MIGRATION GUIDES

Migrating from Dynamsoft Barcode Reader to IronBarcode

Published:May 3, 2026

Most developers who migrate from Dynamsoft to IronBarcode fall into one of two groups: those who chose Dynamsoft for its reputation and then discovered the camera-centric API didn't match a document processing use case, and those running in air-gapped or Docker environments where the license server dependency caused production incidents.

If you are in the first group, the migration removes the external PDF rendering library, the per-page render loop, and the error-code license pattern. If you are in the second group, the migration removes the InitLicense network call, the offline license-content bundle and refresh cycle, and the outbound network policy from your Docker or VPC configuration. Either way, the codebase gets shorter after this migration.

This guide is honest about what you lose: if your application processes real-time camera frames, Dynamsoft's Capture Vision pipeline is tuned for that workload and IronBarcode is not the right replacement. This migration guide is for server-side file processing, document workflows, and environments where license server access is a problem.

Step 1: Swap the NuGet Packages

dotnet remove package Dynamsoft.DotNet.BarcodeReader.Bundle
dotnet add package BarCode

dotnet remove package Dynamsoft.DotNet.BarcodeReader.Bundle
dotnet add package BarCode

SHELL

If your project also has a PDF rendering library added specifically for Dynamsoft (PdfiumViewer is the most common), that can be removed too:

# Remove if added only for Dynamsoft PDF support
dotnet remove package PdfiumViewer
dotnet remove package PdfiumViewer.Native.x86_64.v8-xfa

# Remove if added only for Dynamsoft PDF support
dotnet remove package PdfiumViewer
dotnet remove package PdfiumViewer.Native.x86_64.v8-xfa

SHELL

Step 2: Replace License Initialization

This is where the most immediate simplification happens. The Dynamsoft pattern requires an error code check and exception handling around every startup:

Before — Dynamsoft:

using Dynamsoft.License;
using Dynamsoft.Core;

// Must run before any barcode operations
int errorCode = LicenseManager.InitLicense("YOUR-DYNAMSOFT-KEY", out string errorMsg);
if (errorCode != (int)EnumErrorCode.EC_OK)
    throw new InvalidOperationException($"License validation failed [{errorCode}]: {errorMsg}");

using Dynamsoft.License;
using Dynamsoft.Core;

// Must run before any barcode operations
int errorCode = LicenseManager.InitLicense("YOUR-DYNAMSOFT-KEY", out string errorMsg);
if (errorCode != (int)EnumErrorCode.EC_OK)
    throw new InvalidOperationException($"License validation failed [{errorCode}]: {errorMsg}");

Imports Dynamsoft.License
Imports Dynamsoft.Core

' Must run before any barcode operations
Dim errorCode As Integer = LicenseManager.InitLicense("YOUR-DYNAMSOFT-KEY", errorMsg)
If errorCode <> CType(EnumErrorCode.EC_OK, Integer) Then
    Throw New InvalidOperationException($"License validation failed [{errorCode}]: {errorMsg}")
End If

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After — IronBarcode:

// NuGet: dotnet add package BarCode
using IronBarCode;

// Local validation — no network call, no error code
IronBarCode.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY";

// NuGet: dotnet add package BarCode
using IronBarCode;

// Local validation — no network call, no error code
IronBarCode.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY";

Imports IronBarCode

' Local validation — no network call, no error code
IronBarCode.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY"

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In an ASP.NET Core application, add this to Program.cs before builder.Build():

IronBarCode.License.LicenseKey = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("IRONBARCODE_KEY")
    ?? "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY";

IronBarCode.License.LicenseKey = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("IRONBARCODE_KEY")
    ?? "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY";

Imports IronBarCode

IronBarCode.License.LicenseKey = If(Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("IRONBARCODE_KEY"), "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY")

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In a Docker or Kubernetes environment, set the IRONBARCODE_KEY environment variable in your deployment manifest. No outbound network rules required.

Step 3: Replace Namespace Imports

Find and replace across all source files:

grep -r "using Dynamsoft\." --include="*.cs" .

grep -r "using Dynamsoft\." --include="*.cs" .

SHELL

Replace each occurrence:

// Before
using Dynamsoft.CVR;
using Dynamsoft.DBR;
using Dynamsoft.License;
using Dynamsoft.Core;

// After
using IronBarCode;

// Before
using Dynamsoft.CVR;
using Dynamsoft.DBR;
using Dynamsoft.License;
using Dynamsoft.Core;

// After
using IronBarCode;

Imports IronBarCode

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Code Migration Examples

Basic File Reading

The most fundamental operation — reading a barcode from an image file.

