"2-Dimensional" bar code symbologies like PDF417, Aztec Code and Data Matrix are also now available that can encode several thousand bytes of data in a single bar code symbol including text or binary data. The 2D bar code symbologies typically require special bar code readers that are designed specifically for reading them.

The primary purpose of a bar code is to identify something by labeling the item with a bar code containing a unique number or character string. Bar codes are typically used with a database application where the data encoded in the bar codes is used as an index to a record in the database that contains more detailed information about the item that is being scanned. For example, when a checkout clerk scans a bar code on a product in a grocery store, the bar code data is fed to a computer that looks up the information in a central database and returns more detailed information about the item that was scanned including possibly a description of the item and a price. By using bar codes, the grocery store does not need to put a price tag on each item in the store and they can also change the price for a particular item by modifying a single entry in the central database. They can also track how much of a product is currently in stock so that they know when to re-order more of each item as the number of items in stock falls.

Bar codes also provide a quick and error free means for inputting the data into an application running on a computer. By using bar codes, the potential for errors from manual data input is eliminated. Another typical application for bar codes is therefore for inputting data without having to type. For example you could encode name or address data in a bar code on an ID badge and then scan the ID badges to input a persons name into a computer program instead of typing the information.

If you would like to know how bar code technology could be implemented in your business contact consulting@realidsystems.com

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