How to Generate QR Code in VB .NET

QR Code, or Quick Response Code, have evolved into versatile formats for storing and retrieving information. Widely used in diverse fields, from marketing to product labeling, QR Code images offer a quick and efficient means of accessing information through a simple scan of the picture box.

In this article, we'll explore how to generate VB.NET QR Code barcodes within a Console Application, employing the IronQR library.

IronQR

IronQR, a robust C# Quick Response Code system library, extends its support to VB.NET developers for QR Code barcode generation and reading QR Code. Despite being primarily designed for C#, IronQR seamlessly integrates with VB.NET, as it is built upon .NET Framework, providing an accessible way to incorporate its functionality to easily create QR Code barcodes using VB.NET. Its simplicity and extensive feature set make it an ideal choice for developers seeking efficient VB.NET QR Code barcode generator solutions.

Prerequisites

Before delving into the coding process to create QR Code in VB.NET, ensure you have the required tools in place:

1. Visual Studio: Make sure Visual Studio is installed on your system. If not, download it from the official website.
2. IronQR Library: Install the IronQR library using the NuGet Package Manager in VS. Execute the following command in the Package Manager Console:

Install-Package IronQR

This command installs the necessary packages for working with IronQR in your VB.NET project.

Creating a Console Application

Let's start by setting up a simple VB.NET Console Application:

1. Open Visual Studio and choose "Create a new project."

2. Select "Console App" as the project template and click "Next."

   

3. Configure the project settings and click "Next."

   

4. In Additional information, select the latest .NET framework.

   

5. Click "Create" to generate your VB.NET Generate QR Code application.

Install IronQR Library using Solution Explorer

1. With the project set up, click on Solution Explorer, and select Manage NuGet Packages for Solution.

   

2. In the NuGet window, click the Browse tab and search for IronQR and click Install button.

   

Implementing QR Code Generator in VB.NET

In this QR code generation application, we'll showcase the simplicity and flexibility of generating QR Code using the IronQR library within a (Visual Basic) VB.NET Console Application. We begin with the most straightforward approach, creating a QR code with a default configuration. Then, we move to a more advanced QR Code example, customizing parameters such as the QR code's content, logo, size, and version. For more code examples, please visit QR code generator for .NET.

Let's explore the below sample code snippet and understand how IronBarcode simplifies QR Code, barcode image generation in Visual Basic.

Imports IronQr
Imports IronSoftware.Drawing
Imports Color = IronSoftware.Drawing.Color

Module Program
    ' Simplest example of creating a QR Code with no settings
    Private qrImageSimple As AnyBitmap

    Sub Main(args As String())
        ' Set your license key to remove watermarks
        IronQR.License.LicenseKey = "IronQR-MYLICENSE-KEY-1EF01"

        ' Simple QR Code generation
        Dim myQrCode As QrCode = QrWriter.Write("https://ironsoftware.com/")
        qrImageSimple = myQrCode.Save()
        qrImageSimple.SaveAs("simpleQRCode.png")

        ' Advanced Example to set all parameters
        ' Value for the QR code
        Dim value As String = "https://ironsoftware.com/"
        ' Set QR options like error correction level and margin
        Dim options As New QrOptions(QrErrorCorrectionLevel.High, 20)
        ' Create QR code with options
        Dim myQr As QrCode = QrWriter.Write(value, options)

        ' Adding a logo and defining style options
        Dim logoBmp As New AnyBitmap("VisualStudioLogo.png")
        Dim style As New QrStyleOptions With {
            .Dimensions = 300,
            .Margins = 10,
            .Color = Color.Gray,
            .Logo = New QrLogo With {
                .Bitmap = logoBmp,
                .Width = 100,
                .Height = 100,
                .CornerRadius = 2
            }
        }

        ' Save advanced styled QR Code as a Bitmap
        Dim qrImageComplex As AnyBitmap = myQr.Save(style)
        qrImageComplex.SaveAs("complexQRCode.png")
    End Sub
End Module

Imports IronQr
Imports IronSoftware.Drawing
Imports Color = IronSoftware.Drawing.Color

Module Program
    ' Simplest example of creating a QR Code with no settings
    Private qrImageSimple As AnyBitmap

    Sub Main(args As String())
        ' Set your license key to remove watermarks
        IronQR.License.LicenseKey = "IronQR-MYLICENSE-KEY-1EF01"

        ' Simple QR Code generation
        Dim myQrCode As QrCode = QrWriter.Write("https://ironsoftware.com/")
        qrImageSimple = myQrCode.Save()
        qrImageSimple.SaveAs("simpleQRCode.png")

        ' Advanced Example to set all parameters
        ' Value for the QR code
        Dim value As String = "https://ironsoftware.com/"
        ' Set QR options like error correction level and margin
        Dim options As New QrOptions(QrErrorCorrectionLevel.High, 20)
        ' Create QR code with options
        Dim myQr As QrCode = QrWriter.Write(value, options)

        ' Adding a logo and defining style options
        Dim logoBmp As New AnyBitmap("VisualStudioLogo.png")
        Dim style As New QrStyleOptions With {
            .Dimensions = 300,
            .Margins = 10,
            .Color = Color.Gray,
            .Logo = New QrLogo With {
                .Bitmap = logoBmp,
                .Width = 100,
                .Height = 100,
                .CornerRadius = 2
            }
        }

        ' Save advanced styled QR Code as a Bitmap
        Dim qrImageComplex As AnyBitmap = myQr.Save(style)
        qrImageComplex.SaveAs("complexQRCode.png")
    End Sub
End Module

Let's break down the above source code for creating QR Code images step by step:

1. Imports Statement:

Imports IronQr
Imports IronSoftware.Drawing
Imports Color = IronSoftware.Drawing.Color

Imports IronQr
Imports IronSoftware.Drawing
Imports Color = IronSoftware.Drawing.Color

These lines import the necessary namespaces from the IronQR library, providing access to the classes and methods required for QR Code generation and styling.

