for the Formula Column by selecting the Formula Column and pressing the F4 key. The following window will appear:
   
3. Adjust the following properties:
   Name - Choose a descriptive name for the Formula Column because the columns will need to be referenced when designing the layout of the actual report.
   Datatype - This must be selected as Character from the drop-down menu.
   Width - Ensure the width of the field is large enough to hold all characters for the encoded data.
4. Click on the PL/SQL Formula button within the Property Inspector to call the appropriate barcode function. The following screen should appear:
   
5. At the cursor, insert the appropriate function call. This function will add the appropriate start and stop characters, encode the data (if necessary) and add the check sum character (if required).
   
6. Please note in the above example, that a constant value (Code128Test) was passed into this function, the appropriate character field may be substituted from the database, if necessary.
7. Click Close in the above window and ensure the report has been saved.
8. To add this Formula Column to the report, switch to Paper Layout mode for the report and add a Field object to the report by clicking the appropriate item in the toolbar and dragging into position on the report.
   
9. Once the Field has been added to the report, it needs to be linked to the Formula Column that was created earlier. To link the Field to the Formula Column, select the field and hit the F4 button to bring up the Property Inspector for the Field. The Property Inspector should look similar to the following:
   
10. Adjust the following properties:
    Name - Choose a descriptive name for the field (optional)
    Source - Select the name of Formula Column that was created earlier (required)
11. Modify the font of the field to the appropriate barcode font according to the function chart.

Description of the Parts of the Functions:

• 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, 2.5 and 3. The default is 2. The X dimension is determined by the font point size.
• IncludeCheckDigit - a Boolean value that determines whether a check digit should be automatically calculated and included for the DataToEncode.
• ApplyTilde - If the ApplyTilde option is set to True, characters following the tilde may be used to perform additional calculations or encode ASCII characters directly.

Related Links:

• Barcode Integration Guide and Tutorial for Oracle Reports
• Oracle Technology Network

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