Before — Dynamsoft:

using Dynamsoft.CVR;
using Dynamsoft.DBR;

public string ReadBarcodeFromFile(CaptureVisionRouter router, string imagePath)
{
    CapturedResult result = router.Capture(imagePath, PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES);
    BarcodeResultItem[] items = result.GetDecodedBarcodesResult()?.GetItems();
    if (items == null || items.Length == 0)
        return null;

    return items[0].GetText();
}

using Dynamsoft.CVR;
using Dynamsoft.DBR;

public string ReadBarcodeFromFile(CaptureVisionRouter router, string imagePath)
{
    CapturedResult result = router.Capture(imagePath, PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES);
    BarcodeResultItem[] items = result.GetDecodedBarcodesResult()?.GetItems();
    if (items == null || items.Length == 0)
        return null;

    return items[0].GetText();
}

Imports Dynamsoft.CVR
Imports Dynamsoft.DBR

Public Function ReadBarcodeFromFile(router As CaptureVisionRouter, imagePath As String) As String
    Dim result As CapturedResult = router.Capture(imagePath, PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES)
    Dim items As BarcodeResultItem() = result.GetDecodedBarcodesResult()?.GetItems()
    If items Is Nothing OrElse items.Length = 0 Then
        Return Nothing
    End If

    Return items(0).GetText()
End Function

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After — IronBarcode:

// NuGet: dotnet add package BarCode
using IronBarCode;

public string ReadBarcodeFromFile(string imagePath)
{
    var results = BarcodeReader.Read(imagePath);
    return results?.FirstOrDefault()?.Value;
}

// NuGet: dotnet add package BarCode
using IronBarCode;

public string ReadBarcodeFromFile(string imagePath)
{
    var results = BarcodeReader.Read(imagePath);
    return results?.FirstOrDefault()?.Value;
}

Imports IronBarCode

Public Function ReadBarcodeFromFile(imagePath As String) As String
    Dim results = BarcodeReader.Read(imagePath)
    Return results?.FirstOrDefault()?.Value
End Function

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The router instance is gone. BarcodeReader.Read is static. BarcodeResultItem.GetText() becomes .Value. The null check on results is cleaner with LINQ.

Reading Multiple Barcodes

Before — Dynamsoft:

using Dynamsoft.CVR;
using Dynamsoft.DBR;

public List<string> ReadAllBarcodes(CaptureVisionRouter router, string imagePath)
{
    SimplifiedCaptureVisionSettings settings = router.GetSimplifiedSettings(
        PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES);
    settings.BarcodeSettings.ExpectedBarcodesCount = 0; // 0 = find all
    router.UpdateSettings(PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES, settings);

    CapturedResult result = router.Capture(imagePath, PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES);
    BarcodeResultItem[] items = result.GetDecodedBarcodesResult()?.GetItems();
    var values = new List<string>();

    if (items != null)
    {
        foreach (var item in items)
            values.Add(item.GetText());
    }

    return values;
}

using Dynamsoft.CVR;
using Dynamsoft.DBR;

public List<string> ReadAllBarcodes(CaptureVisionRouter router, string imagePath)
{
    SimplifiedCaptureVisionSettings settings = router.GetSimplifiedSettings(
        PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES);
    settings.BarcodeSettings.ExpectedBarcodesCount = 0; // 0 = find all
    router.UpdateSettings(PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES, settings);

    CapturedResult result = router.Capture(imagePath, PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES);
    BarcodeResultItem[] items = result.GetDecodedBarcodesResult()?.GetItems();
    var values = new List<string>();

    if (items != null)
    {
        foreach (var item in items)
            values.Add(item.GetText());
    }

    return values;
}

Imports Dynamsoft.CVR
Imports Dynamsoft.DBR

Public Function ReadAllBarcodes(router As CaptureVisionRouter, imagePath As String) As List(Of String)
    Dim settings As SimplifiedCaptureVisionSettings = router.GetSimplifiedSettings(PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES)
    settings.BarcodeSettings.ExpectedBarcodesCount = 0 ' 0 = find all
    router.UpdateSettings(PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES, settings)

    Dim result As CapturedResult = router.Capture(imagePath, PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES)
    Dim items As BarcodeResultItem() = result.GetDecodedBarcodesResult()?.GetItems()
    Dim values As New List(Of String)()

    If items IsNot Nothing Then
        For Each item In items
            values.Add(item.GetText())
        Next
    End If

    Return values
End Function

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After — IronBarcode:

using IronBarCode;

public List<string> ReadAllBarcodes(string imagePath)
{
    var options = new BarcodeReaderOptions
    {
        ExpectMultipleBarcodes = true,
        MaxParallelThreads = 4
    };

    return BarcodeReader.Read(imagePath, options)
        .Select(r => r.Value)
        .ToList();
}

using IronBarCode;

public List<string> ReadAllBarcodes(string imagePath)
{
    var options = new BarcodeReaderOptions
    {
        ExpectMultipleBarcodes = true,
        MaxParallelThreads = 4
    };

    return BarcodeReader.Read(imagePath, options)
        .Select(r => r.Value)
        .ToList();
}

