BarcodeLib Core Generation Pattern

The standard BarcodeLib generation workflow requires creating an instance, configuring properties, and calling Encode() with dimensions:

using BarcodeStandard;
using SkiaSharp;

var b = new Barcode();
b.IncludeLabel = true;
SKImage img = b.Encode(BarcodeStandard.Type.Code128, "PRODUCT-12345", 300, 100);

using var stream = File.OpenWrite("barcode.png");
img.Encode(SKEncodedImageFormat.Png, 100).SaveTo(stream);

using BarcodeStandard;
using SkiaSharp;

var b = new Barcode();
b.IncludeLabel = true;
SKImage img = b.Encode(BarcodeStandard.Type.Code128, "PRODUCT-12345", 300, 100);

using var stream = File.OpenWrite("barcode.png");
img.Encode(SKEncodedImageFormat.Png, 100).SaveTo(stream);

Imports BarcodeStandard
Imports SkiaSharp

Dim b As New Barcode()
b.IncludeLabel = True
Dim img As SKImage = b.Encode(BarcodeStandard.Type.Code128, "PRODUCT-12345", 300, 100)

Using stream = File.OpenWrite("barcode.png")
    img.Encode(SKEncodedImageFormat.Png, 100).SaveTo(stream)
End Using

This is the full generation workflow. The property-setter pattern is the design: configuration happens on the instance before the Encode() call, and the return value is an SKImage that must be encoded and written to a stream.

Detailed Feature Comparison

BarcodeLib Approach

BarcodeLib requires constructing an instance and setting properties before calling Encode() with dimensions. Output is an SKImage:

using BarcodeStandard;
using SkiaSharp;

public byte[] GenerateCode128(string data)
{
    var b = new Barcode();
    b.IncludeLabel = true;
    SKImage img = b.Encode(BarcodeStandard.Type.Code128, data, 300, 100);

    using var ms = new MemoryStream();
    img.Encode(SKEncodedImageFormat.Png, 100).SaveTo(ms);
    return ms.ToArray();
}

using BarcodeStandard;
using SkiaSharp;

public byte[] GenerateCode128(string data)
{
    var b = new Barcode();
    b.IncludeLabel = true;
    SKImage img = b.Encode(BarcodeStandard.Type.Code128, data, 300, 100);

    using var ms = new MemoryStream();
    img.Encode(SKEncodedImageFormat.Png, 100).SaveTo(ms);
    return ms.ToArray();
}

Imports BarcodeStandard
Imports SkiaSharp

Public Function GenerateCode128(data As String) As Byte()
    Dim b As New Barcode()
    b.IncludeLabel = True
    Dim img As SKImage = b.Encode(BarcodeStandard.Type.Code128, data, 300, 100)

    Using ms As New MemoryStream()
        img.Encode(SKEncodedImageFormat.Png, 100).SaveTo(ms)
        Return ms.ToArray()
    End Using
End Function

The SKImage return type means byte array output requires an SKEncodedImageFormat encode call and a MemoryStream. The IncludeLabel property is a boolean toggle — BarcodeLib renders the encoded data string as the visible label beneath the bars.

IronBarcode Approach

IronBarcode's generation is fully static. Configuration chains after CreateBarcode(), and output methods terminate the chain directly:

// NuGet: dotnet add package IronBarcode
using IronBarCode;

public byte[] GenerateCode128(string data)
{
    return BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(data, BarcodeEncoding.Code128)
        .ResizeTo(300, 100)
        .AddBarcodeValueTextBelowBarcode()
        .ToPngBinaryData();
}

// NuGet: dotnet add package IronBarcode
using IronBarCode;

public byte[] GenerateCode128(string data)
{
    return BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(data, BarcodeEncoding.Code128)
        .ResizeTo(300, 100)
        .AddBarcodeValueTextBelowBarcode()
        .ToPngBinaryData();
}

Imports IronBarCode

Public Function GenerateCode128(data As String) As Byte()
    Return BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(data, BarcodeEncoding.Code128) _
        .ResizeTo(300, 100) _
        .AddBarcodeValueTextBelowBarcode() _
        .ToPngBinaryData()
End Function

.ToPngBinaryData() returns the byte array directly — no intermediate Image or MemoryStream object. .AddBarcodeValueTextBelowBarcode() renders the encoded data string as a label below the bars. For advanced generation scenarios, see the IronBarcode barcode generation documentation.

