What is a bar code?

A bar code is a digital graphic of a number used to identify different products. Before bar codes came along vendors still used numbers to identify their products. So bar codes are a technological convenience for vendors to track and inventory their products by being able to scan the product number directly into their computer. This is a major time saver. The numbers of a bar code on a typical music product would be: the first six digits usually identify the record label/vendor, the next five would identify the product itself, and the last digit is a check digit which validates the number itself.  more

A. Most people today have seen bar codes because they are printed on nearly every item in a grocery store. These are either UPC or EAN linear bar codes. However, there are over 300 other different types of bar codes. The next most popular linear bar code is Code 39 (also called Code 3 of 9). Also, there are 2D Bar codes (see the 2D Page for more information) that can store a large amount of information in a smaller space than linear bar codes.  more