Imports IronBarCode

Public Function ReadAllBarcodes(imagePath As String) As List(Of String)
    Dim options As New BarcodeReaderOptions With {
        .ExpectMultipleBarcodes = True,
        .MaxParallelThreads = 4
    }

    Return BarcodeReader.Read(imagePath, options) _
        .Select(Function(r) r.Value) _
        .ToList()
End Function

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Reading from Bytes (In-Memory Images)

Before — Dynamsoft:

using Dynamsoft.CVR;
using Dynamsoft.Core;
using Dynamsoft.DBR;

// Requires width, height, stride, and pixel format — low-level buffer API
public string ReadFromBuffer(CaptureVisionRouter router, byte[] rawPixels, int width, int height)
{
    var imageData = new ImageData
    {
        Bytes = rawPixels,
        Width = width,
        Height = height,
        Stride = width * 3, // assuming 24bpp RGB
        Format = EnumImagePixelFormat.IPF_RGB_888
    };

    CapturedResult result = router.Capture(imageData, PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES);
    return result.GetDecodedBarcodesResult()?.GetItems()?.FirstOrDefault()?.GetText();
}

using Dynamsoft.CVR;
using Dynamsoft.Core;
using Dynamsoft.DBR;

// Requires width, height, stride, and pixel format — low-level buffer API
public string ReadFromBuffer(CaptureVisionRouter router, byte[] rawPixels, int width, int height)
{
    var imageData = new ImageData
    {
        Bytes = rawPixels,
        Width = width,
        Height = height,
        Stride = width * 3, // assuming 24bpp RGB
        Format = EnumImagePixelFormat.IPF_RGB_888
    };

    CapturedResult result = router.Capture(imageData, PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES);
    return result.GetDecodedBarcodesResult()?.GetItems()?.FirstOrDefault()?.GetText();
}

Imports Dynamsoft.CVR
Imports Dynamsoft.Core
Imports Dynamsoft.DBR

' Requires width, height, stride, and pixel format — low-level buffer API
Public Function ReadFromBuffer(router As CaptureVisionRouter, rawPixels As Byte(), width As Integer, height As Integer) As String
    Dim imageData As New ImageData With {
        .Bytes = rawPixels,
        .Width = width,
        .Height = height,
        .Stride = width * 3, ' assuming 24bpp RGB
        .Format = EnumImagePixelFormat.IPF_RGB_888
    }

    Dim result As CapturedResult = router.Capture(imageData, PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES)
    Return result.GetDecodedBarcodesResult()?.GetItems()?.FirstOrDefault()?.GetText()
End Function

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After — IronBarcode:

using IronBarCode;

// Pass PNG/JPEG/BMP bytes directly — no pixel format or stride calculation
public string ReadFromImageBytes(byte[] imageBytes)
{
    return BarcodeReader.Read(imageBytes)?.FirstOrDefault()?.Value;
}

using IronBarCode;

// Pass PNG/JPEG/BMP bytes directly — no pixel format or stride calculation
public string ReadFromImageBytes(byte[] imageBytes)
{
    return BarcodeReader.Read(imageBytes)?.FirstOrDefault()?.Value;
}

Imports IronBarCode

Public Function ReadFromImageBytes(imageBytes As Byte()) As String
    Return BarcodeReader.Read(imageBytes)?.FirstOrDefault()?.Value
End Function

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If your application previously converted image bytes into a raw pixel buffer for Dynamsoft, you can pass the original encoded image bytes (PNG, JPEG, BMP) directly to IronBarcode without decoding to raw pixels first.

PDF Barcode Reading — Remove the Render Loop

This is typically the largest code reduction in the migration. Remove the entire PdfiumViewer render loop and replace it with a single call.

