QR Code Library (Developer Guide)

A QR code is a 2D barcode, smaller and more approachable than a traditional barcode. It is often used to help people find information or connect with their favorite brands on the go. A QR code comprises two halves - the left and right halves. The left half usually has black pixels, while the right half is white. QR codes scan using a dedicated QR code scanner on a cell phone or computer that captures data encoded into patterns in the white portion of the code using laser technology at high speed, like those used with credit card terminals. QR codes can be used for many purposes, such as displaying information about stores, advertisements, promotions, coupons, and news articles. You might see a QR code printed on the front of a book cover, but more commonly on the back of book covers, or a QR code could be chipped on a bulletin board. QR code technology could be placed in a school library, for example, to access the books. Not only could the QR Codes help students learn about the library content, but a QR code could also provide links to an endless array of additional information for example, online quizzes for students.

There are various use cases of QR code technology, including marketing and advertising campaigns, e-commerce websites, point-of-sale systems, contactless payments, and more. While they have been around for quite some time now, it’s only recently that consumers have been using them in their everyday lives. QR codes are growing in popularity among advertisers and consumers. They provide a seamless way to get quick information about goods or services without typing in an address or phone number. If you are programmer making QRcode images find out how easy it is by reading this guide.

In this article, you will see how to scan and create QR codes programmatically using different languages like JavaScript, Python, and C#. Let's get started.

QuaggaJS: JavaScript Library

QuaggaJS is a JavaScript library for generating barcodes. It utilizes modern browser features to make it work on any platform and browser. Developers broadly use QuaggaJS because of its fast performance, portability, and compatibility. This JavaScript library supports various encoding types like UPC-A, UPC-E, Code 128, Code 39, Interleaved 2 of 5 (ITF), and EAN 8/13. There is no need to download or install any extra dependencies to use it. QuaggaJS makes it easy for developers to generate complex barcode-like output on the web using just a few lines of code. It provides a high-level API that abstracts all the complexity of the underlying HTML5 canvas and JavaScript APIs while providing sensible defaults.

QuaggaJS has been widely used by developers and designers looking to create digital marketing solutions that incorporate QR codes into their designs. The library is also compatible with many frameworks such as React Native, Angular, Vue.js, Ionic 4, and more.

QuaggaJS library can be installed using the NPM command. Here is an example of the code for using the QuaggaJS library in the project.

Quagga.init({
    inputStream : {
      name : "Live",
      type : "LiveStream",
      target: document.querySelector('#yourElement')    // Or '#yourElement' (optional)
    },
    decoder : {
      readers : ["code_128_reader"]
    }
  }, function(err) {
      if (err) {
          console.log(err);
          return
      }
      console.log("Initialization finished. Ready to start");
      Quagga.start();
  });

Quagga.init({
    inputStream : {
      name : "Live",
      type : "LiveStream",
      target: document.querySelector('#yourElement')    // Or '#yourElement' (optional)
    },
    decoder : {
      readers : ["code_128_reader"]
    }
  }, function(err) {
      if (err) {
          console.log(err);
          return
      }
      console.log("Initialization finished. Ready to start");
      Quagga.start();
  });

Quagga.init({ inputStream := { name := "Live", type := "LiveStream", target:= document.querySelector( '#yourElement') }, decoder : { readers : ["code_128_reader"] } }, @function(err) { if(err) { console.log(err); Return } console.log("Initialization finished. Ready to start"); Quagga.start(); });

You can scan Barcodes using static images, live webcams, or file API.

Segno: Python Library

Segno is a library for reading, writing, and generating barcodes in Python. With this library, you can easily create barcode images from scratch. Segno uses NumPy arrays to encode and decode barcodes efficiently. The syntax of Segno is similar to one of Python's turtle modules, so it should be easy to gain proficiency in it quickly. Segno was designed with simplicity in mind so that developers can use it without prior knowledge of barcode generation. However, it also has a robust API that makes it easy for developers to extend the features of Segno if they want to get more out of their barcodes.

Segno’s unique features include producing the same barcode image in multiple ways depending on the barcode’s data field; support for fixed-size, variable-size, or both; support for high-resolution raster output; and sidebars with tooltips that can help users generate their images. Here is the code example of the Segno library to use in the Python project:

import segno
qrcode = segno.make('Yellow Submarine')
qrcode.save('yellow-submarine.png')

import segno
qrcode = segno.make('Yellow Submarine')
qrcode.save('yellow-submarine.png')

'INSTANT VB TODO TASK: The following line uses invalid syntax:
'import segno qrcode = segno.make('Yellow Submarine') qrcode.save('yellow-submarine.png')

You can install it using PIP installation.

IronBarcode: C# Barcode Library

IronBarcode is a collection of code objects that support the Barcode Standard Library. This includes the Barcode Encoder, Barcode Generator and Editor, and more. It provides an easy-to-use API suitable for both mobile and web applications. IronBarcode reduces manual coding efforts by providing a library of standardized code objects that can be reused throughout your application. These objects reduce development time by automating specific processes and maintaining your application making it more accessible because they are standardized across platforms.

