Property: EncodeMode

(TBarcode1D_Code128, TBarcode1D_EAN128)

Determines whether to automatically switch the character subset, and automatically encode the extended ASCII characters, base the barcode text in a TBarcode1D_Code128 or TBarcode1D_EAN128 component, in order to minimize the symbol size.

Syntax:

type

{ Defined in the pCode128 unit }

TCode128EncodeMode = (cemAuto, cemManual);

property EncodeMode: TCode128EncodeMode;

Description:

The Code 128 and EAN-128 barcode symbologies can encode all 128 characters of ASCII character sets. This is done by switching between all 3 character subsets of Code 128:

• SubSet A: Includes characters with ASCII values from 00 to 95 (i.e. all of the standard upper case alphanumeric characters together with the control characters inclusive), and function characters.
• SubSet B: Includes characters with ASCII values from 32 to 127 (i.e. all of the standard upper case alphanumeric characters together with the lower case alphabetic characters inclusive), and function characters.
• SubSet C: includes the set of 100 digit pairs from 00 to 99 inclusive, as well as seven special characters. This allows numeric data to be encoded, two data digits per symbol character, at effectively twice the density of standard data.

  Note, only an even number of digits can be encoded if using the character subset C.

Characters with ASCII values 128 to 255 in accordance with ISO 8859-1:1998 may also be encoded. This is done by using the "FNC 4" symbol together with character subsets A, B and C.

The property determines whether to automatically switch the character subset, and automatically encode the extended ASCII characters, base the barcode text of a TBarcode1D_Code128 or TBarcode1D_EAN128 component, in order to minimize the symbol size. It can be one of these values (defined in the pCod128 unit):

• cemAuto: The character subset will be switched automatically base on the barcode text, and the extended ASCII characters will be encoded by automatically insert the "FNC4" function symbol, in order to minimize the symbol size.
• cemManual: You need to manually switch the character subset, and manually insert the "FNC4" function symbol, in order to encode the all 256 characters of standard and extended ASCII character set, by using following function symbols:
  • CODE A: Switch to character subset A. Please use the escape sequence "\a" to insert the symbol.
  • CODE B: Switch to character subset B. Please use the escape sequence "\b" to insert the symbol.
  • CODE C: Switch to character subset C. Please use the escape sequence "\c" to insert the symbol.
  • SHIFT: Change the character subset from A to B or B to A for the single character following the "SHIFT" escape sequence. Please use the escape sequence "\s" to place the symbol to barcode text.
  • FNC4: If a single "FNC 4" character is used, indicates the following data character in the symbol is a extended ASCII character. A "SHIFT" character may follow the "FNC 4" character if it is necessary to change character subset for the following data character. Subsequent data characters revert to the standard ASCII character set. If two consecutive "FNC4" characters are used, all following data characters are extended ASCII characters until two further consecutive "FNC4" characters are encountered or the end of the symbol is reached. If during this sequence of extended encodation a single "FNC4" character is encountered it is used to revert to standard ASCII encodation for the next data character only. "SHIFT" and character subset characters shall have their normal effect during such a sequence. Please use the escape sequence "\4" to place the symbol to barcode text.

Note, you can manually switch the character subset by using the "CODE A", "CODE B", "CODE C", and "SHIFT" function symbols even if the EncodeMode property is set to cemAuto. Also, you can manual insert the "FNC4" symbol to encode the extended ASCII characters even if the EncodeMode property is set to cemAuto.

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