2. Module Declaration

Module Program

Module Program

The Module keyword declares a module named "Program," encapsulating the code. A module is a container for organizing code in VB.NET.

3. Create QR Code - Simple Source Code Example:

' Simplest example of creating a QR Code with no settings:
Dim myQrCode As QrCode = QrWriter.Write("https://ironsoftware.com/")
qrImageSimple = myQrCode.Save()
qrImageSimple.SaveAs("simpleQRCode.png")

' Simplest example of creating a QR Code with no settings:
Dim myQrCode As QrCode = QrWriter.Write("https://ironsoftware.com/")
qrImageSimple = myQrCode.Save()
qrImageSimple.SaveAs("simpleQRCode.png")

Here, a simple QR code is created using the QrWriter.Write method with a URL ("https://ironsoftware.com/"). The result is stored in the myQrCode variable, which is then saved as an AnyBitmap image and saved as a PNG image file.

4. QR Code Creation - Advanced Example

' The value of the QR code as a string. Also suitable for URLs.
Dim value As String = "https://ironsoftware.com/"
' Set QR options
Dim options As New QrOptions(QrErrorCorrectionLevel.High, 20)
' Create a QR Code object
Dim myQr As QrCode = QrWriter.Write(value, options)

' Fancy style options
Dim logoBmp As New AnyBitmap("VisualStudioLogo.png")
Dim style As New QrStyleOptions With {
    .Dimensions = 300,
    .Margins = 10,
    .Color = Color.Gray,
    .Logo = New QrLogo With {
        .Bitmap = logoBmp,
        .Width = 100,
        .Height = 100,
        .CornerRadius = 2
    }
}

' Save QR Code as a Bitmap
Dim qrImageComplex As AnyBitmap = myQr.Save(style)
qrImageComplex.SaveAs("complexQRCode.png")

' The value of the QR code as a string. Also suitable for URLs.
Dim value As String = "https://ironsoftware.com/"
' Set QR options
Dim options As New QrOptions(QrErrorCorrectionLevel.High, 20)
' Create a QR Code object
Dim myQr As QrCode = QrWriter.Write(value, options)

' Fancy style options
Dim logoBmp As New AnyBitmap("VisualStudioLogo.png")
Dim style As New QrStyleOptions With {
    .Dimensions = 300,
    .Margins = 10,
    .Color = Color.Gray,
    .Logo = New QrLogo With {
        .Bitmap = logoBmp,
        .Width = 100,
        .Height = 100,
        .CornerRadius = 2
    }
}

' Save QR Code as a Bitmap
Dim qrImageComplex As AnyBitmap = myQr.Save(style)
qrImageComplex.SaveAs("complexQRCode.png")

In this advanced sample code example, we declare variables for customizing the QR Code. value holds the content of the QR code. We then set the QrErrorCorrectionLevel using the QrOptions class. The value and options are then passed to QrWriter.Write to generate the QR code. logoBmp holds the QR code logo image, and style defines its dimensions, margins, color, and logo properties. Finally, the image is saved as AnyBitmap with styling and then as a PNG image file.

5. Main Method

Sub Main(args As String())
    IronQR.License.LicenseKey = "IronQR-MYLICENSE-KEY-1EF01" ' License key setup removes watermarks
    qrImageSimple.SaveAs("simpleQRCode.png")
    qrImageComplex.SaveAs("complexQRCode.png")
End Sub

Sub Main(args As String())
    IronQR.License.LicenseKey = "IronQR-MYLICENSE-KEY-1EF01" ' License key setup removes watermarks
    qrImageSimple.SaveAs("simpleQRCode.png")
    qrImageComplex.SaveAs("complexQRCode.png")
End Sub

The Main method in a VB.NET Console Application is the entry point. It sets your license key to remove watermarks from the generated QR Code. It calls the SaveAs method to save the generated QR Code images as files ("simpleQRCode.png" and "complexQRCode.png").

Running the Console Application and View Output

Execute the Console Application, and you should see a success message indicating that the QR Code has been generated and saved.

Output of simple QR Code image:

Output of complex QR code image:

Conclusion

This article demonstrated the generation of QR Codes using VB.NET and the IronQR library in a Console Application. By following the outlined steps, developers can easily integrate QR Code generation into their VB.NET projects, offering a quick and efficient way to encode information for various applications. Explore IronQR's documentation for additional customization options and features.

IronQR is a versatile .NET library specializing in QR code operations. It enables QR Code generation, supports styled variations, and recognizes various QR code formats and types. The library excels in saving QR Codes to image formats like JPEG, PNG, BMP, TIFF, and GIF through the SaveAsImage() method, facilitating seamless integration and storage.

For development purposes, IronQR is freely accessible but with a watermark. Commercial use requires a license for users to evaluate its full functionality.