Crystal Reports Barcode Font UFL

• Easily create barcodes in Crystal Reports.
• Compatible with Crystal 7 and up.
• Enables easy Change To Barcode functionality.
• Supports Visual Studio .NET.
• Supports many linear barcode types including Code-128, GS1-128, Code-39, Interleaved 2 of 5, Code-93, UPC, EAN, Postnet and Intelligent Mail.
• Supports double-byte language settings when used with the Universal Barcode Font.
• Compatible with Windows 95 and greater, including 32 bit and 64 bit versions of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008.
• Royalty-free with the purchase of any license to one of IDAutomation's barcode fonts.

Function List | Support | Native Crystal Barcode Generator | Font Formulas | Integration Guide | Barcode Fonts

The Crystal Reports Barcode UFL is the easiest product to use when creating barcodes in reports. However, if reports are to be distributed, IDAutomation recommends the Native Crystal Reports Barcode Generator, which allows embedded distribution without any required fonts, UFLs or plug-ins.

This UFL supports many linear barcode types including Code-128, GS1-128, Code-39, Interleaved 2 of 5, Code-93, UPC, EAN, Postnet and Intelligent Mail. GS1 DataBar and advanced 2D barcodes such as Aztec, DataMatrix, PDF417 and QR-Code must use the UFL supplied with that product.

Easy Barcode Tutorial for Crystal 12 and greater:

New functionality introduced in Crystal Reports version 12 makes it easy to turn fields into barcodes. When using Crystal versions below 12, the standard UFL tutorial must be followed.

1. Install the appropriate barcode fonts. If in doubt about which font to use, IDAutomation recommends the Universal Barcode Font.
2. Download and install the latest version of IDAutomation's Crystal Reports UFL. Only the latest version released in March 2008 is compatible with the new "change to barcode" functionality introduced in Crystal Reports 12.
3. Add a field to the report that contains only the data that is to be encoded in the barcode. If necessary, a formula field may be created to append text or concatenate fields.
4. Select the Preview tab (or File - Print Preview) to ensure the correct data appears in the field.
5. Right-click on this field, choose "Change To Barcode" and select from the list of installed barcode fonts, the type of barcode to create.
   
6. The barcode should be instantly created in the report. To create a text interpretation, simply add the same field to the report again and position it below the barcode as necessary.
7. Print one page of the report and test with a barcode scanner. IDAutomation suggests testing with the IDAutomation USB Barcode Scanner, which scans all popular linear, GS1 DataBar and PDF417 barcodes. When 2D Data Matrix, QR Code, Aztec or Intelligent Mail symbols need to be verified, IDAutomation suggests the 4600G 2D Imager with PQA.

Barcode UFL Tutorial for Crystal Reports Versions 7 to 11:

1. Install the appropriate barcode fonts. If there is a doubt as to which font to use, IDAutomation recommends the Code 128 Barcode Font Advantage Package. When using Code 128 or Interleaved 2 of 5, if the character set is not US English, 1252 Latin-1, 1250 European, 1251 Cyrillic, 1253 Greek, 1254 Turkish, 1255 Hebrew or 1256 Arabic, the Universal Barcode Font Advantage™ must be used. This example uses the Code 128 Barcode Font Advantage Package. Some font packages also include Font Formulas, which allow the font formatting routines to be embedded in a report without the need for a UFL.
2. Download IDAutomation's Crystal Reports UFL and install it. After installing the UFL, the barcode functions should show up under Additional Functions in the formula editor. For backward compatibility with formulas of previous reports, IDAutomation also provides the previously released COM based Crystal UFL. If the earlier version of the UFL is used, refer to the documentation in that package.
3. Choose the Design tab to enter the design mode of the report.
4. Open the Field Explorer. In version 9, choose View - Field Explorer. In versions prior to 9, choose Insert - Formula Field.
5. Right click on Formula Fields and select New.
6. In the Formula Name dialog box, enter a name to identify the formula field. This can be any name, for example, "Code128Barcode." In this example, the formula is simply named "Barcode."
   
7. Click OK and select Use Editor if asked. The Formula Editor should now be open.
8. In the Functions Column, expand Additional Functions and expand the IDAutomation section. From the list provided, choose the appropriate function. If the IDAutomation functions do not show up in the Additional Functions section after installing the UFL, copy the U25IDAutomation.dll file from the Windows System directory (for example C:\Windows\System32) to the directory where the Crystal DLLs are located. In Crystal 11, the file may be copied to C:\Program Files\Common Files\Business Objects\3.0\bin; in Crystal 10 and previous versions, the file may be copied to %Windows%\Crystal where %Windows% is the directory where Windows is installed.
9. Make sure the function utilized matches the font listed in the "font to use" column. As an example, only use the IDAutomation_Code128() function with the IDAutomationC128 Font.
10. With the cursor in between the parentheses of the function, select the data field that is to be encoded. Data fields used in this formula must be formatted as text. If the data fields are not text, use ToText for conversion. The syntax of the formula should look similar to the formula below which formats Field1 of Table1 to a Code 128 barcode font. IDAutomation_Code128 ({Table1.Field1}) or IDAutomation_Code128 (ToText( {Table1.Field1} ) )
11. Choose Save and then Close. If an error such as "A string is required" appears, convert the data to text with the ToText function. For example: IDAutomation_Code128 (ToText( {Customers.CustNum} ) )
12. To include a text interpretation of what is being encoded below the barcode; it is recommended to create an additional formula. In this example, the formula is named BarcodeHR to return the "human readable" text for Table1.Field1:
    {Table1.Field1}
    When creating GS1-128 (UCC/EAN) barcodes which require specific text interpretations, the appropriate HR function may be used for that purpose. For example, to display the text for a GS1-128 barcode, BarcodeHR is created with a different formula to return the formatted text from Table1.Field1: IDAutomation_Code128HumanReadable ({Table1.Field1})
13. Return to the Field Explorer dialog box.
14. Click on the formula field and drag it onto the report.
    
