Barcode Scanner

The first barcode (or bar code) was invented by Norman Joseph Woodland and Bernard Silver, and patented in the US in 1952. Their barcode was based on Morse code, with thin and thick bars. The break-through for barcode came when they started to be used by supermarket checkout systems. Traditionally, barcode scanners used lasers that could only read one-dimensional barcodes. Modern barcode scanners use cameras that can read two-dimensional barcodes such as QR codes.

Scan Barode from image file

Image file

Barcode Scanning results

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Features

  • Barcodes were invented by Norman Joseph Woodland and Bernard Silver. They patented the first barcode in the US in 1952.
  • The commercial break-through for barcodes came when they started to be used at supermarkets for scanning at the checkout.
  • There are many different barcode standards, including Code 39, Code 128 and UPC (Universal Product Code). Some codes can represent only digits, some can represent letters and punctuation and some can even represent any binary data.
  • Traditional barcodes were black/white and one-dimensional. Modern barcodes can use colors and be two-dimensional.

Barcodes are frequently used occasionally in geocaching mystery caches (puzzle caches), CTFs and logic puzzles.

Sample

www.boxentriq.com
Boxentriq barcode sample

The barcode above is encoded in Code 128-format and translates to https://www.boxentriq.com.

See also: Code-Breaking overview | A1z26 | Ascii table | Base64 decoder | Base64 encoder | Baudot code | Book cipher | Geek code | Letters to numbers | Numbers to letters | Pixel values extractor | Qr codes | Tap code | Unicode | Utf-8 decoder | Utf-8 encoder