ActiveX Barcode Control & DLL User Manual

• Installing the ActiveX Barcode Control
• Setting Properties
• Symbology-Specific Notes
• Developer Notes
• Integrating into InfoPath
• Using Barcode Generator
• Technical Support FAQ

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If a barcode scanner is not available for testing, consider these hand-held barcode scanner kits.

Installation & Overview

The IDAutomation ActiveX Barcode Control supports several Linear and 2D barcode symbologies without using fonts. They are easy-to-use, "drag and drop" graphic objects and are compatible with Windows applications that support ActiveX including Word, Excel, InfoPath, Visual Basic, C++, FrontPage, and web browsers that support ActiveX. This ActiveX Barcode Control also functions as a DLL that generates, prints and saves WMF images.

Three steps must be followed to use the IDAutomation ActiveX Barcode Control:

1. Install and Register the Barcode Control in Windows
   Install the ActiveX Barcode Control by running the executable file included in the package; this will register the control in Windows and install several implementation examples. The barcode control must be installed and registered in Windows before an application will be able to identify it. If desired, the DLL may also be registered manually from the command line by executing REGSVR32 DLLNAME at the prompt where DLLNAME is the name of the ActiveX DLL in the current directory.
2. Install the Barcode Control in the Desired Application
   After the control has been installed and registered on the PC, it may be activated in any application that supports ActiveX or COM. Several installation tutorials are included in this document. For applications that are not listed in this document, search the application's help file for information about how to utilize ActiveX controls.
3. Adjust the Barcode Control Properties
   The ActiveX Barcode Control properties determine the data that will be encoded in the barcode as well as other options such as barcode type and size.

Installation in Word

1. Word 2000/2003 Choose View - Toolbars - Control Toolbox. There should now be a toolbox visible. On the toolbox, choose the "more controls button."
   
   Word 2007 and Greater Select the Developer tab. In the Controls box, select Legacy Tools  and choose the "more controls button."
   
2. Select the barcode control from the list of available ActiveX Controls and it will appear in the document.
3. Size the control as necessary.
4. To adjust the barcode control properties, right-click on the control and choose properties. When finished, click on the "design mode button."
   
5. To adjust the barcode control properties, the user must be in design mode. If problems are encountered editing the properties of the control, press the design mode button to enable it.
6. The data encoded in the barcode may be static or modified with the use of VBA code.

Word Mail Merge

ActiveX Controls may be used in a Word mail merge if the merge is performed with a VBA macro. The following describes this process:

1. Install the barcode object on the merge document and determine the name of the object by right-clicking on it. In this case, it is "BarCode1". If unable to access the properties of the object, choose the Developer and select Design Mode. To enter Design Mode in Word 2000 and 2003, choose View - Toolbars - Control Toolbox and choose the design icon.
   
2. Determine the name of the merge field used to encode in the barcode. In this example, it is "Merge1".
3. Open the Visual Basic editor by choosing Developer - Visual Basic. Office 2000 and 2003 users choose Tools - Macro - Visual Basic Editor.
4. Download the ActiveX mail merge example and extract the IDAutomation_ActiveX_MailMerge.bas file. Within the Visual Basic Editor, choose File - Import and select IDAutomation_ActiveX_MailMerge.bas.
5. After the file is imported, it should show up in the modules section. Click on this module to reveal the code.
   
6. Choose Edit - Replace. Change the name of the object from Barcode1 to the object name determined in step 1 and choose Replace All. Change the name of the merge field from Merge1 to the actual merge field determined in Step2 and choose Replace All.
   
7. Choose File - Save and File - Close to Return to Word.
8. To perform the mail merge, choose ALT-F8 or Developer - Macros and run the appropriate macro. A print preview macro is included that will print one page from a selected row number. If an error message is received such as "macros in this project are disabled" that will not allow the macro to run, change the security level of the macros as outlined in this Microsoft KB.
9. NOTE: The normal method of performing a mail merge will create multiple pages with a barcode that is not linked to a mail merge field. The only method of linking the barcode to a mail merge field is by executing the macro.