BarcodeLib Approach

BarcodeLib has no reading API. There is no Decode(), Scan(), or ReadBarcode() method. Reading has never been part of the library's design. Any attempt to call a decode method results in a compile error:

using BarcodeStandard;
using SkiaSharp;

var b = new Barcode();

// There is no Decode, Scan, or Read method on Barcode.
// b.Decode("barcode.png");      // does not exist
// b.Scan("barcode.png");        // does not exist
// b.ReadBarcode("barcode.png"); // does not exist

// The only public operation is generation:
SKImage img = b.Encode(BarcodeStandard.Type.Code128, "PRODUCT-12345", 300, 100);

using BarcodeStandard;
using SkiaSharp;

var b = new Barcode();

// There is no Decode, Scan, or Read method on Barcode.
// b.Decode("barcode.png");      // does not exist
// b.Scan("barcode.png");        // does not exist
// b.ReadBarcode("barcode.png"); // does not exist

// The only public operation is generation:
SKImage img = b.Encode(BarcodeStandard.Type.Code128, "PRODUCT-12345", 300, 100);

Imports BarcodeStandard
Imports SkiaSharp

Dim b = New Barcode()

' There is no Decode, Scan, or Read method on Barcode.
' b.Decode("barcode.png")      ' does not exist
' b.Scan("barcode.png")        ' does not exist
' b.ReadBarcode("barcode.png") ' does not exist

' The only public operation is generation:
Dim img As SKImage = b.Encode(BarcodeStandard.Type.Code128, "PRODUCT-12345", 300, 100)

Teams that need both generation and reading alongside BarcodeLib must add a second library — typically ZXing.Net — which introduces its own dependency management burden and a second API surface to maintain.

IronBarcode Approach

BarcodeReader.Read() accepts image files, PDF files, streams, and System.Drawing.Bitmap objects. Reading from a PDF requires no additional library:

using IronBarCode;

// Read from an image
var results = BarcodeReader.Read("barcode.png");
Console.WriteLine(results.First().Value);  // "PRODUCT-12345"

// Read all barcodes from a PDF — no separate PDF library needed
var pdfResults = BarcodeReader.Read("invoice-batch.pdf");
foreach (var result in pdfResults)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Page {result.PageNumber}: {result.Value}");
}

// Tune reading for speed vs. thoroughness
var options = new BarcodeReaderOptions
{
    Speed = ReadingSpeed.Balanced,
    ExpectMultipleBarcodes = true
};
var multiResults = BarcodeReader.Read("warehouse-scan.png", options);

using IronBarCode;

// Read from an image
var results = BarcodeReader.Read("barcode.png");
Console.WriteLine(results.First().Value);  // "PRODUCT-12345"

// Read all barcodes from a PDF — no separate PDF library needed
var pdfResults = BarcodeReader.Read("invoice-batch.pdf");
foreach (var result in pdfResults)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Page {result.PageNumber}: {result.Value}");
}

// Tune reading for speed vs. thoroughness
var options = new BarcodeReaderOptions
{
    Speed = ReadingSpeed.Balanced,
    ExpectMultipleBarcodes = true
};
var multiResults = BarcodeReader.Read("warehouse-scan.png", options);

Imports IronBarCode

' Read from an image
Dim results = BarcodeReader.Read("barcode.png")
Console.WriteLine(results.First().Value)  ' "PRODUCT-12345"

' Read all barcodes from a PDF — no separate PDF library needed
Dim pdfResults = BarcodeReader.Read("invoice-batch.pdf")
For Each result In pdfResults
    Console.WriteLine($"Page {result.PageNumber}: {result.Value}")
Next

' Tune reading for speed vs. thoroughness
Dim options As New BarcodeReaderOptions With {
    .Speed = ReadingSpeed.Balanced,
    .ExpectMultipleBarcodes = True
}
Dim multiResults = BarcodeReader.Read("warehouse-scan.png", options)

The ReadingSpeed enum allows tuning scan performance for high-volume scenarios. For guidance on reading configuration, see the IronBarcode reading documentation.

BarcodeLib Approach

Starting with BarcodeLib 3.x, the library introduced SkiaSharp as a graphics backend to replace System.Drawing.Common, which became Windows-only after .NET 6. BarcodeLib 3.1.5 declares SkiaSharp >= 2.88.8. If a project already uses SkiaSharp through another dependency — common in MAUI projects using SkiaSharp.Views.Maui and Microsoft.Maui.Graphics, which trend toward SkiaSharp 3.x — the resolved versions may not converge. The result is a NU1608 warning at minimum and an assembly binding failure at runtime at worst:

warning NU1608: Detected package version outside of dependency constraint:
BarcodeLib 3.1.5 requires SkiaSharp (>= 2.88.8) but
version SkiaSharp 3.116.1 was resolved.

Forcing a resolution through explicit package references is one route, though it does not guarantee runtime compatibility:

<ItemGroup>
  <PackageReference Include="BarcodeLib" Version="3.1.5" />
  <PackageReference Include="SkiaSharp" Version="3.116.1" />
  <PackageReference Include="SkiaSharp.Views.Maui.Controls" Version="3.116.1" />
</ItemGroup>

<ItemGroup>
  <PackageReference Include="BarcodeLib" Version="3.1.5" />
  <PackageReference Include="SkiaSharp" Version="3.116.1" />
  <PackageReference Include="SkiaSharp.Views.Maui.Controls" Version="3.116.1" />
</ItemGroup>

Even with explicit overrides, compatibility depends on BarcodeLib's internal API calls matching what the resolved SkiaSharp version exposes. As a community-maintained project, BarcodeLib has no commercial support contract attached to its release cadence.

