Where does BarcodeWriter live in the IronBarcode API?

BarcodeWriter is a static class in the IronBarCode namespace, shipped in IronBarCode.dll. Its members are static, so call BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode directly without constructing an instance.

How do you generate a barcode in C#?

Call the static BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode with a value and a BarcodeEncoding to get a GeneratedBarcode, then call SaveAsImage or SaveAsPng on it to write the image. Optional maxWidth and maxHeight bound the rendered size.

What is the difference between BarcodeWriter and QRCodeWriter in IronBarcode?

BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode generates any symbology when passed BarcodeEncoding.QRCode, while QRCodeWriter adds QR-specific options like error correction and an embedded logo through CreateQrCode and CreateQrCodeWithLogo.

Class BarcodeWriter

A static class allowing for barcode images of many types to be generated dynamically.

Generated Barcodes can be exported as Images, Bitmaps, Files, PDFs and Streams.

Inheritance

System.Object

BarcodeWriter

Namespace: IronBarCode

Assembly: IronBarCode.dll

Syntax

public static class BarcodeWriter : Object

BarcodeWriter generates a barcode of almost any symbology from a string, a byte[], or a Stream in C#. Every member is static, so there is nothing to construct: call BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(...) with a value and a BarcodeEncoding, and a GeneratedBarcode comes back ready to save, resize, recolor, annotate, or stamp onto a PDF. The encoding argument is what separates a Code 128 label from a QR code, a Data Matrix, an EAN, or a UPC, so the same call shape produces every format the library supports.

CreateBarcode is the single entry method, overloaded across the three input kinds. The string form covers the common text and URL cases, while the byte[] and Stream forms encode a binary payload such as a serialized token. Each overload accepts a BarcodeEncoding and an optional maxWidth and maxHeight pair that bounds the rendered image. Note the second enum parameter type: most overloads take BarcodeEncoding, and a parallel set takes the older BarcodeWriterEncoding, so pick the current BarcodeEncoding for new code.

Three static fields hold the defaults the writer falls back on. DefaultWidth and DefaultHeight set the rendered size when no bounds are passed, and DefaultCharacterEncoding controls how text is interpreted, which matters when encoding Unicode or non-Latin content. Adjust these once and every subsequent CreateBarcode call inherits the new defaults. For QR-specific styling, error correction, or an embedded logo, reach for QRCodeWriter instead, which exposes those options directly. Because the call always returns a GeneratedBarcode, the choice of output format is made afterward and is independent of how the value was encoded.

using IronBarCode;

GeneratedBarcode barcode = BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode("12345678", BarcodeEncoding.Code128);
barcode.SaveAsImage("barcode.png");

The create 1D barcodes how-to walks through linear symbologies, the create 2D barcodes how-to covers QR and Data Matrix, and the barcode image generator tutorial builds a complete generator.

Fields

DefaultCharacterEncoding

The default character encoding. Default = UTF-8.

Declaration

public static CharacterEncoding DefaultCharacterEncoding

Field Value

Type	Description
CharacterEncoding

DefaultEciMode

The default UTF-8 ECI tagging mode for 2D barcodes (DataMatrix, QR, Aztec, PDF417). Default = Auto, which only writes the UTF-8 ECI header when the data contains non-ASCII characters. Set to ForceUtf8 to always tag, or Off to never tag. DataMatrixWriter overloads can override this per call.

Declaration

public static EciMode DefaultEciMode

Field Value

Type	Description
EciMode

DefaultHeight

The default max height of a rendered barcode in pixels. Default = 250px.

Declaration

public static int DefaultHeight

Field Value

Type	Description
System.Int32

DefaultWidth

The default max width of a rendered barcode in pixels. Default = 250px.

Declaration

public static int DefaultWidth

Field Value

Type	Description
System.Int32

Methods

CreateBarcode(Byte[], BarcodeEncoding)

Creates (renders) a barcode representing a binary value.

Declaration

public static GeneratedBarcode CreateBarcode(byte[] binaryData, BarcodeEncoding barcodeType)

Parameters

Type	Name	Description
System.Byte[]	binaryData	The binary data which the barcode will represent.
BarcodeEncoding	barcodeType	Type of the barcode encoding type. Supports many popular barcode formats including QR Codes.

Returns

Type	Description
GeneratedBarcode	A GeneratedBarcode object which can be manipulated, annotated and saved to a IronSoftware.Drawing.AnyBitmap, an object, image file, PDF, MediaURL or data stream.

