Generating Barcodes

[peterdykstra]

Try using this site to automatically create barcodes as virtual columns in your apps, in workflow emails, or in generated documents.

One way to implement:

• Create a virtual column, set it as an image type
• Make the formula equal to below
• Make the barcode unique to your item ID by replacing the content with your other column values (like product ID, or website)

=“https://barcode.tec-it.com/barcode.ashx?data=”&[website]

=https://barcode.tec-it.com/barcode.ashx?[data=community.appsheet.com](http://data=community.appsheet.com)

An image like this will be produced:

An alternative option is Google Charts API, which can use a similar Virtual Column format:

CONCATENATE("https://chart.googleapis.com/chart?chs=150x150&cht=qr&chl=",[Product ID])

There are a variety of online barcode generating tools like this - be aware that there may be varying API limitations for each.

[anonymous8]

This is exactly the kind of thing i have been looking for to produce a barcode of the key field in a table in one of my apps. I am not sure exactly how it integrates with the Appsheet platform though. Can you help please?

[Mike_A]

@Dallas_McIntosh - Maybe this prior post from Aaron Moolb on G+ might help explain. I copied all detail since G+ is going away. Hope it helps…

——————————————————-
Hey AppSheet Community! I found a really cool feature that has helped me out and wanted to share.

If you use barcodes in your app, I have found a way to auto generate a barcode image in the app. This eliminates the need to going to other software or websites to create it and then upload it to the app as an image.
If this was previously shared, I am still taking all the glory cause I didn’t know about it…Boom!

So, you should have a column with the barcode number or text in there. We will reference that in the formula.
Make a Virtual Column with the column type as Image. Your app formula is the following:

This is for Code 128 Barcodes;
=LINKURL(CONCATENATE(“https://www.ruggedtabletpc.com/MobileDemand.BarcodeGenerator/Barcode/Image?content=“,[Barcode],”&size=50&symbology=CODE_128&format=png&text=true”))

This is for QR Codes;
=LINKURL(CONCATENATE(“https://www.ruggedtabletpc.com/MobileDemand.BarcodeGenerator/Barcode/Image?content=“,[Barcode],”&size=100&symbology=QR_CODE&format=png&text=true”))

You can play with the size of the image in a format rule for your workflow or to display bigger in the app, look at the second quoted sting in the formula
“&size=100&symbology=QR_CODE&format=png&text=true”
and next to size, change the 100 to 50 or 200, etc.
Same thing for the Code 128

There are a few sites that will allow you to link or embed the barcode image and this is how I am accomplishing it. I have a sheet with all sites that I have found that allow this and have tested multiple barcode numbers and the link in the expression above has been the best to always display an image. Others will sometimes come up blank.

I hope someone finds this useful.

[peterdykstra]

Thanks @Mike, this is helpful - that post was actually one that was migrated to this new community, available here: Hey AppSheet Community! I found a really cool…

[anonymous8]

You are a Gentleman.

I have just figured it out. Thank you so much

[Mike_A]

Thanks Peter. Trying to get used to navigating the new site - so missed it. Glad you pulled that over. Thanks!

[Mike_A]

Looks good @Dallas_McIntosh! Are you using a smartphone to read the codes or printing them?

[anonymous8]

My Client has assigned some old iPhones to do the scanning; not only of what is generated by the App bit to track equipment by manufacturers serial barcode. This updated version will go Live to track all the radios deployed on The London Marathon ‍♂

[anonymous8]

I am trying to use this feature but I keep getting an error message “Barcode Generator Error: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.” Any idea what is going on? thanks!

[anonymous8]

HI all
I am generating PO’s and want to include a barcode that is printed and associated with the PO number and used by scanning the barcode to confirm receipt of good.

Does anyone have an example of this process, or can explain how to include the “virtual field” into the data source (in my case Smartsheet) to be able to link back to the PO?

Many thanks
David Gordon

[Rene_Casana_Ama]

That’s really cool. I implemented this feature too.
Good tip.

[Tiger1]

How did you get this to work? I keep getting this:

I want the app to auto generate a new key - which will also generate the corresponding QR code (matches the key number).

I then want my admin to be able to see the QR and be able to scan that QR code…

[Marc_Dillon]

Did you do this?

Peter:

Create a virtual column, set it as an image type

[Tiger1]

yes.

Wait - i may have got it…

[Tiger1]

So i can now see my QR code. But how does my user scan it later to pull up the information attached to that row/record?

[Marc_Dillon]

Print it out and stick it on something?

[Tiger1]

I gotcha - Dang its been rough since the break…

[Tiger1]

So now when the next person scans that QR code- the information will pull up?

[Marc_Dillon]

You can setup a Form where the users can scan the code from, and then a LINKTOROW() action on Form Save to navigate to the appropriate record.

[Tiger1]

When i make a Scan code form it brings up a code there already? Shouldnt it be blank - waiting for me to now scan the printed out QR Code?:

I only added the VC for the auto generating QR code, should i also have a column for the scanning?