Installation in Access

NOTE: IDAutomation no longer recommends using ActiveX Controls in Access. IDAutomation suggests the Native Barcode Generator for Access or the Barcode Fonts with VBA Macros.

ActiveX Barcode Controls work only in older versions of Access. When used in reports and forms, these controls may be dragged into the design area and connected to database fields.

1. Open the report in design mode.
   • Access 2000/2003 Choose insert - ActiveX control.
     
• Access 2007/2010 While in Design View, Select the Form Design Tools tab* - Select the side drop-down - Select ActiveX Controls.
  
  
• For Access 2013 and greater, IDAutomation suggests the Native Barcode Generator for Access or the Barcode Fonts with VBA Macros due to an incompatibility with the C++ ATL encoding of the control with newer versions of Access.
2. Move and size the control necessary. To change the properties of the control, such as barcode height and symbology type, right-click on the control and choose properties.
3. In the Property Sheet drop-down menu, select Report and change the Record Source to the table where the barcode field of the ActiveX control resides:
   
4. To bind the barcode to a data source, select the table in the control source field in the same manner as for a text control.
5. Verify the correct data is encoded in the barcode. If it does not, consult Access Help to determine how to get the correct data in the Control Source field. The result of the Control Source is what will be encoded in the barcode. When working with multiple tables, it may be necessary to specify both the table and field in the control source; for example:
   =([Table1.Field1])
    
6. Optional: A single formula or VB Script may be used in the control source property, which allows the combining of multiple fields and/or prefix and suffix values. For example:
   ="PREFIX" & [Field1]
   =[Field1] & [Field2]
   =[Field1] & "," & [Field2]
   =("PrefixText"&[Table1.Field1] & "~009" & [Table1.Field2] & "SuffixText")
   
   When distributing an Access Database, the ActiveX Barcode Control must be installed on each computer used to print barcodes. For a complete barcode generator object that stays embedded in the database, consider the Native Barcode Generator for Access.

Installation in Excel

ActiveX Barcode Controls may be used in Microsoft Excel and may be modified by referencing a cell, or via the use of VBA code.

1. Excel 2000/2003 Choose View - Toolbars - Control Toolbox. There should now be a toolbox visible. On the toolbox, choose the "more controls button."
   
   Excel 2007/2010/2013 Select the Developer tab. - In the Controls box, select Insert and choose the "more controls button." Step-by-Step Instructions
   
   
2. Select the barcode control from the list of available ActiveX Controls. Click and drag the control for the desired placement in the spreadsheet and size it as necessary.
3. To modify the properties of the control, the user must be in design mode, then right-click on the control and choose properties. When finished, click on the "design mode button" to exit.
   
4. To link a cell to the data to be encoded in the barcode, enter the cell in the "LinkedCell" property of the control. Refer to the Linking cells in ActiveX page for more detailed instructions.
   
   ActiveX Controls cannot be used to populate a column in Excel and must be placed individually. If this is needed, consider barcode fonts which can be used to generate a column of barcodes.

Installation in FrontPage and HTML

NOTE: The use of ActiveX is deprecated by Microsoft and will not work in modern web browsers. IDAutomation recommends using another product to generate barcodes for web browsers such as ASPX Scripts, Streaming Barcode Server for IIS, Java Servlets, JavaScript Barcode Generators, or PHP Scripts.

Using the ActiveX Barcode Control in FrontPage

1. Choose Insert - Advanced - ActiveX Control (In FrontPage 2003, choose Insert - Web Component - Advanced Controls - ActiveX Control). If the control does not appear in the list, choose Customize to add it to the list of controls and select Finish.
2. The control will appear on the web page. Right-click on the control to adjust properties as necessary.
3. The control must be installed on every PC that accesses the web page displaying the ActiveX control. To enable the control to automatically install, if it is not already installed, enter the file name and path of the signed CAB file, which is provided in the download package. IDAutomation supplies signed CAB files in the package for this purpose. IDAutomation also provides an online example of installing the ActiveX Barcode with a CAB file and a dynamic ActiveX Control Example viewable in Internet Explorer only.
   
