How do I implement GS1-128 barcode standard in VFP report?

[Arvikarl]

I have to display barcodes with the GS1-128 standard in a VFP report. One example is the following:
40170900223100000013
The first 3 digits (401) are the so called AI. The last digit (3) is a control digit calculated by at method I have implemented (that is proven correct).

My problem is how to implent this in a report field and get it acceptet by the scanner? I have bought barcodes from BarCodeWiz and have tried different fonts like BCW_Code128_1 and BCW_Code128B_2 (reccomended by the company). I find it almost impossible to find clear and good description about how to implement the GS1 standard. Descriptions of codes before and after the actual numbers are varying. The last reccomondation from the font company was like this:
ÌÊ40170900223100000013´¸µº´ºÎ
In a VFP report I will then put the following expression:
"ÌÊ40170900223100000013´¸µº´ºÎ"
This seems to give a nice barcode, but is not accepted as a GS1-128 code by the scanner.

Does somebody have experience with GS1?

 

[JRB-Bldr]

The GS1-128 barcode is a linear (not 2-dimensional) barcode like many of the others.

Linear barcodes are printed using a barcode font instead of a 'standard' font like Arial, Courier, etc. And these fonts can be purchased (some are free) at various places on the web.

The barcode specification is laid out pretty well at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_128

or

http://www.idautomation.com/code128faq.html#Creating_GS1-128

With the appropriate barcode font, you merely 'print' the desired text string and it will appear as the barcode bars and spaces.
Note - when you need to generate 'special' barcode characters and checksums, you will need to compose or compute them separately and make them part of your text string - the font, by itself, will not compose or calculate those for you.

Good Luck,
JRB-Bldr

 

[DougHennig]

Take a look at the FoxBarCode project on VFPX:

http://vfpx.codeplex.com/.

Doug