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MIGRATION GUIDES

Migrating from DevExpress Barcode Controls to IronBarcode

Jordi Bardia
Jordi Bardia
Published:

If you are using DevExpress for its grid, chart, scheduler, or pivot controls, keep those. This migration is specifically about replacing BarCodeControl with a library that can also read barcodes, run headlessly, and deploy outside a UI context. The DevExpress UI controls you rely on for your WinForms or Blazor application are not touched by this migration. Only the barcode-specific code changes.

The typical scenario that prompts this migration is one of three things: a reading requirement arrives and DevExpress cannot satisfy it; a new service needs barcode generation in ASP.NET Core or a cloud function where WinForms assemblies are not present; or suite renewal comes around and the cost-per-feature math on using a full UI toolkit for barcode output alone stops making sense.

Step 1: Install IronBarcode

dotnet add package BarCode
dotnet add package BarCode
SHELL

If you are keeping other DevExpress controls in the same project, leave the DevExpress NuGet packages in place. Only the barcode-related code in your source files changes. If barcode generation was the only reason DevExpress appeared in a particular project and you use no other DX controls there, you can remove the DevExpress packages from that project after the migration:

# Only remove DevExpress packages if no other DX controls are used in this project
dotnet remove package DevExpress.Win.Navigation
# Only remove DevExpress packages if no other DX controls are used in this project
dotnet remove package DevExpress.Win.Navigation
SHELL

Step 2: Add License Initialization

Add IronBarcode license activation once at application startup — in Program.cs, App.xaml.cs, or your host builder:

// In Program.cs (ASP.NET Core) or application entry point
IronBarCode.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY";
// In Program.cs (ASP.NET Core) or application entry point
IronBarCode.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY";
Imports IronBarCode

' In Program.vb (ASP.NET Core) or application entry point
IronBarCode.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY"
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

No network call. No error code to check. Local validation.

Step 3: Replace Barcode-Specific Code

Search your codebase for DevExpress barcode types. Everything else stays:

# Find barcode-related DevExpress usage — ignore grid, chart, and other DX components
grep -r "BarCodeControl\|Code128Generator\|QRCodeGenerator\|DataMatrixGenerator\|PDF417Generator\|AztecCodeGenerator\|DevExpress.XtraPrinting.BarCode" --include="*.cs" .
grep -r "barCode\.Module\|DrawToBitmap\|BarCode\.Symbology" --include="*.cs" .
# Find barcode-related DevExpress usage — ignore grid, chart, and other DX components
grep -r "BarCodeControl\|Code128Generator\|QRCodeGenerator\|DataMatrixGenerator\|PDF417Generator\|AztecCodeGenerator\|DevExpress.XtraPrinting.BarCode" --include="*.cs" .
grep -r "barCode\.Module\|DrawToBitmap\|BarCode\.Symbology" --include="*.cs" .
SHELL

The results of this search are exactly what you will replace. Nothing else.

Code Migration Examples

Code 128 Generation

This is the most common migration. A BarCodeControl with a Code128Generator symbology becomes a single BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode call.

Before — DevExpress WinForms control:

using DevExpress.XtraEditors;
using DevExpress.XtraPrinting.BarCode;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Drawing.Imaging;

public void GenerateCode128(string data, string outputPath)
{
    var barCode = new BarCodeControl();
    var symbology = new Code128Generator();
    symbology.CharacterSet = Code128CharacterSet.CharsetAuto;
    barCode.Symbology = symbology;
    barCode.Text = data;
    barCode.Module = 0.02f;
    barCode.ShowText = true;

    barCode.Width = 400;
    barCode.Height = 100;
    var bitmap = new Bitmap(barCode.Width, barCode.Height);
    barCode.DrawToBitmap(bitmap, new Rectangle(0, 0, barCode.Width, barCode.Height));
    bitmap.Save(outputPath, ImageFormat.Png);
    bitmap.Dispose();
}
using DevExpress.XtraEditors;
using DevExpress.XtraPrinting.BarCode;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Drawing.Imaging;

public void GenerateCode128(string data, string outputPath)
{
    var barCode = new BarCodeControl();
    var symbology = new Code128Generator();
    symbology.CharacterSet = Code128CharacterSet.CharsetAuto;
    barCode.Symbology = symbology;
    barCode.Text = data;
    barCode.Module = 0.02f;
    barCode.ShowText = true;

    barCode.Width = 400;
    barCode.Height = 100;
    var bitmap = new Bitmap(barCode.Width, barCode.Height);
    barCode.DrawToBitmap(bitmap, new Rectangle(0, 0, barCode.Width, barCode.Height));
    bitmap.Save(outputPath, ImageFormat.Png);
    bitmap.Dispose();
}
Imports DevExpress.XtraEditors
Imports DevExpress.XtraPrinting.BarCode
Imports System.Drawing
Imports System.Drawing.Imaging

