Barcode

A UPC-A barcode symbol

A barcode is a way of optically representing data. Originally, barcodes represented data in the widths (lines) and the spacings of parallel lines, and may be referred to as linear or 1D (1 dimensional) barcodes. 2D systems use symbols other than bars, but they are still referred to as barcodes as well. Barcodes can be read by optical scanners called barcode readers, or scanned from an image by special software.

The word Wikipedia represented in a barcode

The first use of barcodes was to label railroad cars, but they were not commercially successful until they were used to automate supermarket checkout systems, a task in which they have become almost universal. Their use has spread to many other roles as well, but the simplicity, universality and low cost of barcodes has limited the role of these other systems.

Uses

Barcodes—especially the Universal Product Code, UPC—have slowly become an essential part of modern life. Their use is widespread, and the technology behind barcodes is constantly improving. Some modern applications of barcodes include:

• Almost every item purchased from a store has a UPC barcode on it. This greatly helps in keeping track of a large number of items in a store.
• When they are used to identify patients in a hospital, barcodes permit clinical staff to instantly access vital patient data, including medical history, allergy warnings and other potentially life-saving medical information.
• The tracking of item movement, including rental cars, airline luggage, nuclear waste, mail and parcels.
• Since 2005, airlines have used an IATA-standard 2D barcode on boarding passes.
• Entertainment event tickets can have barcodes that need to be checked before allowing the holder to enter sports arenas, cinemas, theatres, fairgrounds, transportation etc.

Benefits

In point-of-sale management, the use of barcodes can provide up-to-date information on aspects of the business. For example:

• Fast-selling items can be identified quickly and automatically reordered to meet consumer demand.
• Slow-selling items can be identified, preventing a build-up of unwanted stock.
• Historical data can be used to predict seasonal fluctuations very accurately.
• Items may be repriced on the shelf to reflect both sale prices and price increases.
• This technology also enables the profiling of individual consumers.

The reason barcodes are business-friendly is that the scanners are relatively low cost and extremely accurate compared to key-entry, with only about 1 substitution error in 15,000 to 36 trillion characters entered. The exact error rate depends on the type of barcode.

Example images

• Barcode Samples
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  GTIN-12 number encoded in UPC-A barcode symbol

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  EAN-13 (GTIN-13) number encoded in EAN-13 barcode symbol

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  "Wikipedia" encoded

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  "Wikipedia" encoded

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  Lorem ipsum boilerplate text as four segment Datamatrix

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  "This is an example Aztec symbol for Wikipedia" encoded in Aztec Code

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  The QR Code for the Wikipedia URL. "Quick Response"

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  ShotCode sample