Bar coding a report.

[Chinde]

Hi

Does anyone know anything about using barcodes in reports??

I have the correct font, and I am using:

="*"+Trim([intKeyHere])+"*"

in the control source for the field.

The barcode produced doesn't seem to scan though.

I know that FoxPro uses:

="*"+AllTrim(int_Key_Here)+"*"

and this seems to work for our FoxPro based DB.

Any thoughts appreciated.

Using Access 2007 on XpOS.

[Stewart Ross]

Hi Chinde. I use a free 3-of-9 font. I have never found a problem reading the bar codes it produces at any reasonable size - but it is set up to be much larger than the normal 10 or 12 point text which might be used for textbox characters. I set mine up to print the bar code at around 1-1.5cm in height using a point size of around 26 points, if my memory is correct.

I would suggest that you run a number of print trials from Word initially (as you can set up different bar code sizes so easily on a Word page) and check which ones are and are not readable.

If none can be read it suggests that the bar code font you are using is not compatible with your particular reader, or perhaps with what you are outputting (some will only output numeric characters, others alphabetic text and numerics but no other characters).

There are many different types of bar code and many different fonts available. Some bar code fonts are better than others. If you are using one of the free ones these tend to be somewhat restricted in their uses compared to paid-for fonts (though the one I'm using does what I need OK).

Good luck in your checks on this one.

-Stewart

ps make sure that you do indeed need the start and stop characters and that they are asterisks (which is indeed the case with the one I use). I note you use the "+" operator to concatenate the value you are trimming - it won't make any difference to your current problem, but for strings in VBA use the ampersand for concatenation instead
(eg "*" & Trim(...) & "*").

[Chinde]

I guess I should have said that I have already run the tests you suggested via word and I'm using 3of9 too. it must be an issue between the reader and the bar code. Although the reader will read anything produced by our stock control system which also uses 3of9 but with the slight code alterations which I showed before.

I'll continue to experiment with the reader and my bar codes.

I wondered if it might be my usage of the Trim function?? is there any difference between Trim() and Trim$()?? and when you produce the bar codes do you use the *'s before and after??

All codes are (at present) just number based.

[Chinde]

ok all sorted. It was the font size and word was placing paragraph markers at the end of the bar code. I ran the same codes through a report at a selection of sizes and the 26pt's worked a treat with the

="*" + Trim(Number) + "*"

Thanks again.