CreateBarcode(Byte[], BarcodeEncoding, Int32, Int32)

Creates (renders) a barcode representing a binary value.

Declaration

public static GeneratedBarcode CreateBarcode(byte[] binaryData, BarcodeEncoding barcodeType, int maxWidth, int maxHeight)

Parameters

Type	Name	Description
System.Byte[]	binaryData	The binary data which the barcode will represent.
BarcodeEncoding	barcodeType	Type of the barcode encoding type. Supports many popular barcode formats including QR Codes.
System.Int32	maxWidth	The maximum width (in pixels) of the barcode image which will be rendered.
System.Int32	maxHeight	The maximum height (in pixels) of the barcode image which will be rendered.

Returns

Type	Description
GeneratedBarcode	A GeneratedBarcode object which can be manipulated, annotated and saved to a IronSoftware.Drawing.AnyBitmap, an object, image file, PDF, MediaURL or data stream.

CreateBarcode(Byte[], BarcodeWriterEncoding)

Creates (renders) a barcode representing a binary value.

Declaration

public static GeneratedBarcode CreateBarcode(byte[] binaryData, BarcodeWriterEncoding barcodeType)

Parameters

Type	Name	Description
System.Byte[]	binaryData	The binary data which the barcode will represent.
BarcodeWriterEncoding	barcodeType	Type of the barcode encoding type. Supports many popular barcode formats including QR Codes.

Returns

Type	Description
GeneratedBarcode	A GeneratedBarcode object which can be manipulated, annotated and saved to a IronSoftware.Drawing.AnyBitmap, an object, image file, PDF, MediaURL or data stream.

CreateBarcode(Byte[], BarcodeWriterEncoding, Int32, Int32)

Creates (renders) a barcode representing a binary value.

Declaration

public static GeneratedBarcode CreateBarcode(byte[] binaryData, BarcodeWriterEncoding barcodeType, int maxWidth, int maxHeight)

Parameters

Type	Name	Description
System.Byte[]	binaryData	The binary data which the barcode will represent.
BarcodeWriterEncoding	barcodeType	Type of the barcode encoding type. Supports many popular barcode formats including QR Codes.
System.Int32	maxWidth	The maximum width (in pixels) of the barcode image which will be rendered.
System.Int32	maxHeight	The maximum height (in pixels) of the barcode image which will be rendered.

Returns

Type	Description
GeneratedBarcode	A GeneratedBarcode object which can be manipulated, annotated and saved to a IronSoftware.Drawing.AnyBitmap, an object, image file, PDF, MediaURL or data stream.

CreateBarcode(Stream, BarcodeEncoding)

Creates (renders) a barcode representing a binary value.

Declaration

public static GeneratedBarcode CreateBarcode(Stream binaryDataStream, BarcodeEncoding barcodeType)

Parameters

Type	Name	Description
System.IO.Stream	binaryDataStream	The binary data stream which the barcode will represent.
BarcodeEncoding	barcodeType	Type of the barcode encoding type. Supports many popular barcode formats including QR Codes.

Returns

Type	Description
GeneratedBarcode	A GeneratedBarcode object which can be manipulated, annotated and saved to a IronSoftware.Drawing.AnyBitmap, an object, image file, PDF, MediaURL or data stream.

CreateBarcode(Stream, BarcodeEncoding, Int32, Int32)

Creates (renders) a barcode representing a binary value.

Declaration

public static GeneratedBarcode CreateBarcode(Stream binaryDataStream, BarcodeEncoding barcodeType, int maxWidth, int maxHeight)

Parameters

Type	Name	Description
System.IO.Stream	binaryDataStream	The binary data stream which the barcode will represent.
BarcodeEncoding	barcodeType	Type of the barcode encoding type. Supports many popular barcode formats including QR Codes.
System.Int32	maxWidth	The maximum width (in pixels) of the barcode image which will be rendered.
System.Int32	maxHeight	The maximum height (in pixels) of the barcode image which will be rendered.

Returns

Type	Description
GeneratedBarcode	A GeneratedBarcode object which can be manipulated, annotated and saved to a IronSoftware.Drawing.AnyBitmap, an object, image file, PDF, MediaURL or data stream.

CreateBarcode(Stream, BarcodeWriterEncoding)

Creates (renders) a barcode representing a binary value.