Before — Dynamsoft with PdfiumViewer:

// Requires: Dynamsoft.DotNet.BarcodeReader.Bundle + PdfiumViewer + PdfiumViewer.Native.*
using Dynamsoft.CVR;
using Dynamsoft.DBR;
using PdfiumViewer;
using System.Drawing.Imaging;

public List<string> ReadBarcodesFromPdf(CaptureVisionRouter router, string pdfPath)
{
    var allBarcodes = new List<string>();

    using (var pdfDoc = PdfDocument.Load(pdfPath))
    {
        for (int page = 0; page < pdfDoc.PageCount; page++)
        {
            using var image = pdfDoc.Render(page, 300, 300, true);
            using var ms = new MemoryStream();
            image.Save(ms, ImageFormat.Png);

            CapturedResult result = router.Capture(ms.ToArray(),
                PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES);
            var items = result.GetDecodedBarcodesResult()?.GetItems();
            if (items != null)
            {
                foreach (var item in items)
                    allBarcodes.Add(item.GetText());
            }
        }
    }

    return allBarcodes;
}

// Requires: Dynamsoft.DotNet.BarcodeReader.Bundle + PdfiumViewer + PdfiumViewer.Native.*
using Dynamsoft.CVR;
using Dynamsoft.DBR;
using PdfiumViewer;
using System.Drawing.Imaging;

public List<string> ReadBarcodesFromPdf(CaptureVisionRouter router, string pdfPath)
{
    var allBarcodes = new List<string>();

    using (var pdfDoc = PdfDocument.Load(pdfPath))
    {
        for (int page = 0; page < pdfDoc.PageCount; page++)
        {
            using var image = pdfDoc.Render(page, 300, 300, true);
            using var ms = new MemoryStream();
            image.Save(ms, ImageFormat.Png);

            CapturedResult result = router.Capture(ms.ToArray(),
                PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES);
            var items = result.GetDecodedBarcodesResult()?.GetItems();
            if (items != null)
            {
                foreach (var item in items)
                    allBarcodes.Add(item.GetText());
            }
        }
    }

    return allBarcodes;
}

Imports Dynamsoft.CVR
Imports Dynamsoft.DBR
Imports PdfiumViewer
Imports System.Drawing.Imaging

Public Function ReadBarcodesFromPdf(router As CaptureVisionRouter, pdfPath As String) As List(Of String)
    Dim allBarcodes As New List(Of String)()

    Using pdfDoc As PdfDocument = PdfDocument.Load(pdfPath)
        For page As Integer = 0 To pdfDoc.PageCount - 1
            Using image = pdfDoc.Render(page, 300, 300, True)
                Using ms As New MemoryStream()
                    image.Save(ms, ImageFormat.Png)

                    Dim result As CapturedResult = router.Capture(ms.ToArray(), PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES)
                    Dim items = result.GetDecodedBarcodesResult()?.GetItems()
                    If items IsNot Nothing Then
                        For Each item In items
                            allBarcodes.Add(item.GetText())
                        Next
                    End If
                End Using
            End Using
        Next
    End Using

    Return allBarcodes
End Function

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After — IronBarcode:

using IronBarCode;

public List<string> ReadBarcodesFromPdf(string pdfPath)
{
    return BarcodeReader.Read(pdfPath)
        .Select(r => r.Value)
        .ToList();
}

using IronBarCode;

public List<string> ReadBarcodesFromPdf(string pdfPath)
{
    return BarcodeReader.Read(pdfPath)
        .Select(r => r.Value)
        .ToList();
}

Imports IronBarCode

Public Function ReadBarcodesFromPdf(pdfPath As String) As List(Of String)
    Return BarcodeReader.Read(pdfPath) _
        .Select(Function(r) r.Value) _
        .ToList()
End Function

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The page loop, the PdfDocument, the 300 DPI render step, the MemoryStream, and the per-page Capture call all disappear. IronBarcode handles PDF pages internally.

If you need to read from a PDF with options (for dense or difficult barcodes):

using IronBarCode;

public List<string> ReadBarcodesFromPdfAccurate(string pdfPath)
{
    var options = new BarcodeReaderOptions
    {
        Speed = ReadingSpeed.Balanced,
        ExpectMultipleBarcodes = true
    };

    return BarcodeReader.Read(pdfPath, options)
        .Select(r => r.Value)
        .ToList();
}

using IronBarCode;

public List<string> ReadBarcodesFromPdfAccurate(string pdfPath)
{
    var options = new BarcodeReaderOptions
    {
        Speed = ReadingSpeed.Balanced,
        ExpectMultipleBarcodes = true
    };

    return BarcodeReader.Read(pdfPath, options)
        .Select(r => r.Value)
        .ToList();
}

Imports IronBarCode

Public Function ReadBarcodesFromPdfAccurate(pdfPath As String) As List(Of String)
    Dim options As New BarcodeReaderOptions With {
        .Speed = ReadingSpeed.Balanced,
        .ExpectMultipleBarcodes = True
    }

    Return BarcodeReader.Read(pdfPath, options) _
        .Select(Function(r) r.Value) _
        .ToList()
End Function

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Offline / Air-Gapped Deployment

If your current code includes the offline licensing pattern, remove it entirely:

Before — Dynamsoft offline license:

using Dynamsoft.License;
using Dynamsoft.Core;

