Although DLL only allows plain “C”
functions exported, the design uses an object-oriented
methodology. All functions manipulate the
barcode object
through a HANDLE
which uniquely identifies the barcode object. A HANDLE is
defined as a pointer in C language.
A typical application creates the barcode object through function CreateBarcodeObject and retrieves the handle to the object. Subsequently it calls various of functions to manipulate the object properties. The function mbxExportImage is used to retrieve the barcode rendering from the object. After the application finishes, the function DestroyBarcodeObject should be called to release all resources allocated by the object.
All properties and methods are listed in this chapter. Some properties are now obsolete and kept only for backward-compatiblity reason.
Some properties may not be modifiable under certain design mode.
Some properties may be related to other properties - i.e. change
to one property will change other properties. For example,
Changing Symbology property will also alter
the value of Message property.
Table 8.1. List of barcode object properties
| AutoLabelSize | Determines whether the current work mode is under barcode design mode or the label design mode. |
| AutoSize | Determines which party controls the sizing of the control. |
| BackColor | Specifies the background color for the control. |
| BarHeight | Specifies the height of the bars in the control, in user units. |
| BearerBars | Determines whether to include the bearer bars around the barcodes. applicable on selected symbologies. |
| BorderColor | Specifies the border color for the control. |
| BorderStyle | Specifies the border style. |
| BorderWidth | Specifies the border with, in logical units |
| Code25OptionalCheckDigit | Determines whether to include an optional checksum digit in all Code25 barcodes. |
| Code39OptionalCheckDigit | Determines whether to include an optional checksum digit in all code 39 barcodes. |
| Code39StartStopChars | Determines whether to display the start and stop characters in the human readable of all code 39 barcodes. |
| Comment | Specifies the string for the human readable comment printed around the barcode. |
| CommentAlignment | Determines how the text paragraphs are aligned within the comment. |
| CommentFont | Specifies the font used to draw comment text. |
| CommentMarginBottom | Specifies the margin on the bottom of the comment box. |
| CommentMarginLeft | Specifies the margin on the left of the comment box. |
| CommentMarginRight | Specifies the margin on the right of the comment box. |
| CommentMarginTop | Specifies the margin on the top of the comment box. |
| CommentOnTop | Determines whether the comment box is placed above the barcode image. |
| DataMatrixTargetSizeID | Specifies the size of the Data Matrix barcode created. |
| Font | Specifies the font used to draw human readable text. |
| ForeColor | Specifies the foreground color of the control. |
| I2of5OptionalCheckDigit | Determines whether to include an optional checksum digit in all Interleaved 2 of 5 barcodes. |
| LabelHeight | Specifies the height of the label (working area). |
| LabelWidth | Specifies the width of the label (working area). |
| MaxicodeClass | Specifies the service class for the structured carrier message in MaxiCode symbols. |
| MaxicodeCountryCode | Specifies the country code for the structured carrier message in MaxiCode symbols. |
| MaxicodeMode | Specifies the encoding mode for the Maxicode symbols. |
| MaxicodeZipCode | Specifies the zip/postal code for the structured carrier message in MaxiCode symbols. |
| Measurement | Specifies the measurement unit for all length properties. |
| Message | Specifies a string which represents the data to be encoded. |
| NarrowBarWidth | Specifies the width of the narrowest module in linear symbologies. |
| NarrowToWideRatio | Specifies the ratio used to calculate the width of the wide element. Applicable on selected symbologies. |
| PDFAspectRatio | Specifies the overall height to width ratio of the PDF417 barcodes created. |
| PDFMaxCols | Specifies the maximum number of codeword columns to allow in the PDF417 barcodes created. |
| PDFMaxRows | Specifies the maximum number of codeword columns to allow in the PDF417 barcodes created. |
| PDFModuleHeight | Specifies the height of the module in the PDF417 barcodes created. |
| PDFModuleWidth | Specifies the width of the module in the PDF417 barcodes created. |
| PDFSecurityLevel | Specifies the security level for error correction to use in PDF417 barcodes. |
| PDFTruncatedSymbol | Determines whether to create the truncated version of PdF417 barcodes. |
| Picture | Returns a snapshot of the drawing in Windows Enhanced Metafile Format (EMF). |
| QuietZones | Determines whether to include quiet zones in the barcodes. |
| RasterImageResolution | Specifies the resolution which is used to export raster images. |
| Rotation | Specifies the orientation of the working area in degrees. |
| ShowCheckDigit | Determines whether to include the checksum character in the human readable. |
| ShowComment | Determines whether the control displays the comment element. |
| ShowHRText | Determines whether to display the human readable text. |
| SymbolMarginBottom | Specifies the margins on the bottom of the symbol. |
| SymbolMarginLeft | Specifies the margins on the left of the symbol. |
| SymbolMarginRight | Specifies the margins on the right of the symbol. |
| SymbolMarginTop | Specifies the margins on the top of the symbol. |
| Symbology | Specifies the barcode format (symbology) |
| TexAlignment | Specifies how the human readable text is aligned. |
| TextOnTop | Determines whether the human readable text is placed above the barcode image. |
| UccEanOptionalCheckDigit | Determines whether to include the modulo 10 checksum digit when applicable |
| ZoomRatio | Specifies the scale ratio of the current display area vs. the natural size. |
Table 8.2. Barcode object methods
| About | Displays the About dialog. |
| ExportImage | Exports the drawing to a graphics file with the specified format. |
| Load | Loads the control properties from a file in binary or XML format. |
| Save | Saves the control properties to a file in binary or XML format. |