Frequently
Asked Questions on BCF (FAQ)
Frequently
Asked Questions on BCF (FAQ) |
Below you will find questions which we frequently receive on BCF and their answers; if you still can not find what you need, write to: szp@zanella-hifi.com.
Answers |
Q: I have
installed BCF Assistant, but do not see any font installed; what happens?
A: The version of BCF Assistant that is shipped inside
single-simbology BCF packages does not install any font; they must be separately installed
using Windows Control Panel, from the directory on the CD that the user receives when he
order the software. If the full package was bought, the fonts are not "seen"
because the user forgot to reboot the computer after installing the package.
Q: Why should I
use the DLL, instead of applying the fonts directly to the information that I want to
encode?
A: Most common symbologies (Code 128, Interleaved 2/5,
EAN/UPC family, Code 32..) have a compulsory check digit, which is calculated using a
mathematical algorithm and depends on the information being encoded; moreover, they use
both black bars and spaces to store useful information; thus, characters are encoded in
couples, or special characters are introduced to instruct the decoder on how it must
interpret the symbol. For the following symbologies: Code 128, EAN family, Interleaved
2/5 there will never exist a font that can be directly applied to the information being
encoded to obtain a readable barcode, without using a transformation function (such as the
one provided inside the DLL shipped with BCF).
Q: Can BCF
barcodes be printed on any printer?
A: Sure, the high-precision True Type barcode fonts of BCF
allow to obtain readable barcodes from any printer, as far as they are printed at an
adequate resolution. Using laser printers, it is possibile to create very small, perfectly
readable barcodes. This is one of the great advantages in using BCF when creating your
reports: you are not forced to use a specific printer. BCF fonts are used in many public
offices.
Q: Can I use BCF
from Word, Access, Excel..?
A: Yes, all applications belonging to the Office suite embed VBA
(Visual Basic for Application); just add a module where you declare the functions inside
BCF DLL and create a macro that invokes those functions; read the last pages in BCF manual
for additional details (see Visual Basic syntax).
Q: I need to
create a barcode taller than the one that I obtain when applying a font from BCF; how can
I do that?
A: Most fonts that ship with BCF only include bars and have
interline space set to zero; this means that, when printing two consecutive lines with the
same information and using a font from BCF, you get a double height barcode (no division
line). For greater flexibility, you can use the "short" version of a font
together with a normal version, or partially overlap two lines (if the application being
used allows you to do so). The fonts EAN 13, EAN 8, UPC A, UPC E and Postnet have fixed
heights, which can not be modified.
Q: The barcode
which I get does not have HRC; how can I add it?
A: HRC is included only for those symbologies where it is
compulsory (EAN/UPC family); the other symbologies let you freely add or not a second line
below the bars, where you can print the HRC using the font, the size and the alignment
desired. This solution offers the greatest flexibility.
Q: I must create
an EAN 128 barcode; what is an "AI"?
A: An AI is a sort of "prefix" that allows to give
a meaning to the data that follow, thus splitting the barcode into logical fields.
Depending on the prefix, the data that follow can have fixed or variable length. There are
hundreds of different AIs: the wizard in BCF Assistant (which can be invoked by clicking
on the magic wand to the right of the input field, when EAN 128 symbology is selected) can
be consulted to see which are the most common AIs and their meaning. In the text below an
EAN 128 barcode the AIs are usually expressed between parenthesis, which are not encoded
in the barcode. Take care when encoding a variable length field: if the data is below
maximum length and it is not the last field, it must be separated from the following AI by
using the character CHR(129) = "\x81".
Q: What does it
mean that each copy of BCF is "serialized"?
A: When a customer buys BCF, a personalized DLL with a
unique serial code is compiled for him; this serial code is kept together with the
personal data of the customer: if the DLL is passed to other people without authorization,
we can discover who owns that copy that violated the licence.
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