// Dynamsoft offline: fetch license bundle on a connected machine, persist it,
// then replay it on the offline machine via InitLicenseFromLicenseContent.
int errorCode = LicenseManager.InitLicenseFromLicenseContent(
    licenseContent,
    out string errorMsg);

if (errorCode != (int)EnumErrorCode.EC_OK)
    throw new InvalidOperationException($"Offline license failed: {errorMsg}");

using Dynamsoft.License;
using Dynamsoft.Core;

// Dynamsoft offline: fetch license bundle on a connected machine, persist it,
// then replay it on the offline machine via InitLicenseFromLicenseContent.
int errorCode = LicenseManager.InitLicenseFromLicenseContent(
    licenseContent,
    out string errorMsg);

if (errorCode != (int)EnumErrorCode.EC_OK)
    throw new InvalidOperationException($"Offline license failed: {errorMsg}");

Imports Dynamsoft.License
Imports Dynamsoft.Core

' Dynamsoft offline: fetch license bundle on a connected machine, persist it,
' then replay it on the offline machine via InitLicenseFromLicenseContent.
Dim errorMsg As String
Dim errorCode As Integer = LicenseManager.InitLicenseFromLicenseContent(licenseContent, errorMsg)

If errorCode <> CType(EnumErrorCode.EC_OK, Integer) Then
    Throw New InvalidOperationException($"Offline license failed: {errorMsg}")
End If

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After — IronBarcode:

// Remove all of the above. Replace with:
IronBarCode.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY";

// Remove all of the above. Replace with:
IronBarCode.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY";

IronBarCode.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY"

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No license-content bundle to fetch and refresh. No connected-machine bootstrap step. The key validates locally.

Docker Configuration

If you previously had network egress rules or proxy configuration to allow outbound HTTPS to Dynamsoft's licence endpoints:

# Before: Docker or Kubernetes egress policy
# Required: Allow outbound HTTPS to Dynamsoft licence endpoints

# After: Remove that egress rule.
# IronBarcode does not require outbound network access for license validation.

# Set license via environment variable
env:
  - name: IRONBARCODE_KEY
    valueFrom:
      secretKeyRef:
        name: ironbarcode-license
        key: key

# Before: Docker or Kubernetes egress policy
# Required: Allow outbound HTTPS to Dynamsoft licence endpoints

# After: Remove that egress rule.
# IronBarcode does not require outbound network access for license validation.

# Set license via environment variable
env:
  - name: IRONBARCODE_KEY
    valueFrom:
      secretKeyRef:
        name: ironbarcode-license
        key: key

YAML

Instance Management Cleanup

Dynamsoft uses an instance-based API built around CaptureVisionRouter. If your code creates router instances in service classes, field initializers, or DI registrations, all of that disappears:

Before — Dynamsoft instance management:

using Dynamsoft.CVR;
using Dynamsoft.DBR;
using Dynamsoft.License;
using Dynamsoft.Core;

public class BarcodeService : IDisposable
{
    private readonly CaptureVisionRouter _router;

    public BarcodeService()
    {
        int errorCode = LicenseManager.InitLicense("KEY", out string errorMsg);
        if (errorCode != (int)EnumErrorCode.EC_OK)
            throw new InvalidOperationException(errorMsg);

        _router = new CaptureVisionRouter();

        var settings = _router.GetSimplifiedSettings(PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES);
        settings.BarcodeSettings.ExpectedBarcodesCount = 0;
        _router.UpdateSettings(PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES, settings);
    }

    public string[] ReadFile(string path)
    {
        CapturedResult result = _router.Capture(path, PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES);
        var items = result.GetDecodedBarcodesResult()?.GetItems();
        return items?.Select(i => i.GetText()).ToArray() ?? Array.Empty<string>();
    }

    public void Dispose()
    {
        _router?.Dispose();
    }
}

using Dynamsoft.CVR;
using Dynamsoft.DBR;
using Dynamsoft.License;
using Dynamsoft.Core;

public class BarcodeService : IDisposable
{
    private readonly CaptureVisionRouter _router;

    public BarcodeService()
    {
        int errorCode = LicenseManager.InitLicense("KEY", out string errorMsg);
        if (errorCode != (int)EnumErrorCode.EC_OK)
            throw new InvalidOperationException(errorMsg);

        _router = new CaptureVisionRouter();

        var settings = _router.GetSimplifiedSettings(PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES);
        settings.BarcodeSettings.ExpectedBarcodesCount = 0;
        _router.UpdateSettings(PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES, settings);
    }

    public string[] ReadFile(string path)
    {
        CapturedResult result = _router.Capture(path, PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES);
        var items = result.GetDecodedBarcodesResult()?.GetItems();
        return items?.Select(i => i.GetText()).ToArray() ?? Array.Empty<string>();
    }

    public void Dispose()
    {
        _router?.Dispose();
    }
}

Imports Dynamsoft.CVR
Imports Dynamsoft.DBR
Imports Dynamsoft.License
Imports Dynamsoft.Core

