Different Bar Code Symbologies serve differing pupose and each has it's own unique characteristics. Code 3 of 9 or Code 39 (same thing) which you mentioned, allows the use of both Alpha and Numeric characters and even a few special characters. Code 39 can be any width since it uses an * (asterisk) as a start and stop character. That's what makes this a commonly used symbology for applications such as time and attendance, WIP, inventory control, etc.

Other symbologies have fixed widths or might have different characters sets, such as being numeric only. UPC or Universal Product Codes are used primarily for retail applications. They consist of 12 digit fixed with numeric values where the first 6 digits are the manufacturers ID number which is given to them (well actually they pay for it) by the UCC (Uniform Code Council. For more info, you could check out www.uc-council.org.

2 of 5 are numeric only, codabar is numeric plus a few extra symbols, EAN's are typically used for book numbering, etc. What type of bar code to use, really depends on your application.

Many of the bar code (perhaps all of them) symbologies you mention are available as windows fonts and can easily be added into the reports for your software program. Some of them like 2 of 5 and Code 39 can be found for free on the internet. Like at www.bizfonts.com/free.

I hope that helps you out.

-Don

>I don't know where else to post this, so here it goes.
>
>I am interested in adding bar code wand/scanner functionality to an app. The reader was already givne to me (UniTech MS210U), and it supports these types of bar codes:
>
> UPC-A
> UPC-E
> EAN-13
> EAN-8
> I 2 of 5
> S 2 of 5
> Code 39
> Codabar
> Code 93
> Code 128
> UCC/EAN128
> MSI
> Code 32
> Plessey Code
> Label Code IV,V
> China Postal Code
>
>I have only heard of "Code 39", that's the extent of my knowledge. Can anyone say why a given code would be used over another? The kind of data I want to bar code will be an int, a long, or a GUID.
>
>Thanks.