Barcode Format Question

[sunwindandsea]

We are in the pharmaceutical industry and are modifying our Lot Control Numbering Convention. One of our questions is variable versus fixed segment length. For example, the first segment of our Lot number will be four characters wide, the year and month of manufacture (0804, 0901, 1112, etc.) , the second segment will be product class and that is where the problem. The width of our product class codes ranges from two to six characters. The third segment of our Lot Numbers will be a unique six digit number, starting with "000001" and incrementing by 1 each time a new lot number is assigned.

We are using a hyphen "-", to delimit the different segments.

0909-AB-0000001
1112-CDEFR-000001

What is the usual and customary practice? Should each segment be a fixed width which would require a "filler character" to pad out the remaining unused characters to the right of the product code in the second segment? If so, what is the usual and customary character to pad the second segment?

Or is it preferable not to pad the product code segment and allow that segment to be a variable width?

Thank you for all your help

 

[zarkon4]

In my opinion, if you are going to delimit the segments within the barcode, then there would be no need to pad it.
If you do want to pad it though, I would pad alphanumeric to the right with spaces (0909-AB -0000001). Numerics I would pad left with zeros.

 

[DaveNeubauer]

I'm with Zarkon, I wouldn't pad it. However, if management wants fixed-length part numbers and you cannot redesign the product class, you could try the pound sign to pad: 0909-AB###-0000001. Some barcode fonts don't like spaces.