How to generate Code39 barcodes in vb.net

Question

I want to create Code39 encoded barcodes from my application.

I know I can use a font for this, but I\'d prefer not to as I\'d have to register the font on the serv

Answer 1

At my last job I worked with a couple different libraries in vb.net for this. We had one, and moved to a different one. I can't remember their names (I'd recognize them again if I saw them), but I do know that both were for-pay, we evaluated several different components at the time of the switch, and I think that included a free one. We were a very small shop and very cost sensitive, so if the free component were any good at all you can bet we would have used it (I think we needed 128b support, and it only handled code39).

I also remember that reason we switched was that it was at the same time we moved from .Net 1.1 to .Net 2.0, and the first component was too slow making the transition.

So, in summary, there is something out there, but it wasn't any good 3 years ago. Hopefully someone else can come along and fill in some actual names.

Answer 2

If you choose Code39, you could probably code up from this code I wrote

http://www.atalasoft.com/cs/blogs/loufranco/archive/2008/03/24/code-39-barcode-generation.aspx

I wrote it to use our toolkit for image generation, but you could rewrite it to use .NET Image/Graphics pretty easily.

Answer 3

If you render client side then the font can reside on a workstation. This way you can use 3-of-9. I've used 3-of-9 in several projects and the simplest solution for you.

Answer 4

I don't know about libraries -- all of the barcode work I've done has been with barcode fonts. Check out free 3-of-9 if you're using the "3 of 9" format.

Caveats of 3-of-9:

make sure all text is in upper case start and end each barcode with an asterisk