Automation
If you are planning to use many barcodes within programmable spreadsheet or database applications, then you will probably wish to automate the process of inserting the start and stop codes and the check digits.
This should prove relatively straightforward because most applications have a programming language. You can copy sections of the dFont helper program supplied with your font into the macro or module section of your application.
The basic principle is to take the string you wish to convert into a barcode (STRING1$) and add to it the start character, check digit (if required) and stop character, to create a second string (STRING2$) which then appears on forms or reports and is set to display in your barcode font at a suitable size. In most cases the font characteristics are set permanently (e.g. within a properties window), while the creation of the string to display is handled by a macro or module.
So your module may contain code such as
STRING2$=start$ + STRING1$ + check$ + stop$
and STRING2$ becomes the content of the target field or cell.
Note that Code 128 and EAN 128 barcode types have three subtypes. The simple dFont Helper application does not automatically handle subtype changes – you need to insert the subtype characters yourself. The software described below is suitable for developers who need to automate this process.
Several additonal items of supporting software are provided with your font. The font package include both a DLL which can be called from most languages, and an Active-X control designed primarily for use with Visual Basic, VBA or managed code in Visual Studio.NET, and a UFL designed for calling within Crystal Reports. These items are described in detail below.
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