   ActiveX Controls only work with web browsers that support ActiveX. If support for other browsers is required, please review the Internet Barcode FAQ.

Using the ActiveX Barcode Control in HTML

NOTE: The use of ActiveX is deprecated by Microsoft and will not work in modern web browsers. IDAutomation recommends using another product to generate barcodes for web browsers such as ASPX Scripts, Streaming Barcode Server for IIS, Java Servlets, JavaScript Barcode Generators, or PHP Scripts.

1. Copy and paste the following object code into any HTML editor:
   

   <object classid="clsid:0C3874AA-AB39-4B5E-A768-45F3CE6C6819"
   id="IDAutomationBarcode" width="300" height="80" codebase="http://www.yourdomain.com/activex/IDAutomationLinear.cab">
   <param name="DataToEncode" value="Linear ActiveX">
   </object>

2. If the Linear ActiveX Barcode Control is not being used, replace the Class ID with the values listed below:
   
   Aztec:
   EBA15B30-80B4-11DC-B31D-0050C2490048
   
   DataMatrix:
   DB67DB99-616A-4CAB-A3A1-2EF644F254E7
   
   MaxiCode:
   3F66852C-5FD8-4E70-A897-ECC1DE14019F
   
   PDF417:
   E97EE6EB-7FBE-43B1-B6D8-C4D86C78C5A0
   
   QR-Code:
   B94BB49D-0828-403F-94B5-27753E8A48A3
    
3. Modify as necessary to size the area the barcode control will occupy.
4. Change codebase= to the location of the CAB file.
5. Modify other properties by specifying the param name= and value= as demonstrated in step 1 with the DataToEncode property.

Installation in Visual Basic

IDAutomation ActiveX Barcode Controls perform well in Visual Basic 6. To activate the ActiveX Barcode Control in a VB 6 project, follow these steps:

1. Choose Project - Components from the menu.
2. Select the barcode control from the list.
3. Choose View - Toolbox. After the control appears in the toolbox, it may be placed in the VB project.
4. To change the properties of the control, right-click on the control and choose properties.
5. Use "code behind" to modify properties of the control, for example:
   
   BarCode1.BarHeight=2
   BarCode1.DataToEncode="12345678901"
   BarCode1.SaveEnhWMF "C:\saved-barcode.wmf"

Methods of printing from the ActiveX Barcode Control in Visual Basic are as follows:

1. Print Directly To The Printer: The print method below sends the graphic barcode image directly to the printer starting at position X=2048 and Y=1024:
   

   Private Sub PrintDirect_Click()
      Printer.PaintPicture BarCode1.Picture, 2048, 1024
      Printer.EndDoc
   End Sub

2. PrintForm: This printing method prints the actual form with the barcode control and prints it at the screen DPI. Therefore, narrow-bar widths smaller than .03CM cannot be printed. Below is code from a button on the form that performs this task:
   

   Private Sub PrintForm_Click()
      Me.PrintForm
   End Sub

3. Copy To Clipboard: This method sends the barcode image graphic directly to the clipboard:
   

   Private Sub CopyToClipboard_Click()
      Clipboard.Clear
      Clipboard.SetData BarCode1.Picture, vbCFMetafile
      'Optionally, display in an image box
      Image1.Picture = BarCode1.Picture
   End Sub

4. Save To File: This method saves the barcode image graphic directly to a file that may be imported into an application that can display WMF files such as Microsoft Word:
   

   Private Sub SaveToFile_Click()
      BarCode1.SaveEnhWMF "SavedBarCode.wmf"
   End Sub

5. Use The Control as a DLL - The code below loads the barcode control and prints without it being placed on a form:
   

   Dim BC
   Set BC = CreateObject("IDAuto.BarCode")
   BC.DataToEncode = "DLL-TEST"
   Printer.PaintPicture BC.Picture, 2048, 1024
   Printer.EndDoc
   Set BC = Nothing

   When Visual Basic.NET is used, consider the .NET Forms Barcode Control because it is a managed code assembly and is easier to use in .NET.

