Barcodes are a visual method of collecting information. We can call it digital information storage. Barcodes are in full number and line format. These lines are parallel and contain various information. If you want to know what information is here, you have to use a scanner or barcode reader. Currently, special software has been created, on which this information can be found. Barcodes became commercially popular at a time when it was being used for automated checkouts in various supermarkets and was increasingly being used for other purposes. The barcode system continues to grow in popularity because of its simplicity, universality, and low cost. So in today’s article, we are going to know the details about barcodes.

What is a barcode?

A barcode reader is an optical input device. Barcode refers to the combination of several bars or lines in a period of less width. It is also called the Universal Product Code. The name, price, etc. of the item are written on the packet of the item sold from the shop with the help of a barcode. A computer can then read the code with a barcode reader to find out what the number means. The barcode number and price of each item are stored in the computer’s memory. From this, the names and prices of the items sold by the computer are preserved. From this, the computer makes a bill by writing the name and price of the item sold and simultaneously updates the stock of the item sold.

History of barcodes

Norman Joseph Woodland and Bernard Silver invented the barcode. It was patented in the United States in 1951 (US2612994A). This discovery was based on Morse code. It took about twenty years to become commercially successful. So, let’s learn about the work of these two scientists.
In 1947, Bernard Silver, a graduate student at the Drexel University of Technology in the United States, decided to research automated product identification. He told his friend Norman Joseph about it and started working on different methods. At first, they used ultraviolet ink but it was getting lighter easily and the price was high.
Silver later got the next inspiration from “Morse Code”. On October 20, 1949, Woodland and Silver applied for a patent for the “Classifying Apparatus and Method”. The patent was issued on October 6, 1952. Later many more developments of barcodes were achieved.

Barcode reader

We usually see some black spots on the packet of any imported product or exportable product as well. A few numbers are also written at the bottom of this line. It’s a kind of symbolic writing. This is called a barcode. The computer can read the text of the barcode through a device called a barcode reader. Product name, price, stock, date of manufacture, etc. are known through a barcode reader device. The barcode reader works much like a scanner. This type of hardware is collectively called a scanning device.

Uses & importance of barcodes

You must have noticed that from the packet of biscuits to the wrapper of the book, there are black and white stripes. A ray of laser reading these spots tells the identity and value of the product you have purchased.
Product records can be easily maintained using barcodes. For this, you will have a centralized record on your computer which will keep track of the price, quantity, and security of the product. You can change the price in a few moments by sitting at the computer and without wrapping all the products whenever you want. You will have a record of which products are being sold every day and how much is in stock.
Now let’s see how the barcode expresses the price of the product. The barcode contains a specific number. This number can be identified with a laser or LED. If you look at a barcode, you will not understand anything. Where does it start, where is the number? But it is a very simple process. Each product gets the same amount of space for the number, seven horizontal spaces horizontally carrying the identity of a product. These spaces are filled with some stripes of white and black. These spots represent numbers 0-9.
But what is the reason for such a big barcode? The first part reveals which country the product is issued, the second part reveals which country it is produced in. The last part carries the product’s own identity. There is a special type of scanner to identify the barcode, from which a kind of ray comes out, and depending on the reflection of the ray the scanner can understand whether it is the white part or the black part. Because the white part reflects the light the most and the black part the least. An electronic circuit connected to the scanner converts this code to a binary number and sends it to the computer attached to the scanner. The computer identifies the product, confirms its sale, and delivers it to you in the form of a receipt with a fixed price.

Simple barcodes vs. QR Code

Simple barcodes can only store alphanumeric data, while QR codes can store a variety of photos, including alphanumeric data, binary information, and even voices. This means that QR codes can contain much more information than barcodes. Barcodes are used in various supermarkets, hospitals, or theatres, where QR codes are mainly used in technological devices such as smartphones, tablets, or computers.
A simple barcode is a one-dimensional geometric figure, whereas a QR code is a two-dimensional geometric figure. As a result, where barcodes only store data along the horizontal plane, QR codes can store data both vertically and horizontally.

Conclusion

You can also create a barcode of your choice or your name from a website called barcoding.com. If you want to know what is in Barcode with mobile, then as an Android user you can install software called Barcode Reader from Google Play Store.
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