Public Sub GenerateCode128(data As String, outputPath As String)
    Dim barCode As New BarCodeControl()
    Dim symbology As New Code128Generator()
    symbology.CharacterSet = Code128CharacterSet.CharsetAuto
    barCode.Symbology = symbology
    barCode.Text = data
    barCode.Module = 0.02F
    barCode.ShowText = True

    barCode.Width = 400
    barCode.Height = 100
    Dim bitmap As New Bitmap(barCode.Width, barCode.Height)
    barCode.DrawToBitmap(bitmap, New Rectangle(0, 0, barCode.Width, barCode.Height))
    bitmap.Save(outputPath, ImageFormat.Png)
    bitmap.Dispose()
End Sub
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

After — IronBarcode:

// NuGet: dotnet add package BarCode
using IronBarCode;

public void GenerateCode128(string data, string outputPath)
{
    BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(data, BarcodeEncoding.Code128)
        .ResizeTo(400, 100)
        .SaveAsPng(outputPath);
}
// NuGet: dotnet add package BarCode
using IronBarCode;

public void GenerateCode128(string data, string outputPath)
{
    BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(data, BarcodeEncoding.Code128)
        .ResizeTo(400, 100)
        .SaveAsPng(outputPath);
}
Imports IronBarCode

Public Sub GenerateCode128(data As String, outputPath As String)
    BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(data, BarcodeEncoding.Code128) _
        .ResizeTo(400, 100) _
        .SaveAsPng(outputPath)
End Sub
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

The barCode.Module = 0.02f document-unit sizing is gone. .ResizeTo(400, 100) takes pixels directly. The manual Bitmap allocation and DrawToBitmap call are replaced by .SaveAsPng(), which handles sizing automatically.

QR Code Generation

Before — DevExpress QR with error correction:

using DevExpress.XtraEditors;
using DevExpress.XtraPrinting.BarCode;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Drawing.Imaging;

public void GenerateQrCode(string url, string outputPath)
{
    var barCode = new BarCodeControl();
    var symbology = new QRCodeGenerator();
    symbology.ErrorCorrectionLevel = QRCodeErrorCorrectionLevel.H;
    symbology.CompactionMode = QRCodeCompactionMode.AlphaNumeric;
    barCode.Symbology = symbology;
    barCode.Text = url;

    barCode.Width = 500;
    barCode.Height = 500;
    var bitmap = new Bitmap(barCode.Width, barCode.Height);
    barCode.DrawToBitmap(bitmap, new Rectangle(0, 0, barCode.Width, barCode.Height));
    bitmap.Save(outputPath, ImageFormat.Png);
    bitmap.Dispose();
}
using DevExpress.XtraEditors;
using DevExpress.XtraPrinting.BarCode;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Drawing.Imaging;

public void GenerateQrCode(string url, string outputPath)
{
    var barCode = new BarCodeControl();
    var symbology = new QRCodeGenerator();
    symbology.ErrorCorrectionLevel = QRCodeErrorCorrectionLevel.H;
    symbology.CompactionMode = QRCodeCompactionMode.AlphaNumeric;
    barCode.Symbology = symbology;
    barCode.Text = url;

    barCode.Width = 500;
    barCode.Height = 500;
    var bitmap = new Bitmap(barCode.Width, barCode.Height);
    barCode.DrawToBitmap(bitmap, new Rectangle(0, 0, barCode.Width, barCode.Height));
    bitmap.Save(outputPath, ImageFormat.Png);
    bitmap.Dispose();
}
Imports DevExpress.XtraEditors
Imports DevExpress.XtraPrinting.BarCode
Imports System.Drawing
Imports System.Drawing.Imaging