Public Class BarcodeService
    Implements IDisposable

    Private ReadOnly _router As CaptureVisionRouter

    Public Sub New()
        Dim errorCode As Integer = LicenseManager.InitLicense("KEY", errorMsg:=Nothing)
        If errorCode <> CType(EnumErrorCode.EC_OK, Integer) Then
            Throw New InvalidOperationException(errorMsg)
        End If

        _router = New CaptureVisionRouter()

        Dim settings = _router.GetSimplifiedSettings(PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES)
        settings.BarcodeSettings.ExpectedBarcodesCount = 0
        _router.UpdateSettings(PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES, settings)
    End Sub

    Public Function ReadFile(path As String) As String()
        Dim result As CapturedResult = _router.Capture(path, PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES)
        Dim items = result.GetDecodedBarcodesResult()?.GetItems()
        Return If(items?.Select(Function(i) i.GetText()).ToArray(), Array.Empty(Of String)())
    End Function

    Public Sub Dispose() Implements IDisposable.Dispose
        _router?.Dispose()
    End Sub
End Class

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After — IronBarcode static API:

// NuGet: dotnet add package BarCode
using IronBarCode;

public class BarcodeService
{
    // No constructor initialization — license set once at app startup
    // No Dispose — no instance to clean up

    public string[] ReadFile(string path)
    {
        var options = new BarcodeReaderOptions { ExpectMultipleBarcodes = true };
        return BarcodeReader.Read(path, options)
            .Select(r => r.Value)
            .ToArray();
    }
}

// NuGet: dotnet add package BarCode
using IronBarCode;

public class BarcodeService
{
    // No constructor initialization — license set once at app startup
    // No Dispose — no instance to clean up

    public string[] ReadFile(string path)
    {
        var options = new BarcodeReaderOptions { ExpectMultipleBarcodes = true };
        return BarcodeReader.Read(path, options)
            .Select(r => r.Value)
            .ToArray();
    }
}

Imports IronBarCode

Public Class BarcodeService
    ' No constructor initialization — license set once at app startup
    ' No Dispose — no instance to clean up

    Public Function ReadFile(path As String) As String()
        Dim options As New BarcodeReaderOptions With {.ExpectMultipleBarcodes = True}
        Return BarcodeReader.Read(path, options) _
            .Select(Function(r) r.Value) _
            .ToArray()
    End Function
End Class

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The class loses its constructor, its IDisposable implementation, and its _router field. If this service was registered in DI as a singleton or scoped service to manage the router lifecycle, that registration can be simplified or the service can become a set of static methods.

Reading Speed vs Timeout Mapping

Dynamsoft uses a Timeout in milliseconds optimized for camera frame rates. IronBarcode uses a ReadingSpeed enum:

Dynamsoft setting	IronBarcode equivalent
`settings.Timeout = 100` (camera pipeline)	`Speed = ReadingSpeed.Faster`
Low timeout (prioritize speed)	`Speed = ReadingSpeed.Balanced`
Higher timeout (prioritize accuracy)	`Speed = ReadingSpeed.Detailed`
Maximum accuracy, no time pressure	`Speed = ReadingSpeed.ExtremeDetail`

For most document processing workflows where throughput matters more than sub-100ms response time, ReadingSpeed.Balanced is the right default:

var options = new BarcodeReaderOptions
{
    Speed = ReadingSpeed.Balanced,
    ExpectMultipleBarcodes = true,
    MaxParallelThreads = 4
};

var options = new BarcodeReaderOptions
{
    Speed = ReadingSpeed.Balanced,
    ExpectMultipleBarcodes = true,
    MaxParallelThreads = 4
};

Dim options As New BarcodeReaderOptions With {
    .Speed = ReadingSpeed.Balanced,
    .ExpectMultipleBarcodes = True,
    .MaxParallelThreads = 4
}

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Common Migration Issues

BarcodeResultItem.GetText() vs result.Value

The accessor changes from a method to a property:

// Before
string value = item.GetText();

// After
string value = result.Value;

// Before
string value = item.GetText();

// After
string value = result.Value;

' Before
Dim value As String = item.GetText()

' After
Dim value As String = result.Value

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BarcodeResultItem.GetFormatString() vs result.Format

Dynamsoft returns the format as a string via GetFormatString(). IronBarcode exposes it as a BarcodeEncoding enum on result.Format:

// Before
if (item.GetFormatString() == "QR_CODE")
    Console.WriteLine("Found QR code");