IronBarcode is one of the fastest-growing libraries available today due to its ease of use and high performance. With its ability to run on iOS, Android, and Web Browsers without any changes or modifications, IronBarcode is an excellent choice for your next project. This library provides an abstraction layer to barcode generation while providing a set of standard utilities and code snippets to ease development. It is a helpful to import this library and pass the generated code to a create barcode method. Let's have a look at code examples to understand the library procedures.

Code Example

using IronBarCode;

/******     WRITE     *******/

// Create A Barcode in 1 Line of Code
BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode("https://ironsoftware.com/csharp/barcode", BarcodeWriterEncoding.QRCode).SaveAsJpeg("QuickStart.jpg");

/******    READ    *******/

// Read A Barcode in 1 Line of Code.  Gets Text, Numeric Codes,  binary Data, and an Image of the barcode
BarcodeResult Result = BarcodeReader.QuicklyReadOneBarcode("QuickStart.jpg");

// Assert that IronBarCode Works :-)
if (Result!=null && Result.Text == "https://ironsoftware.com/csharp/barcode")
{
    System.Console.WriteLine("Success");
}

using IronBarCode;

/******     WRITE     *******/

// Create A Barcode in 1 Line of Code
BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode("https://ironsoftware.com/csharp/barcode", BarcodeWriterEncoding.QRCode).SaveAsJpeg("QuickStart.jpg");

/******    READ    *******/

// Read A Barcode in 1 Line of Code.  Gets Text, Numeric Codes,  binary Data, and an Image of the barcode
BarcodeResult Result = BarcodeReader.QuicklyReadOneBarcode("QuickStart.jpg");

// Assert that IronBarCode Works :-)
if (Result!=null && Result.Text == "https://ironsoftware.com/csharp/barcode")
{
    System.Console.WriteLine("Success");
}

Imports IronBarCode

'''****     WRITE     ******

' Create A Barcode in 1 Line of Code
BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode("https://ironsoftware.com/csharp/barcode", BarcodeWriterEncoding.QRCode).SaveAsJpeg("QuickStart.jpg")

'''****    READ    ******

' Read A Barcode in 1 Line of Code.  Gets Text, Numeric Codes,  binary Data, and an Image of the barcode
Dim Result As BarcodeResult = BarcodeReader.QuicklyReadOneBarcode("QuickStart.jpg")

' Assert that IronBarCode Works :-)
If Result IsNot Nothing AndAlso Result.Text = "https://ironsoftware.com/csharp/barcode" Then
	System.Console.WriteLine("Success")
End If

The above code is for creating and reading the QR code using the IronBarcode library. It is straightforward to use. You have to import the library and write some lines of code, and your barcode is ready to use and read.

using IronBarCode;

/*** EXPORTING BARCODES AS HTML FILES OR TAGS ***/

GeneratedBarcode MyBarCode = BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode("1234567890", BarcodeWriterEncoding.Code128);

// Save as a stand-alone HTML file with no image assets required
MyBarCode.SaveAsHtmlFile("MyBarCode.html");

// Save as a stand-alone HTML image tag which can be served in HTML files, ASPX or MVC Views.  No image assets required, the tag embeds the entire image in its Src contents
string ImgTag = MyBarCode.ToHtmlTag();

// Turn the image into an Html/CSS Data URI.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_URI_scheme
string DataURI = MyBarCode.ToDataUrl();

using IronBarCode;

/*** EXPORTING BARCODES AS HTML FILES OR TAGS ***/

GeneratedBarcode MyBarCode = BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode("1234567890", BarcodeWriterEncoding.Code128);

// Save as a stand-alone HTML file with no image assets required
MyBarCode.SaveAsHtmlFile("MyBarCode.html");

// Save as a stand-alone HTML image tag which can be served in HTML files, ASPX or MVC Views.  No image assets required, the tag embeds the entire image in its Src contents
string ImgTag = MyBarCode.ToHtmlTag();

// Turn the image into an Html/CSS Data URI.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_URI_scheme
string DataURI = MyBarCode.ToDataUrl();

Imports IronBarCode

'''* EXPORTING BARCODES AS HTML FILES OR TAGS **

Private MyBarCode As GeneratedBarcode = BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode("1234567890", BarcodeWriterEncoding.Code128)

' Save as a stand-alone HTML file with no image assets required
MyBarCode.SaveAsHtmlFile("MyBarCode.html")

' Save as a stand-alone HTML image tag which can be served in HTML files, ASPX or MVC Views.  No image assets required, the tag embeds the entire image in its Src contents
Dim ImgTag As String = MyBarCode.ToHtmlTag()

' Turn the image into an Html/CSS Data URI.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_URI_scheme
Dim DataURI As String = MyBarCode.ToDataUrl()

IronBarcode supports exporting QR codes to HTML files or tags. It can be exported in a table tag. The above code demonstrates the QR code to HTML conversion. You can get more details from the IronBarcode library website using this link.

Licensing

IronBarcode is free for the development stage. You can get free trial for commercial use or production level. IronBarcode has three pricing plans according to the developer's needs. You can choose an option according to which best suits you needs. You can also buy a suit of 5 Iron Software products for the price of 2 Iron software products. Get more information from this link.