We have all seen the familiar bar code symbology shown here, but what is it?
A bar code is simply a machine readable font. A Bar Code is a font just like Times New Roman or Arial. Unlike these fonts, a Bar Code font was designed to be “read” by a device called a Bar Code Reader. Details A Bar Code symbol consists of a series of parallel, adjacent bars and spaces. Predetermined width patterns are used to code actual data into the symbol. To read information contained in a Bar Code symbol, a scanning device, such as a light pen (or wand), is moved across the symbol from one side to the other. As a scanning device is moved across the symbol, the Bar Code width pattern of bars and spaces is analyzed by the Bar Code decoder, and the original data is recovered. A Little History The most visible use of bar codes is the supermarket industry, where it has been in use since 1970. They needed a faster and more accurate method of data entry. This was due, in part, to the fact that cashiers were highly skilled people; paid for their data entry speed and accuracy. Automating