// After
if (result.Format == BarcodeEncoding.QRCode)
    Console.WriteLine("Found QR code");

// For logging without enum comparison — .ToString() works on both
Console.WriteLine($"Format: {result.Format}");

// Before
if (item.GetFormatString() == "QR_CODE")
    Console.WriteLine("Found QR code");

// After
if (result.Format == BarcodeEncoding.QRCode)
    Console.WriteLine("Found QR code");

// For logging without enum comparison — .ToString() works on both
Console.WriteLine($"Format: {result.Format}");

' Before
If item.GetFormatString() = "QR_CODE" Then
    Console.WriteLine("Found QR code")
End If

' After
If result.Format = BarcodeEncoding.QRCode Then
    Console.WriteLine("Found QR code")
End If

' For logging without enum comparison — .ToString() works on both
Console.WriteLine($"Format: {result.Format}")

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Null Results vs Empty Collection

Dynamsoft's GetDecodedBarcodesResult() can return null when no barcodes are found. IronBarcode returns an empty collection. Update null checks:

// Before: null check required
CapturedResult result = router.Capture(path, PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES);
var items = result.GetDecodedBarcodesResult()?.GetItems();
if (items != null && items.Length > 0)
    Process(items[0].GetText());

// After: null-safe but also correct to check Count
var results = BarcodeReader.Read(path);
if (results.Any())
    Process(results.First().Value);

// Before: null check required
CapturedResult result = router.Capture(path, PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES);
var items = result.GetDecodedBarcodesResult()?.GetItems();
if (items != null && items.Length > 0)
    Process(items[0].GetText());

// After: null-safe but also correct to check Count
var results = BarcodeReader.Read(path);
if (results.Any())
    Process(results.First().Value);

Imports System.Linq

' Before: null check required
Dim result As CapturedResult = router.Capture(path, PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES)
Dim items = result.GetDecodedBarcodesResult()?.GetItems()
If items IsNot Nothing AndAlso items.Length > 0 Then
    Process(items(0).GetText())
End If

' After: null-safe but also correct to check Count
Dim results = BarcodeReader.Read(path)
If results.Any() Then
    Process(results.First().Value)
End If

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SimplifiedCaptureVisionSettings to BarcodeReaderOptions

The GetSimplifiedSettings / UpdateSettings pattern becomes BarcodeReaderOptions passed to Read:

// Before
var settings = router.GetSimplifiedSettings(PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES);
settings.BarcodeSettings.ExpectedBarcodesCount = 0;
settings.Timeout = 500;
router.UpdateSettings(PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES, settings);
var result = router.Capture(path, PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES);

// After
var options = new BarcodeReaderOptions
{
    Speed = ReadingSpeed.Balanced,
    ExpectMultipleBarcodes = true
};
var results = BarcodeReader.Read(path, options);

// Before
var settings = router.GetSimplifiedSettings(PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES);
settings.BarcodeSettings.ExpectedBarcodesCount = 0;
settings.Timeout = 500;
router.UpdateSettings(PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES, settings);
var result = router.Capture(path, PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES);

// After
var options = new BarcodeReaderOptions
{
    Speed = ReadingSpeed.Balanced,
    ExpectMultipleBarcodes = true
};
var results = BarcodeReader.Read(path, options);

' Before
Dim settings = router.GetSimplifiedSettings(PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES)
settings.BarcodeSettings.ExpectedBarcodesCount = 0
settings.Timeout = 500
router.UpdateSettings(PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES, settings)
Dim result = router.Capture(path, PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES)

' After
Dim options As New BarcodeReaderOptions With {
    .Speed = ReadingSpeed.Balanced,
    .ExpectMultipleBarcodes = True
}
Dim results = BarcodeReader.Read(path, options)

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Migration Checklist

Run these searches to find every Dynamsoft reference that needs updating:

grep -r "using Dynamsoft\." --include="*.cs" .
grep -r "LicenseManager.InitLicense\|EnumErrorCode\|EC_OK" --include="*.cs" .
grep -r "new CaptureVisionRouter\|router\.Capture\|PresetTemplate" --include="*.cs" .
grep -r "BarcodeResultItem\|GetDecodedBarcodesResult\|GetFormatString" --include="*.cs" .
grep -r "GetSimplifiedSettings\|UpdateSettings\|SimplifiedCaptureVisionSettings" --include="*.cs" .
grep -r "router\.Dispose\|InitLicenseFromLicenseContent" --include="*.cs" .

grep -r "using Dynamsoft\." --include="*.cs" .
grep -r "LicenseManager.InitLicense\|EnumErrorCode\|EC_OK" --include="*.cs" .
grep -r "new CaptureVisionRouter\|router\.Capture\|PresetTemplate" --include="*.cs" .
grep -r "BarcodeResultItem\|GetDecodedBarcodesResult\|GetFormatString" --include="*.cs" .
grep -r "GetSimplifiedSettings\|UpdateSettings\|SimplifiedCaptureVisionSettings" --include="*.cs" .
grep -r "router\.Dispose\|InitLicenseFromLicenseContent" --include="*.cs" .

