How to Generate Codabar and Code 11 Barcodes for Healthcare and Library Applications in .NET

What Are Codabar and Code 11 Barcodes?

Codabar is a numeric barcode widely used in blood banks, libraries, and parcel services, supporting digits 0-9 plus A-D for start/stop symbols. Code 11 is used for telecom inventory and identification, supporting digits 0-9 and dash (-). Both are simple, scanner-friendly, and ideal for institutional workflows.

Quick Start (Minimal Example)

using Aspose.BarCode.Generation;
var generator = new BarcodeGenerator(EncodeTypes.Codabar, "A123456B");
generator.Save("codabar-bloodbank.png", BarCodeImageFormat.Png);

Introduction
What Are Codabar and Code 11 Barcodes?
Quick Start (Minimal Example)
Prerequisites
Step-by-Step Implementation
Check Digit and Customization Options
Customizing Barcode Appearance
Supported Output Formats
Troubleshooting & Common Issues
FAQs
Use Cases and Applications
Best Practices
Related Articles
Conclusion

Introduction

This article covers how to generate Codabar and Code 11 barcodes for healthcare, library, telecom, and parcel tracking using Aspose.BarCode for .NET. C# code and workflow tips are included.

Prerequisites

Visual Studio 2019 or later
.NET 6.0+ or .NET Framework 4.6.2+
Aspose.BarCode for .NET (NuGet)
Basic C# knowledge

PM> Install-Package Aspose.BarCode

Step-by-Step Implementation

Codabar Example:

using Aspose.BarCode.Generation;
BarcodeGenerator gen = new BarcodeGenerator(EncodeTypes.Codabar, "A123456B");
gen.Save("codabar-bloodbank.png", BarCodeImageFormat.Png);

Code 11 Example:

BarcodeGenerator gen = new BarcodeGenerator(EncodeTypes.Code11, "12345-6789");
gen.Save("code11-telecom.png", BarCodeImageFormat.Png);

Check Digit and Customization Options

Code 11 Check Digit: csgen.Parameters.Barcode.Code11.EnableChecksum = true;
Bar Height/Width: csgen.Parameters.Barcode.BarHeight.Pixels = 80; gen.Parameters.Barcode.XDimension.Pixels = 2;
Color/Background: csgen.Parameters.Barcode.BarColor = Color.MidnightBlue; gen.Parameters.Barcode.BackColor = Color.White;
Caption: csgen.Parameters.CaptionBelow\.Visible = true;

Customizing Barcode Appearance

See above for bar height, width, and color
Adjust XDimension and BarHeight for label size
Use SVG or PNG for crisp printing

Supported Output Formats

PNG, JPEG, BMP – Print and digital
TIFF – Archival or medical/lab printers
SVG, EMF – Large-scale or digital labels

Troubleshooting & Common Issues

Barcode not scanning?
- Use only valid characters; ensure proper start/stop symbols for Codabar.
Checksum errors?
- Enable/disable checksum to match scanner or app expectations.
Small label not fitting?
- Lower BarHeight and XDimension.

FAQs

Q: Are these barcodes accepted in modern healthcare and libraries? A: Yes—both are used worldwide for legacy and new workflows.

Q: Can I encode text with Codabar? A: No—Codabar is numeric with A-D for start/stop only.

Use Cases and Applications

Blood bank labeling (Codabar)
Library and lending management
Parcel and mail tracking
Telecom asset/inventory (Code 11)

Best Practices: Quick Reference Table

Tip	Do	Don’t
Charset	Codabar: 0-9,A-D; Code 11: 0-9,-	Use letters or symbols
Start/Stop	Use A-D for Codabar	Omit start/stop characters
Output Format	SVG/PNG for crisp output	Low-res JPG for printing
Check Digit	Enable if workflow requires	Enable randomly

Conclusion

Codabar and Code 11 remain essential for healthcare, library, and legacy tracking workflows. Aspose.BarCode for .NET makes their generation and integration simple. See the Aspose.BarCode API Reference for more examples and options.