A variety of barcodes have long become an integral part of human life. They can be seen on any product bought in a store, on the Internet, on banners and so on. But many users often wonder what benefit they bring. If the products in the store are still understandable (they are necessary for scanning prices at the checkout), then the codes on the advertising banners seem completely useless. But not everything is so simple, because the barcode contains information, for example, the same link to some Internet resource. In turn, the user can easily scan the barcode for reading. There are an unimaginable number of programs for this. And it's good that they are presented for different platforms.
Barcode Reader on Android
Most often, the user needs to scan codes on the go, when only a smartphone is at hand. And since most smartphones are now based on the Android operating system, it would be logical to start the article with a review of the application specifically for this platform.
We will talk about perhaps the best program for reading barcodes - Barcode Scanner. Compared to competitors, it is favorably distinguished by a set of features, because, as you know, there are several code formats. The most famous are a linear code and a two-dimensional code, better known as a QR code. Barcode Scanner can read all of them without any problems.
However, the useful features of this application do not end there. If you wish, you can personally create a QR code and distribute it, for example, as a business card. Of the additional pleasant moments, we can single out the localization of the program - it is fully translated into Russian. But most importantly, the application is free and can be downloaded without any problems in the "Play Store".
Barcode Reader for iPhone
Now not every user has a smartphone with Android, some use Apple products. Therefore, it is worth introducing a program for reading barcodes, which works fine on the iPhone, and it is called i-Nigma.
In fact, much to tell about it does not work. This is a regular scanner that allows you to quickly open certain barcodes. The application works on both iPhone and iPad. After scanning, all codes are stored on disk in a special archive, which is quite convenient, because at any time you can view them again. Moreover, for this you do not need to delve into the file manager, the opening option is implemented in the program interface itself.
A separate point I want to highlight the program settings. Having entered the menu of the same name, you will see that i-Nigma allows, for example, changing the sound in the main menu. Also, if you wish, you can enable or, conversely, disable the function of saving barcodes in a notebook.
Windows programs
With desktop barcode readers, desktop operating systems are less rosy - there are very few. Despite this, Windows boasts a wonderful QR Code Desktop Reader & Generator application.
The presented program has a fairly extensive set of tools for working with codes. It allows you to download the image of the code directly from the computer’s disk, if you wish, you can scan it using a webcam for these purposes, and in some cases the scan from the monitor screen will be useful.
The useful functions of the program do not end there. As the name implies, QR Code Desktop Reader & Generator is able to generate QR codes. You just need to enter the necessary information that you want to put in the code, and click the appropriate button to generate it.
Reading Codes on Linux
Adherents of the distribution based on the Linux kernel, unfortunately, did not get a convenient program for reading barcodes, but there is a very good alternative - online services.
In this case, you should pay attention to ZXing Decoder Online. This is a very convenient site that performs only one function - it reads barcodes of all variations. All you need: go to the site, insert the link to the code in the appropriate field and click the "Submit" button. After that, you will see the information that was hidden in the code. If you wish, it is also possible to download the code directly from the computer’s disk, but it is important that the image size does not exceed 10 megabytes.