Create Barcode from Text, URLs, IDs & Binary Data in C#

Which Barcode Formats Work Best for Different String Types?

Different barcode formats are optimized for specific data types and use cases. Understanding supported barcode formats helps select the right encoding:

• QR Codes: Best for URLs, email addresses, and large text data. Supports up to 4,296 alphanumeric characters with error correction.
• Code128: Ideal for alphanumeric data like order numbers and serial codes. Highly efficient for modern applications.
• PDF417: Perfect for complex data like flight tickets and government IDs. Stores up to 1,850 alphanumeric characters.
• Code93: Excellent for postal services and inventory tracking with compact numeric data.
• Aztec: Optimal for mobile ticketing and transportation, requiring less space than QR codes.

The following code demonstrates how to write barcodes with a string:

:path=/static-assets/barcode/content-code-examples/how-to/create-barcode-from-string.cs

using IronBarCode;

string text = "Hello, World!";
string url = "https://ironsoftware.com/csharp/barcode/";
string receiptID = "2023-08-04-12345"; // Receipt ID (numeric id)
string flightID = "FLT2023NYC-LAX123456"; // Flight ID (alphanumeric id)
string number = "1234";

BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(text, BarcodeEncoding.Aztec).SaveAsPng("text.png");
BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(url, BarcodeEncoding.QRCode).SaveAsPng("url.png");
BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(receiptID, BarcodeEncoding.Code93, 250, 67).SaveAsPng("receiptID.png");
BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(flightID, BarcodeEncoding.PDF417, 250, 67).SaveAsPng("flightID.png");
BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(number, BarcodeEncoding.Codabar, 250, 67).SaveAsPng("number.png");

What Are the Generated Barcode Results?

This code encodes five different data examples into five barcode types: simple text to Aztec, URL to QR Code, numeric ID to Code 93, alphanumeric ID to PDF417, and number to Codabar. Images are saved as PNG. For advanced export options, see the Create Barcode as Image guide.

Text

URL

Receipt ID

Flight ID

Number

How Can I Customize Generated Barcodes?

After creating your barcode, enhance its appearance using IronBarcode's styling features. Here's how to create a customized barcode with colors, annotations, and margins:

using IronBarCode;

// Create a barcode with custom styling
GeneratedBarcode myBarcode = BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode("PRODUCT-12345", BarcodeEncoding.Code128);

// Apply custom styling
myBarcode.ResizeTo(300, 100);
myBarcode.SetMargins(10);
myBarcode.ChangeBarCodeColor(Color.DarkBlue);

// Add text annotations
myBarcode.AddBarcodeValueTextBelowBarcode();
myBarcode.AddAnnotationTextAboveBarcode("Product SKU", Font.Arial, Color.Black, 12);

// Save the customized barcode
myBarcode.SaveAsPng("customized-barcode.png");

using IronBarCode;

// Create a barcode with custom styling
GeneratedBarcode myBarcode = BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode("PRODUCT-12345", BarcodeEncoding.Code128);

// Apply custom styling
myBarcode.ResizeTo(300, 100);
myBarcode.SetMargins(10);
myBarcode.ChangeBarCodeColor(Color.DarkBlue);

// Add text annotations
myBarcode.AddBarcodeValueTextBelowBarcode();
myBarcode.AddAnnotationTextAboveBarcode("Product SKU", Font.Arial, Color.Black, 12);

// Save the customized barcode
myBarcode.SaveAsPng("customized-barcode.png");

For more styling options, explore the Customize and Style Barcodes tutorial.

Why Does Character Encoding Matter for Byte Array Barcodes?

To create barcodes from byte arrays, ensure character encoding aligns with the required BarcodeEncoding, as each barcode type accepts different character encoding. Understanding output data formats ensures compatibility. Here are the character encodings available in IronBarcode:

• ASCII: Uses 7 bits per character for English letters, digits, and punctuation. Example: 'A' = 65.
• UTF-8: Variable-length encoding for all Unicode characters. Example: € = 0xE2 0x82 0xAC.
• UTF-16: Uses 16-bit sequences for Unicode. Example: α = 0x03B1.
• UTF-32: Fixed 32-bit sequence per character. Example: α = 0x000003B1.
• ISO-8859-1: Extends ASCII for Western European languages. Example: é = 233.

[{i:The default character encoding in IronBarcode is ISO-8859-1.}]

How Do I Convert Byte Arrays to Barcodes?

The following code demonstrates generating a barcode from byte data:

:path=/static-assets/barcode/content-code-examples/how-to/create-barcode-from-byte.cs

using IronBarCode;
using System.Text;

byte[] text = Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes("Hello, World!");
byte[] url = Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes("https://ironsoftware.com/csharp/barcode/");
byte[] receiptID = Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes("2023-08-04-12345"); // Receipt ID (numeric id)
byte[] flightID = Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes("FLT2023NYC-LAX123456"); // Flight id (alphanumeric id)
byte[] number = Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes("1234");

BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(text, BarcodeEncoding.Aztec).SaveAsPng("text.png");
BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(url, BarcodeEncoding.QRCode).SaveAsPng("url.png");
BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(receiptID, BarcodeEncoding.Code93, 250, 67).SaveAsPng("receiptID.png");
BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(flightID, BarcodeEncoding.PDF417, 250, 67).SaveAsPng("flightID.png");
BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(number, BarcodeEncoding.Codabar, 250, 67).SaveAsPng("number.png");

This snippet transforms five string inputs into System.Byte[] objects. To convert these byte arrays into barcodes, pass them to BarcodeWriter with the desired BarcodeEncoding. Optionally, set MaxWidth and MaxHeight for barcode size.