Public Sub GenerateQrCode(url As String, outputPath As String)
    Dim barCode As New BarCodeControl()
    Dim symbology As New QRCodeGenerator()
    symbology.ErrorCorrectionLevel = QRCodeErrorCorrectionLevel.H
    symbology.CompactionMode = QRCodeCompactionMode.AlphaNumeric
    barCode.Symbology = symbology
    barCode.Text = url

    barCode.Width = 500
    barCode.Height = 500
    Dim bitmap As New Bitmap(barCode.Width, barCode.Height)
    barCode.DrawToBitmap(bitmap, New Rectangle(0, 0, barCode.Width, barCode.Height))
    bitmap.Save(outputPath, ImageFormat.Png)
    bitmap.Dispose()
End Sub
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

After — IronBarcode:

using IronBarCode;

public void GenerateQrCode(string url, string outputPath)
{
    QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode(url, 500, QRCodeWriter.QrErrorCorrectionLevel.Highest)
        .SaveAsPng(outputPath);
}
using IronBarCode;

public void GenerateQrCode(string url, string outputPath)
{
    QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode(url, 500, QRCodeWriter.QrErrorCorrectionLevel.Highest)
        .SaveAsPng(outputPath);
}
Imports IronBarCode

Public Sub GenerateQrCode(url As String, outputPath As String)
    QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode(url, 500, QRCodeWriter.QrErrorCorrectionLevel.Highest) _
        .SaveAsPng(outputPath)
End Sub
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

QRCodeErrorCorrectionLevel.H maps to QRCodeWriter.QrErrorCorrectionLevel.Highest. The CompactionMode.AlphaNumeric setting is handled automatically by IronBarcode based on the content.

QR code with a brand logo (net-new capability — not possible with DevExpress):

using IronBarCode;

public void GenerateBrandedQrCode(string url, string logoPath, string outputPath)
{
    QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode(url, 500, QRCodeWriter.QrErrorCorrectionLevel.Highest)
        .AddBrandLogo(logoPath)
        .SaveAsPng(outputPath);
}
using IronBarCode;

public void GenerateBrandedQrCode(string url, string logoPath, string outputPath)
{
    QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode(url, 500, QRCodeWriter.QrErrorCorrectionLevel.Highest)
        .AddBrandLogo(logoPath)
        .SaveAsPng(outputPath);
}
Imports IronBarCode

Public Sub GenerateBrandedQrCode(url As String, logoPath As String, outputPath As String)
    QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode(url, 500, QRCodeWriter.QrErrorCorrectionLevel.Highest) _
        .AddBrandLogo(logoPath) _
        .SaveAsPng(outputPath)
End Sub
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Data Matrix Generation

Before — DevExpress:

using DevExpress.XtraEditors;
using DevExpress.XtraPrinting.BarCode;

var barCode = new BarCodeControl();
var symbology = new DataMatrixGenerator();
symbology.MatrixSize = DataMatrixSize.Matrix26x26;
barCode.Symbology = symbology;
barCode.Text = "PART-7734-X";
// ... DrawToBitmap pattern
using DevExpress.XtraEditors;
using DevExpress.XtraPrinting.BarCode;

var barCode = new BarCodeControl();
var symbology = new DataMatrixGenerator();
symbology.MatrixSize = DataMatrixSize.Matrix26x26;
barCode.Symbology = symbology;
barCode.Text = "PART-7734-X";
// ... DrawToBitmap pattern
Imports DevExpress.XtraEditors
Imports DevExpress.XtraPrinting.BarCode

Dim barCode As New BarCodeControl()
Dim symbology As New DataMatrixGenerator()
symbology.MatrixSize = DataMatrixSize.Matrix26x26
barCode.Symbology = symbology
barCode.Text = "PART-7734-X"
' ... DrawToBitmap pattern
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

After — IronBarcode:

using IronBarCode;

BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode("PART-7734-X", BarcodeEncoding.DataMatrix)
    .ResizeTo(260, 260)
    .SaveAsPng("datamatrix.png");
using IronBarCode;

BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode("PART-7734-X", BarcodeEncoding.DataMatrix)
    .ResizeTo(260, 260)
    .SaveAsPng("datamatrix.png");
Imports IronBarCode

BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode("PART-7734-X", BarcodeEncoding.DataMatrix) _
    .ResizeTo(260, 260) _
    .SaveAsPng("datamatrix.png")
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

PDF417 Generation

Before — DevExpress:

using DevExpress.XtraEditors;
using DevExpress.XtraPrinting.BarCode;

var barCode = new BarCodeControl();
barCode.Symbology = new PDF417Generator();
barCode.Text = "SHIPMENT-DATA-2026";
// ... DrawToBitmap pattern
using DevExpress.XtraEditors;
using DevExpress.XtraPrinting.BarCode;

var barCode = new BarCodeControl();
barCode.Symbology = new PDF417Generator();
barCode.Text = "SHIPMENT-DATA-2026";
// ... DrawToBitmap pattern
Imports DevExpress.XtraEditors
Imports DevExpress.XtraPrinting.BarCode

Dim barCode As New BarCodeControl()
barCode.Symbology = New PDF417Generator()
barCode.Text = "SHIPMENT-DATA-2026"
' ... DrawToBitmap pattern
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

After — IronBarcode:

using IronBarCode;

BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode("SHIPMENT-DATA-2026", BarcodeEncoding.PDF417)
    .ResizeTo(400, 150)
    .SaveAsPng("pdf417.png");
using IronBarCode;

BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode("SHIPMENT-DATA-2026", BarcodeEncoding.PDF417)
    .ResizeTo(400, 150)
    .SaveAsPng("pdf417.png");
Imports IronBarCode

BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode("SHIPMENT-DATA-2026", BarcodeEncoding.PDF417) _
    .ResizeTo(400, 150) _
    .SaveAsPng("pdf417.png")
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Adding Reading (Net-New Capability)

DevExpress provides no reading API. If a reading requirement has arrived, this is where IronBarcode pays for itself immediately:

using IronBarCode;

// Read from an image file
var results = BarcodeReader.Read("uploaded-label.png");
foreach (var result in results)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Found {result.Format}: {result.Value}");
}

// Read with options for better accuracy on difficult images
var options = new BarcodeReaderOptions
{
    Speed = ReadingSpeed.Balanced,
    ExpectMultipleBarcodes = true,
    MaxParallelThreads = 4
};
var detailedResults = BarcodeReader.Read("multi-barcode-sheet.png", options);
using IronBarCode;

// Read from an image file
var results = BarcodeReader.Read("uploaded-label.png");
foreach (var result in results)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Found {result.Format}: {result.Value}");
}

// Read with options for better accuracy on difficult images
var options = new BarcodeReaderOptions
{
    Speed = ReadingSpeed.Balanced,
    ExpectMultipleBarcodes = true,
    MaxParallelThreads = 4
};
var detailedResults = BarcodeReader.Read("multi-barcode-sheet.png", options);
Imports IronBarCode

' Read from an image file
Dim results = BarcodeReader.Read("uploaded-label.png")
For Each result In results
    Console.WriteLine($"Found {result.Format}: {result.Value}")
Next

' Read with options for better accuracy on difficult images
Dim options As New BarcodeReaderOptions With {
    .Speed = ReadingSpeed.Balanced,
    .ExpectMultipleBarcodes = True,
    .MaxParallelThreads = 4
}
Dim detailedResults = BarcodeReader.Read("multi-barcode-sheet.png", options)
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

ASP.NET Core Barcode Endpoint

This was not achievable with BarCodeControl without WinForms workarounds. IronBarcode supports this natively:

using IronBarCode;

// In Program.cs or a controller
app.MapGet("/label/{sku}", (string sku) =>
{
    var pngBytes = BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(sku, BarcodeEncoding.Code128)
        .ResizeTo(400, 100)
        .ToPngBinaryData();

    return Results.File(pngBytes, "image/png", $"{sku}.png");
});

app.MapGet("/qr/{data}", (string data) =>
{
    var pngBytes = QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode(data, 300, QRCodeWriter.QrErrorCorrectionLevel.Highest)
        .ToPngBinaryData();

    return Results.File(pngBytes, "image/png");
});
using IronBarCode;

