What's in a Barcode?

Barcoding Explained

There is a mystique surrounding barcodes which intimidates many people. Let's eliminate it quickly. First the bar code usually doesn't contain descriptive data, (just like your social security number or car's license plate number doesn't have anything about your name or where you live).

The data in a bar code is just a reference number which the computer uses to look up associated computer disk record(s) which contain descriptive data and other pertinent information.

For example, the barcodes found on food items at grocery stores don't contain the price or description of the food item; instead the bar code has a "product number" (12 digits) in it. When read by a bar code reader and transmitted to the computer, the computer finds the disk file item record(s) associated with that item number.

In the disk file is the price, vendor name, quantity on-hand, description, etc. The computer does a "price lookup" by reading the barcode, and then it creates a register of the items and adds the price to the subtotal of the groceries purchased. (It also subtracts the quantity from the "on-hand" total.)

Another example of barcode data might be in a quality reporting application, the bar code may have only a single digit in it, but it may be titled "Failed Vibration Test". The computer associates the single digit with the test result.

So, bar codes typically have only ID data in them; the ID data is used by the computer to look up all the pertinent detailed data associated with the ID data more...

Click here to read more about barcode structures, types, selection, readers and lots more.

For more information or help with your barcoding requirements please contact us obligation free on Freephone (NZ) 0800 722 648 or email us at blog@ansutek.co.nz