Working with Binary Data and Special Characters

When working with binary data or special characters, use Writing Unicode Barcodes for international character support. Here's an example handling binary data:

using IronBarCode;
using System.Text;
using System.IO;

// Example: Encoding binary data (like a small file) into QR Code
byte[] binaryData = File.ReadAllBytes("document.pdf");
string base64Data = Convert.ToBase64String(binaryData);

// Create QR code with high error correction for binary data
GeneratedBarcode binaryBarcode = BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(
    base64Data, 
    BarcodeEncoding.QRCode
);

// Set high error correction for data integrity
binaryBarcode.SetQRCodeErrorCorrection(QRCodeErrorCorrection.High);

// Save with appropriate size for data density
binaryBarcode.ResizeTo(500, 500);
binaryBarcode.SaveAsPng("binary-data-qr.png");

using IronBarCode;
using System.Text;
using System.IO;

// Example: Encoding binary data (like a small file) into QR Code
byte[] binaryData = File.ReadAllBytes("document.pdf");
string base64Data = Convert.ToBase64String(binaryData);

// Create QR code with high error correction for binary data
GeneratedBarcode binaryBarcode = BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(
    base64Data, 
    BarcodeEncoding.QRCode
);

// Set high error correction for data integrity
binaryBarcode.SetQRCodeErrorCorrection(QRCodeErrorCorrection.High);

// Save with appropriate size for data density
binaryBarcode.ResizeTo(500, 500);
binaryBarcode.SaveAsPng("binary-data-qr.png");

When Should I Use Memory Streams for Barcode Generation?

Memory streams work best when processing data that doesn't require disk storage, such as dynamically generated content in web applications or database processing. The Export Barcode as Stream guide provides additional context for stream-based workflows.

The following code demonstrates generating a barcode from a memory stream:

:path=/static-assets/barcode/content-code-examples/how-to/create-barcode-from-stream.cs

using IronBarCode;
using System.IO;
using System.Text;

MemoryStream text = new MemoryStream(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes("Hello, World!"));
MemoryStream url = new MemoryStream(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes("https://ironsoftware.com/csharp/barcode/"));
MemoryStream receiptID = new MemoryStream(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes("2023-08-04-12345")); // Receipt ID (numeric id)
MemoryStream flightID = new MemoryStream(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes("FLT2023NYC-LAX123456")); // Flight id (alphanumeric id)
MemoryStream number = new MemoryStream(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes("1234"));

BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(text, BarcodeEncoding.Aztec).SaveAsPng("text.png");
BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(url, BarcodeEncoding.QRCode).SaveAsPng("url.png");
BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(receiptID, BarcodeEncoding.Code93, 250, 67).SaveAsPng("receiptID.png");
BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(flightID, BarcodeEncoding.PDF417, 250, 67).SaveAsPng("flightID.png");
BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(number, BarcodeEncoding.Codabar, 250, 67).SaveAsPng("number.png");

What Are the Benefits of Using Memory Streams?

This snippet creates a MemoryStream from a System.Byte[] object, then uses it as input in BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode() to generate a barcode from memory stream data. Memory streams offer several advantages:

1. Performance: No disk I/O operations, faster for temporary data
2. Security: Data remains in memory, reducing sensitive information exposure
3. Flexibility: Easy integration with stream-based APIs and libraries
4. Resource Efficiency: Automatic memory management and disposal

Advanced Stream Processing Example

For complex scenarios involving stream processing, combine IronBarcode with other streaming operations:

using IronBarCode;
using System.IO;
using System.Text;

// Example: Processing multiple barcodes in a batch using streams
public static List<Stream> GenerateBarcodeStreams(List<string> dataItems)
{
    var barcodeStreams = new List<Stream>();

    foreach (var item in dataItems)
    {
        // Convert string to stream
        var dataStream = new MemoryStream(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(item));

        // Generate barcode from stream
        var barcode = BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(dataStream, BarcodeEncoding.Code128);

        // Export barcode back to stream
        var outputStream = new MemoryStream();
        barcode.SaveAsPng(outputStream);
        outputStream.Position = 0; // Reset position for reading

        barcodeStreams.Add(outputStream);
    }

    return barcodeStreams;
}

// Usage example
var orderNumbers = new List<string> { "ORD-001", "ORD-002", "ORD-003" };
var barcodes = GenerateBarcodeStreams(orderNumbers);

using IronBarCode;
using System.IO;
using System.Text;

// Example: Processing multiple barcodes in a batch using streams
public static List<Stream> GenerateBarcodeStreams(List<string> dataItems)
{
    var barcodeStreams = new List<Stream>();

    foreach (var item in dataItems)
    {
        // Convert string to stream
        var dataStream = new MemoryStream(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(item));

        // Generate barcode from stream
        var barcode = BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode(dataStream, BarcodeEncoding.Code128);

        // Export barcode back to stream
        var outputStream = new MemoryStream();
        barcode.SaveAsPng(outputStream);
        outputStream.Position = 0; // Reset position for reading

        barcodeStreams.Add(outputStream);
    }

    return barcodeStreams;
}

// Usage example
var orderNumbers = new List<string> { "ORD-001", "ORD-002", "ORD-003" };
var barcodes = GenerateBarcodeStreams(orderNumbers);

For asynchronous operations and improved performance in multi-threaded applications, see the Use Async and Multithread guide.