Declaration

public static GeneratedBarcode CreateBarcode(Stream binaryDataStream, BarcodeWriterEncoding barcodeType)

Parameters

Type	Name	Description
System.IO.Stream	binaryDataStream	The binary data stream which the barcode will represent.
BarcodeWriterEncoding	barcodeType	Type of the barcode encoding type. Supports many popular barcode formats including QR Codes.

Returns

Type	Description
GeneratedBarcode	A GeneratedBarcode object which can be manipulated, annotated and saved to a IronSoftware.Drawing.AnyBitmap, an object, image file, PDF, MediaURL or data stream.

CreateBarcode(Stream, BarcodeWriterEncoding, Int32, Int32)

Creates (renders) a barcode representing a binary value.

Declaration

public static GeneratedBarcode CreateBarcode(Stream binaryDataStream, BarcodeWriterEncoding barcodeType, int maxWidth, int maxHeight)

Parameters

Type	Name	Description
System.IO.Stream	binaryDataStream	The binary data stream which the barcode will represent.
BarcodeWriterEncoding	barcodeType	Type of the barcode encoding type. Supports many popular barcode formats including QR Codes.
System.Int32	maxWidth	The maximum width (in pixels) of the barcode image which will be rendered.
System.Int32	maxHeight	The maximum height (in pixels) of the barcode image which will be rendered.

Returns

Type	Description
GeneratedBarcode	A GeneratedBarcode object which can be manipulated, annotated and saved to a IronSoftware.Drawing.AnyBitmap, an object, image file, PDF, MediaURL or data stream.

CreateBarcode(String, BarcodeEncoding)

Creates (renders) a barcode representing a string value.

Declaration

public static GeneratedBarcode CreateBarcode(string value, BarcodeEncoding barcodeType)

Parameters

Type	Name	Description
System.String	value	The value of the barcode as a string.
BarcodeEncoding	barcodeType	Type of the barcode encoding type. Supports many popular barcode formats including QR Codes.

Returns

Type	Description
GeneratedBarcode	A GeneratedBarcode object which can be manipulated, annotated and saved to a IronSoftware.Drawing.AnyBitmap, an object, image file, PDF, MediaURL or data stream.

CreateBarcode(String, BarcodeEncoding, Int32, Int32)

Creates (renders) a barcode representing a string value.

Declaration

public static GeneratedBarcode CreateBarcode(string value, BarcodeEncoding barcodeType, int maxWidth, int maxHeight)

Parameters

Type	Name	Description
System.String	value	The value of the barcode as a string.
BarcodeEncoding	barcodeType	Type of the barcode encoding type. Supports many popular barcode formats including QR Codes.
System.Int32	maxWidth	The maximum width (in pixels) of the barcode image which will be rendered.
System.Int32	maxHeight	The maximum height (in pixels) of the barcode image which will be rendered.

Returns

Type	Description
GeneratedBarcode	A GeneratedBarcode object which can be manipulated, annotated and saved to a IronSoftware.Drawing.AnyBitmap, an object, image file, PDF, MediaURL or data stream.

CreateBarcode(String, BarcodeWriterEncoding)

Creates (renders) a barcode representing a string value.

Declaration

public static GeneratedBarcode CreateBarcode(string value, BarcodeWriterEncoding barcodeType)

Parameters

Type	Name	Description
System.String	value	The value of the barcode as a string.
BarcodeWriterEncoding	barcodeType	Type of the barcode encoding type. Supports many popular barcode formats including QR Codes.

Returns

Type	Description
GeneratedBarcode	A GeneratedBarcode object which can be manipulated, annotated and saved to a IronSoftware.Drawing.AnyBitmap, an object, image file, PDF, MediaURL or data stream.

CreateBarcode(String, BarcodeWriterEncoding, Int32, Int32)

Creates (renders) a barcode representing a string value.

Declaration

public static GeneratedBarcode CreateBarcode(string value, BarcodeWriterEncoding barcodeType, int maxWidth, int maxHeight)

Parameters

Type	Name	Description
System.String	value	The value of the barcode as a string.
BarcodeWriterEncoding	barcodeType	Type of the barcode encoding type. Supports many popular barcode formats including QR Codes.
System.Int32	maxWidth	The maximum width (in pixels) of the barcode image which will be rendered.
System.Int32	maxHeight	The maximum height (in pixels) of the barcode image which will be rendered.

Returns

Type	Description
GeneratedBarcode	A GeneratedBarcode object which can be manipulated, annotated and saved to a IronSoftware.Drawing.AnyBitmap, an object, image file, PDF, MediaURL or data stream.