IronBarcode Approach

IronBarcode does not share the SkiaSharp dependency graph with application code. There is no version negotiation to manage, no NU1608 to diagnose, and no runtime assembly binding risk tied to SkiaSharp version resolution. MAUI projects, Blazor projects, and any other application that depends on SkiaSharp can install IronBarcode without any version conflict. For MAUI-specific integration patterns, see the IronBarcode MAUI documentation.

Reading Requirement Appears

A system that has generated shipping labels for months receives a new requirement: the application must also process returned labels from suppliers. The warehouse integration needs to parse barcodes from inbound shipment manifests. A document management system needs to index barcodes on scanned PDFs. BarcodeLib cannot fulfill any of these requirements — the reading API does not exist. The team evaluates adding ZXing.Net alongside BarcodeLib, weighs the dual-library maintenance burden and the two separate dependency graphs, and decides the cleaner path is a library that handles both generation and reading under a single NuGet install.

SkiaSharp Conflict in a MAUI Project

A team adds BarcodeLib to an existing MAUI application and immediately encounters NU1608 warnings during restore. They investigate, identify the version mismatch between BarcodeLib's expected SkiaSharp range and the version MAUI requires, add explicit <PackageReference> overrides to force a resolution, and get the build to pass. Then they encounter a runtime crash on device when SkiaSharp's native binaries load the wrong version. The fix requires deeper investigation into the assembly binding log. Switching to IronBarcode removes the conflict at the root — not by finding a compatible SkiaSharp version, but by eliminating the shared dependency entirely.

PDF Barcode Processing Required

Applications that generate PDF documents with embedded barcodes — invoices, work orders, shipping manifests — sometimes need to read those barcodes back during downstream processing. BarcodeLib generates barcode images but has no PDF support on either end. Reading barcodes from a PDF with BarcodeLib requires rendering the PDF to images first using a separate PDF library, then passing those images to a separate reading library. IronBarcode handles the full chain natively: BarcodeReader.Read("file.pdf") traverses every page and returns all detected barcodes without an intermediate rendering step.

QR Code or Other 2D Symbology Requirement Appears

Projects that initially required only linear barcodes often evolve to need QR Code, Data Matrix, PDF417, or Aztec output. BarcodeLib does not generate any 2D symbology in its 3.x series — the BarcodeStandard.Type enum contains no QR Code or other 2D entries — so any 2D requirement means adding a second library or replacing BarcodeLib outright. IronBarcode's QRCodeWriter and BarcodeWriter cover QR Code (with logo embedding, color control, and error correction tuning), Data Matrix, PDF417, and Aztec through the same fluent API. Teams whose symbology requirements move into 2D find that the gap drives the migration decision.

Instance API to Static Fluent API

BarcodeLib code uses a mutable object pattern: create a Barcode instance, set properties, call Encode(). IronBarcode uses a static fluent pattern: call BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(), chain configuration methods, terminate with an output method. Existing code that stores a Barcode instance as a field or passes it between methods will need restructuring. The typical change is replacing the property-setter block with a method chain:

// The property setters on b become chained methods
BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(data, BarcodeEncoding.Code128)
    .ResizeTo(300, 100)
    .AddBarcodeValueTextBelowBarcode()
    .SaveAsPng(outputPath);

// The property setters on b become chained methods
BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(data, BarcodeEncoding.Code128)
    .ResizeTo(300, 100)
    .AddBarcodeValueTextBelowBarcode()
    .SaveAsPng(outputPath);

' The property setters on b become chained methods
BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(data, BarcodeEncoding.Code128) _
    .ResizeTo(300, 100) _
    .AddBarcodeValueTextBelowBarcode() _
    .SaveAsPng(outputPath)

SKImage to Direct Output

BarcodeLib 3.x returns SKImage, which requires SKEncodedImageFormat and a stream to produce bytes. Any code typed to SKImage or going through image.Encode(...).SaveTo(stream) will need updating. IronBarcode's fluent chain terminates with the desired output format directly — .SaveAsPng(), .ToPngBinaryData(), .ToAnyImageData() — removing the need for the intermediate image object and the encode-to-stream step.

Type Enum to BarcodeEncoding Enum

BarcodeLib 3.x uses the BarcodeStandard.Type enum with PascalCase values such as BarcodeStandard.Type.Code128. IronBarcode uses the BarcodeEncoding enum with values such as BarcodeEncoding.Code128. The 1D values map directly: Code128 → Code128, Ean13 → EAN13, UpcA → UPCA, Code39 → Code39. A grep for BarcodeStandard.Type. across .cs files identifies all occurrences that need updating.

SkiaSharp Reference Cleanup

Projects that added explicit <PackageReference Include="SkiaSharp"> entries only to resolve BarcodeLib's NU1608 warnings can remove those overrides after switching to IronBarcode. The dotnet list package --include-transitive command confirms whether SkiaSharp is still required by other packages in the project before removing it.