// In Program.cs or a controller
app.MapGet("/label/{sku}", (string sku) =>
{
    var pngBytes = BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(sku, BarcodeEncoding.Code128)
        .ResizeTo(400, 100)
        .ToPngBinaryData();

    return Results.File(pngBytes, "image/png", $"{sku}.png");
});

app.MapGet("/qr/{data}", (string data) =>
{
    var pngBytes = QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode(data, 300, QRCodeWriter.QrErrorCorrectionLevel.Highest)
        .ToPngBinaryData();

    return Results.File(pngBytes, "image/png");
});
Imports IronBarCode

' In Program.vb or a controller
app.MapGet("/label/{sku}", Function(sku As String)
    Dim pngBytes = BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(sku, BarcodeEncoding.Code128) _
        .ResizeTo(400, 100) _
        .ToPngBinaryData()

    Return Results.File(pngBytes, "image/png", $"{sku}.png")
End Function)

app.MapGet("/qr/{data}", Function(data As String)
    Dim pngBytes = QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode(data, 300, QRCodeWriter.QrErrorCorrectionLevel.Highest) _
        .ToPngBinaryData()

    Return Results.File(pngBytes, "image/png")
End Function)
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Reading Barcodes from PDFs

IronBarcode reads from PDF files natively. No PdfiumViewer, no rendering loop, no extra packages:

using IronBarCode;

// Read all barcodes from all pages of a PDF
var results = BarcodeReader.Read("shipping-manifest.pdf");
foreach (var result in results)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Barcode: {result.Value} | Format: {result.Format}");
}
using IronBarCode;

// Read all barcodes from all pages of a PDF
var results = BarcodeReader.Read("shipping-manifest.pdf");
foreach (var result in results)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Barcode: {result.Value} | Format: {result.Format}");
}
Imports IronBarCode

' Read all barcodes from all pages of a PDF
Dim results = BarcodeReader.Read("shipping-manifest.pdf")
For Each result In results
    Console.WriteLine($"Barcode: {result.Value} | Format: {result.Format}")
Next
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Common Migration Issues

barCode.Module Uses Document Units, Not Pixels

barCode.Module controls the width of the narrowest bar in document units (dependent on the rendering DPI context). This is not a pixel count. When migrating, do not try to convert the module value to pixels — instead, decide what pixel dimensions you want and use .ResizeTo(width, height) directly.

// Before: barCode.Module = 0.02f  — document units, indirect sizing
// After:
.ResizeTo(400, 100)  // explicit pixel dimensions
// Before: barCode.Module = 0.02f  — document units, indirect sizing
// After:
.ResizeTo(400, 100)  // explicit pixel dimensions
' Before: barCode.Module = 0.02F  — document units, indirect sizing
' After:
.ResizeTo(400, 100)  ' explicit pixel dimensions
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

DrawToBitmap Requires Pre-Allocated Bitmap

The old pattern allocated a Bitmap of a specific size, then called DrawToBitmap to render into it. IronBarcode's .SaveAsPng() handles all of this internally. You do not pre-allocate anything.

// Before: must know size upfront, allocate, draw, save, dispose
barCode.Width = 400;
barCode.Height = 100;
var bitmap = new Bitmap(barCode.Width, barCode.Height);
barCode.DrawToBitmap(bitmap, new Rectangle(0, 0, barCode.Width, barCode.Height));
bitmap.Save(path, ImageFormat.Png);
bitmap.Dispose();

// After: size specified once, everything else handled
BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(data, BarcodeEncoding.Code128)
    .ResizeTo(400, 100)
    .SaveAsPng(path);
// Before: must know size upfront, allocate, draw, save, dispose
barCode.Width = 400;
barCode.Height = 100;
var bitmap = new Bitmap(barCode.Width, barCode.Height);
barCode.DrawToBitmap(bitmap, new Rectangle(0, 0, barCode.Width, barCode.Height));
bitmap.Save(path, ImageFormat.Png);
bitmap.Dispose();

// After: size specified once, everything else handled
BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(data, BarcodeEncoding.Code128)
    .ResizeTo(400, 100)
    .SaveAsPng(path);
' Before: must know size upfront, allocate, draw, save, dispose
barCode.Width = 400
barCode.Height = 100
Dim bitmap As New Bitmap(barCode.Width, barCode.Height)
barCode.DrawToBitmap(bitmap, New Rectangle(0, 0, barCode.Width, barCode.Height))
bitmap.Save(path, ImageFormat.Png)
bitmap.Dispose()