Installation in Visual C++

1. Choose the resource tab to view dialogs.
2. To add a control to the dialog, right-click on the dialog form to the right and choose "Insert ActiveX Control."
3. Select the correct barcode control from the list. The control should then appear in the dialog. Download the C++ barcode project for an implementation example.

Installation in Visual FoxPro

1. In a Visual Foxpro Form, select the "OLE Container" from the standard toolbox.
2. After the "Insert Object" dialog box opens, select an ActiveX Barcode Control that begins with "IDAutomation."
3. The characteristics may be modified as necessary in the properties window.
4. To print barcodes on reports or labels, a field must be used to store the barcode and it must be set up as an OLE Control with the data type of "general." Download the IDAutomation VFP barcode for an example for Visual FoxPro 6.0.

Installation in InfoPath

This tutorial will show users how to integrate the ActiveX Control into Infopath 2003 or greater.

Adjusting Properties

After activating the barcode control in an application, modify the properties of the control by code or by right-clicking on the control and selecting the properties option.

Linear Barcode Control Properties

Methods

DataMatrix-Specific Barcode Properties

MaxiCode-Specific Barcode Properties

PDF417-Specific Barcode Properties

Aztec-Specific Barcode Properties

QR-Code-Specific Barcode Properties

* When used with low-resolution devices such as the display screen, changes within the WhiteBarIncrease property value may not be visible in the barcode control itself. However, the change will usually show when printed if a printer with 300 DPI or greater is used. In addition, when saving the barcode as an image, WhiteSpaceIncrease can usually be seen with the SaveBarCode property, but not with the SaveEnhWMF property due to SaveEnhWMF formatting the image to the screen resolution.

Developer Notes for Programmers

Distribution with an Application

The file(s) to distribute after installation reside in the "WinSys" directory and begin with "IDAutomation." When distributing the ActiveX Barcode Control, it must be copied to the "System" directory of the destination PC and then the DLL must be registered. This process may be automated with installation utilities.

IDAutomation ActiveX Barcode Controls are packaged with the CreateInstall by Gentee. Within the CreateInstall application, the "Register as OCX or DLL" option must be selected for each ActiveX DLL file that will be registered. This is a powerful, easy-to-use application that has no runtime requirements. Other setup applications are also available that register DLLs such as the Microsoft Windows Installer.

Multi-Threading

Many instances of the ActiveX object within the application may be created as needed, although the DLL does not support multi-threading and will not run as a separate process.

Technical Support

Free product support may be obtained by reviewing the knowledgebase articles documented below and by searching the resolved public forum threads. Priority phone, email, and forum support is also provided via several contact methods within 30 days of purchase. Support after this complimentary period may be received with an active one-year Priority Support & Upgrade Subscription.

Knowledgebase Documents:

• Barcode Prints But Will Not Scan (or Scan Correctly)
• Extra Character Added To The End of a Codabar or Code 39 Barcode
• Linking to a Field in MSWord
• Code 128 Check-digits Not Viewable in The Human Readable Form
• Received an InvalidActiveXStateExceptionError
• Cannot Accurately Adjust X Dimension when Printing with Low-Resolution Printers
• Barcodes are Different Sizes when Printing to Printers with Differing Resolutions
• Barcode Size Changes in Design Mode or Size is Not Accurately Displayed on The Screen
• "There is No Object in This Control" Error or Cannot Adjust Control Properties
• Symbology-specific Issues for Code 128, UPC/EAN and Postal Barcodes
• Cannot Adjust NarrowBarWidth Accurately when Printing with Low Resolution or Less Than 600 DPI Printers
• Problems Occur After Running The Uninstall For The ActiveX Control
• Does The Maxicode Component Support UPS Compression?

Popular Forum Post Resolutions:

• Unable to register the MSSTDFMT.DLL
• How to Reference ActiveX DLL in PowerBuilder
• How to link Excel data to Barcode ActiveX?
• Mail Merge in Word with the ActiveX Barcode Control