SHELL

Work through each match:

using Dynamsoft.* → using IronBarCode
LicenseManager.InitLicense(key, out errorMsg) + error check → IronBarCode.License.LicenseKey = "key"
new CaptureVisionRouter() → remove (static API, no instance)
router.Capture(path, PresetTemplate.PT_READ_BARCODES) → BarcodeReader.Read(path)
router.Capture(imageData, ...) (raw pixel buffer) → BarcodeReader.Read(imageBytes)
Per-page PDF render loop + router.Capture(pageBytes, ...) → BarcodeReader.Read(pdfPath)
BarcodeResultItem.GetText() → result.Value
BarcodeResultItem.GetFormatString() → result.Format
GetSimplifiedSettings(...) + UpdateSettings(...) → new BarcodeReaderOptions { ... }
router.Dispose() → remove
LicenseManager.InitLicenseFromLicenseContent(...) → remove entirely
Remove PdfiumViewer NuGet packages if they were added only to support Dynamsoft PDF processing
Remove Docker/Kubernetes network egress rules for Dynamsoft licence endpoints
Set IRONBARCODE_KEY environment variable in deployment configuration

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I migrate from Dynamsoft Barcode Reader 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 Dynamsoft 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 Dynamsoft Barcode Reader 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 Dynamsoft Barcode Reader 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 Dynamsoft Barcode Reader?

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 Dynamsoft?

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 Dynamsoft Barcode Reader 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

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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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Migrating from Dynamsoft Barcode Reader to IronBarcode

Step 1: Swap the NuGet Packages

Step 2: Replace License Initialization

Step 3: Replace Namespace Imports

Code Migration Examples

Basic File Reading

Reading Multiple Barcodes

Reading from Bytes (In-Memory Images)

PDF Barcode Reading — Remove the Render Loop

Offline / Air-Gapped Deployment

Docker Configuration

Instance Management Cleanup

Reading Speed vs Timeout Mapping

Common Migration Issues

BarcodeResultItem.GetText() vs result.Value

BarcodeResultItem.GetFormatString() vs result.Format

Null Results vs Empty Collection

SimplifiedCaptureVisionSettings to BarcodeReaderOptions

Migration Checklist

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I migrate from Dynamsoft Barcode Reader to IronBarcode?

How do I replace Dynamsoft API calls with IronBarcode?

How much code changes when migrating from Dynamsoft Barcode Reader to IronBarcode?

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

What is the NuGet package name for IronBarcode?

How does IronBarcode simplify Docker deployment compared to Dynamsoft Barcode Reader?

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

Can IronBarcode read barcodes from PDFs without a separate library?

How does IronBarcode handle parallel barcode processing?

What result properties change when migrating from Dynamsoft Barcode Reader to IronBarcode?

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

Does IronBarcode support QR code generation with custom styling?

Iron Support Team

Start Free 30 Day Trial

Migrating from Dynamsoft Barcode Reader to IronBarcode

Step 1: Swap the NuGet Packages

Step 2: Replace License Initialization

Step 3: Replace Namespace Imports

Code Migration Examples

Basic File Reading

Reading Multiple Barcodes

Reading from Bytes (In-Memory Images)

PDF Barcode Reading — Remove the Render Loop

Offline / Air-Gapped Deployment

Docker Configuration

Instance Management Cleanup

Reading Speed vs Timeout Mapping

Common Migration Issues

BarcodeResultItem.GetText() vs result.Value

BarcodeResultItem.GetFormatString() vs result.Format

Null Results vs Empty Collection

SimplifiedCaptureVisionSettings to BarcodeReaderOptions

Migration Checklist

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I migrate from Dynamsoft Barcode Reader to IronBarcode?

How do I replace Dynamsoft API calls with IronBarcode?

How much code changes when migrating from Dynamsoft Barcode Reader to IronBarcode?

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

What is the NuGet package name for IronBarcode?

How does IronBarcode simplify Docker deployment compared to Dynamsoft Barcode Reader?

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

Can IronBarcode read barcodes from PDFs without a separate library?

How does IronBarcode handle parallel barcode processing?

What result properties change when migrating from Dynamsoft Barcode Reader to IronBarcode?

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

Does IronBarcode support QR code generation with custom styling?

Related Articles

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Migrating from Cloudmersive Barcode API to IronBarcode

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