15. Now that the fields have been created in the Crystal Report, choose the Preview tab to make sure the data is being retrieved from the fields and properly formatted to the barcode font. Strange characters will append to the beginning and ending of the data from the fields, which are required for the start and stop characters in the barcode. Additional formatting may also be necessary that scrambles the data; this is normal for Code 128, Interleaved 2 of 5 and all functions in the Universal Barcode Font. The graphic below in this tutorial shows the first field produced by the @Barcode formula and the second produced by the @BarcodeHR formula.
    
16. Choose the Design tab again and size the barcode formula field to display the appropriate barcode font in the report.
17. Change the font of the formula field to be the appropriate barcode font and set the point size to 12 points or another appropriate size. Ensure the formula used matches the font listed in the "font to use" column. This is a very important step; if this is not correct, barcodes will not be properly created.
    NOTE: When selecting the font from the pull down menu, please do not use the fonts that begin with the "@" Symbol. Instead, scroll down in the list and select fonts that begin with "IDAutomation”.
18. Select the Preview tab (or File - Print Preview) to view the barcodes in the report. Print one page of the report and test with a scanner. IDAutomation suggests testing with the easy-to-use IDAutomation USB Barcode Scanner, which scans all popular linear, GS1 DataBar and PDF417 barcodes. When 2D Data Matrix, QR Code, Aztec or Intelligent Mail symbols need to be verified, IDAutomation suggests the 4600G Hand Held Products Imager.
    

It is easy to combine multiple fields, append text and/or place functions (such as a tab or return) in a single barcode when using Code 128 or 2D barcodes in a report. For example, the following formula appends the text "ECC200", combines two fields in a single barcode and places a tab function between them:
IDAutomation_Code128ApplyTilde ( "ECC200" & {Table1.DataField1} & "~009" & {Table1.UPC})

Free product support may be obtained by reviewing articles that are documented at the IDAutomation's Barcode Font Support Site and by searching the resolved public help desk issues. Priority phone, email and help desk support is also provided up to 30 days after purchase. Additional priority phone, email and help desk support may be obtained if the Priority Support and Upgrade Subscription is active. For assistance with other Crystal reports issues refer to Crystal Reports Support Site.

Many of IDAutomation's font packages include Font Formulas, which allow the font formatting routines to be embedded in a report without the need for a UFL. These formulas are saved as part of the report file (.rpt) and do not have any external dependencies (with the exception of the required barcode font). When distributing reports, IDAutomation suggests using this method or implementation of the Native Barcode Generator for Crystal Reports, which creates dynamic embedded barcodes without the installation of any barcode fonts or components.

If the report is being distributed, it is recommended that IDAutomation's Native Barcode Generator be considered which allows for distribution of a Crystal report without the need for any additional fonts, UFLs or plug-ins. Additionally, IDAutomation Formulas for Crystal Reports only require the applicable barcode font to be installed.

IDAutomation's UFL is free to use and distribute with the application if one of IDAutomation's licensed barcode fonts has been purchased. The following is a list of runtime files that should be distributed with the application:

The functions listed below are available in IDAutomation's UFL and are only valid when used with the barcode font listed in the "font to use" column. All the functions listed below are preceded with IDAutomation_. Functions beginning with IDAutomation_Uni_ are only to be used with the IDAutomation Universal Barcode Font Advantage™. The data input type for all functions is a single string.

Description of the parts of the functions:

• DataToEncode - is a string value that represents the data being encoded.
• N_Dimension - determines the width of the wide bars that is a multiple of the X dimension. Valid values are 2, 2.5 and 3. The default is 2. The X dimension is determined by the font point size.
• IncludeCheckDigit - a Boolean value that determines whether a check digit should be automatically calculated and included for the DataToEncode.
• ApplyTilde - when ApplyTilde is set to "1" in Code 128 with the Auto character set, the format ~ddd may be used to specify the ASCII code of the character to be encoded and several other tilde options are enabled.

Advanced GS1 DataBar and 2D Integration:

• GS1 DataBar Crystal Tutorial (coming soon)
• Aztec Crystal Tutorial
• Data Matrix Crystal Tutorial
• PDF417 Crystal Tutorial
• QR-Code Crystal Tutorial (coming soon)

Related Information:

• Crystal: The Complete Toolset

Overview of Bar-coding Options:

1. The easiest product to use in versions 9 and above is IDAutomation's Native Barcode Generator for Crystal Reports, which creates barcodes without additional fonts or plug-ins. Tutorial...
2. For support of many barcode types, IDAutomation's Barcode UFL for Crystal Reports is an easy to use plug-in. Tutorial...  Download now...
3. For technical users, IDAutomation's IDAutomation Formulas for Crystal Reports allow distribution of a crystal report without the need for the Barcode UFL. Tutorial...
4. For developers using Crystal 9 or above, Report Custom Functions can be created from IDAutomation's formulas and placed into the Repository of Custom Functions. For more information...
5. For some double byte language settings such as Chinese, Korean and Japanese languages, use the IDAutomation Universal Barcode Font Advantage™ with IDAutomation's Barcode Crystal Reports UFL.
6. When using Crystal Version XI and above, barcode images may be streamed from a server and dynamically placed in the report. This implementation does not require any fonts or software to be installed when using IDAutomation's hosted Dynamic Barcode Generator Service.

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