' After: size specified once, everything else handled
BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(data, BarcodeEncoding.Code128) _
    .ResizeTo(400, 100) _
    .SaveAsPng(path)
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

WinForms Data Binding

If BarCodeControl was bound to a data source in a WinForms designer, the IronBarcode equivalent is to read the value from your model explicitly and pass it to BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode. IronBarcode does not participate in WinForms data binding — it is a programmatic API, not a UI control. If you need to display the generated barcode on a form, generate the image bytes and set them on a PictureBox:

using IronBarCode;

// Generate and display in a WinForms PictureBox
private void UpdateBarcodeDisplay(string value)
{
    var bytes = BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(value, BarcodeEncoding.Code128)
        .ResizeTo(400, 100)
        .ToPngBinaryData();

    using var ms = new System.IO.MemoryStream(bytes);
    pictureBox1.Image = System.Drawing.Image.FromStream(ms);
}
using IronBarCode;

// Generate and display in a WinForms PictureBox
private void UpdateBarcodeDisplay(string value)
{
    var bytes = BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(value, BarcodeEncoding.Code128)
        .ResizeTo(400, 100)
        .ToPngBinaryData();

    using var ms = new System.IO.MemoryStream(bytes);
    pictureBox1.Image = System.Drawing.Image.FromStream(ms);
}
Imports IronBarCode
Imports System.IO

' Generate and display in a WinForms PictureBox
Private Sub UpdateBarcodeDisplay(value As String)
    Dim bytes = BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(value, BarcodeEncoding.Code128) _
        .ResizeTo(400, 100) _
        .ToPngBinaryData()

    Using ms As New MemoryStream(bytes)
        pictureBox1.Image = System.Drawing.Image.FromStream(ms)
    End Using
End Sub
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Namespace Replacement

Old imports to remove:

// Remove these
using DevExpress.XtraEditors;
using DevExpress.XtraPrinting.BarCode;
// Remove these
using DevExpress.XtraEditors;
using DevExpress.XtraPrinting.BarCode;
net
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

New import to add:

// Add this
using IronBarCode;
// Add this
using IronBarCode;
Imports IronBarCode
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

API Mapping Reference

DevExpress Barcode IronBarcode Equivalent
new BarCodeControl() Static — no instance
new Code128Generator() + barCode.Symbology = symbology BarcodeEncoding.Code128 parameter
new QRCodeGenerator() + QRCodeErrorCorrectionLevel.H QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode(data, size, QRCodeWriter.QrErrorCorrectionLevel.Highest)
new DataMatrixGenerator() + DataMatrixSize.Matrix26x26 BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(data, BarcodeEncoding.DataMatrix)
new PDF417Generator() BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(data, BarcodeEncoding.PDF417)
new AztecCodeGenerator() BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(data, BarcodeEncoding.Aztec)
barCode.Text = value First argument to CreateBarcode or CreateQrCode
barCode.Module = 0.02f .ResizeTo(width, height) in pixels
barCode.ShowText = true .AddBarcodeText()
DrawToBitmap(bitmap, rect) .SaveAsPng(path)
new Bitmap(w, h) + manual disposal Not needed
Bitmap → MemoryStream → HTTP .ToPngBinaryData()
No reading API BarcodeReader.Read(path)
using DevExpress.XtraEditors + using DevExpress.XtraPrinting.BarCode using IronBarCode

Migration Checklist

Use this grep pattern to find every file that needs updating:

grep -r "BarCodeControl\|Code128Generator\|QRCodeGenerator\|DataMatrixGenerator\|PDF417Generator\|AztecCodeGenerator" --include="*.cs" .
grep -r "barCode\.Module\|barCode\.Symbology\|DrawToBitmap\|DevExpress\.XtraPrinting\.BarCode" --include="*.cs" .
grep -r "BarCodeControl\|Code128Generator\|QRCodeGenerator\|DataMatrixGenerator\|PDF417Generator\|AztecCodeGenerator" --include="*.cs" .
grep -r "barCode\.Module\|barCode\.Symbology\|DrawToBitmap\|DevExpress\.XtraPrinting\.BarCode" --include="*.cs" .
SHELL

Work through each match:

  • Replace using DevExpress.XtraEditors; and using DevExpress.XtraPrinting.BarCode; with using IronBarCode;
  • Replace new BarCodeControl() + symbology setup with BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(data, BarcodeEncoding.X)
  • Replace new QRCodeGenerator() + symbology setup with QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode(data, size, errorLevel)
  • Replace barCode.Module = X with .ResizeTo(width, height)
  • Replace DrawToBitmap + bitmap.Save pattern with .SaveAsPng(path)
  • Replace Bitmap-to-MemoryStream patterns with .ToPngBinaryData()
  • Add IronBarCode.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY" at application startup
  • Add BarcodeReader.Read() calls wherever reading capability is needed

If a project uses DevExpress only for barcode controls and no other DX components, remove the DevExpress NuGet packages after all barcode references are replaced. If the project uses DevExpress grid, chart, or other UI controls, leave those packages in place — this migration only touches barcode code.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I migrate from DevExpress Barcode to IronBarcode?

Common reasons include simplifying licensing (removing SDK + runtime key complexity), eliminating throughput limits, gaining native PDF support, improving Docker/CI/CD deployment, and reducing API boilerplate in production code.

How do I replace DevExpress API calls with IronBarcode?

Replace instance creation and licensing boilerplate with IronBarCode.License.LicenseKey = "key". Replace reader calls with BarcodeReader.Read(path) and writer calls with BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(data, encoding). Static methods require no instance management.

How much code changes when migrating from DevExpress Barcode to IronBarcode?

Most migrations result in fewer lines of code. Licensing boilerplate, instance constructors, and explicit format configuration are removed. Core read/write operations map to shorter IronBarcode equivalents with cleaner result objects.

Do I need to keep both DevExpress Barcode and IronBarcode installed during migration?

No. Most migrations are direct replacements rather than parallel operation. Migrate one service class at a time, replace the NuGet reference, and update the instantiation and API call patterns before moving to the next class.

What is the NuGet package name for IronBarcode?

The package is 'IronBarCode' (with capital B and C). Install it with 'Install-Package IronBarCode' or 'dotnet add package IronBarCode'. The using directive in code is 'using IronBarCode;'.

How does IronBarcode simplify Docker deployment compared to DevExpress Barcode?

IronBarcode is a NuGet package with no external SDK files or mounted license configuration. In Docker, set the IRONBARCODE_LICENSE_KEY environment variable and the package handles license validation at startup.

Does IronBarcode detect all barcode formats automatically after migrating from DevExpress?

Yes. IronBarcode auto-detects symbology across all supported formats. Explicit BarcodeTypes enumeration is not required. If format is already known and performance matters, BarcodeReaderOptions allows restricting the search space as an optimization.

Can IronBarcode read barcodes from PDFs without a separate library?

Yes. BarcodeReader.Read("document.pdf") processes PDF files natively. Results include PageNumber, Format, Value, and Confidence for each barcode found. No external PDF rendering step is required.

How does IronBarcode handle parallel barcode processing?

IronBarcode's static methods are stateless and thread-safe. Use Parallel.ForEach directly over file lists without per-thread instance management. BarcodeReaderOptions.MaxParallelThreads controls the internal thread budget.

What result properties change when migrating from DevExpress Barcode to IronBarcode?

Common renames: BarcodeValue becomes Value, BarcodeType becomes Format. IronBarcode results also add Confidence and PageNumber. A solution-wide search-and-replace handles the renames in existing result-processing code.

How do I set up IronBarcode licensing in a CI/CD pipeline?

Store IRONBARCODE_LICENSE_KEY as a pipeline secret and assign IronBarCode.License.LicenseKey in application startup code. One secret covers all environments including development, test, staging, and production.

Does IronBarcode support QR code generation with custom styling?

Yes. QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode() supports custom colors via ChangeBarCodeColor(), logo embedding via AddBrandLogo(), configurable error correction levels, and multiple output formats including PNG, JPG, PDF, and stream.

Jordi Bardia
Jordi Bardia
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Software Engineer
Jordi is most proficient in Python, C# and C++, when he isn’t leveraging his skills at Iron Software; he’s game programming. Sharing responsibilities for product testing, product development and research, Jordi adds immense value to continual product improvement. The varied experience keeps him challenged and engaged, and he ...
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