Standard Reader

Inherits From Barcode Reader Namespace Grooper.IP

Detects and reads barcode data using the Atalasoft barcode engine for broad symbology support.

Remarks

The Standard Reader class provides Grooper’s standard barcode engine, enabling detection and decoding of a wide range of barcode symbologies. This reader is ideal as a fallback when other readers do not support the required barcode types.

Standard Reader is typically configured as part of a Barcode Detection command. Users select the symbologies to target, adjust quality and validation options, and fine-tune detection for their document types. The reader supports advanced options for Code 39 and PDF417, as well as performance/accuracy tradeoffs.

How It Works

The Standard Reader processes the input image by:

Configuration:
- The user selects barcode symbologies, read quality, and validation options.
- Additional settings for Code 39 and PDF417 can be enabled as needed.
Detection and Decoding:
- The Atalasoft engine scans the image for barcodes matching the selected symbologies.
- Each detected barcode is decoded, validated (if enabled), and returned with its value, symbology, and location.
Error Handling:
- If a barcode cannot be decoded or does not match the expected symbology, it is ignored or logged for review.
- Exceptions during decoding are logged for diagnostics.

Usage and Configuration

Symbology Selection:
Use the 'Barcode Symbologies' property to specify which barcode types to detect. Enable only the types present in your documents for best performance and accuracy.
Performance and Quality:
Adjust the 'Read Quality' property to balance speed and accuracy. Use 'Most Accurate' for degraded images or critical applications; use 'Fastest' for high-volume, high-quality scans.
Validation Options:
Enable or disable checksum enforcement, quiet zone tolerance, and validation skipping to match your workflow and barcode quality.
Specialized Settings:
Configure 'Code 39 Settings' and 'PDF 417 Settings' for advanced use cases or to handle non-standard barcodes.
Integration:
Add the Standard Reader to your Barcode Detection configuration when you need broad symbology support or as a fallback for unsupported barcode types.

Diagnostics

When diagnostic mode is enabled, Standard Reader generates artifacts to assist with configuration and troubleshooting:

Log messages for each detected barcode, including symbology, value, and location.
Diagnostic images highlighting detected barcode regions.
Error messages for any exceptions or decoding failures.

These diagnostics help users verify configuration, understand detection failures, and optimize settings for their specific document types.

Example Scenarios

Mixed-Document Environments:
Use Standard Reader to detect a variety of barcode types on forms, labels, or legacy documents.
Fallback for Unsupported Symbologies:
Enable Standard Reader alongside specialized readers to ensure all barcode types are detected.
Legacy Workflows:
Use Standard Reader to process documents with older or less common barcode formats.

Review diagnostic output to fine-tune settings and ensure reliable barcode extraction across your document set.

Properties

Name Type Description

General

Barcode Symbologies

Symbology

►

Barcode symbologies to read.

A combination of the following flags:

Name	Value	Description
None	0	No symbology.
AustraliaPost	1	Australia Post 4-state barcode.
Codabar	2	Codabar is a linear barcode symbology developed in 1972 by Pitney Bowes Corp It and its variants are also known as Codeabar, Ames Code, NW-7, Monarch, Code 2 of 7, Rationalized Codabar, ANSI/AIM BC3-1995 or USD-4.
Code11	4	Code 11 is a barcode symbology developed by Intermec in 1977. It is used primarily in telecommunications. The symbol can encode any length string consisting of the digits 0-9 and the dash character (-). One or two modulo-11 check digit(s) can be included.
Code128	8	Code 128 is a high-density barcode symbology used for alphanumeric or numeric-only barcodes. It can encode all 128 characters of ASCII and, by use of an extension character (FNC4), the Latin-1 characters defined in ISO/IEC 8859-1.
Code32	16	Also known as Italian Pharmacode, IMH, Codice 32 Pharmacode, Codice Farmaceutico Italiano, Radix 32 Barcode.
Code39	32	Code 39 is a commonly used variable length alphanumeric barcode symbology. Also known as Alpha39, Code 3 of 9, Code 3/9, Type 39, USS Code 39, or USD-3.
Code93	64	Code 93 is a barcode symbology designed in 1982 by Intermec to provide a higher density and data security enhancement to Code 39. It is an alphanumeric, variable length symbology. Code 93 is used primarily by Canada Post to encode supplementary delivery information. Every symbol includes two check characters.
Datamatrix	128	A Data Matrix code is a two-dimensional matrix barcode consisting of black and white "cells" or modules arranged in either a square or rectangular pattern. The information to be encoded can be text or numeric data. Usual data size is from a few bytes up to 1556 bytes
Ean13	256	An EAN-13 barcode (originally European Article Number, but now renamed International Article Number even though the abbreviation EAN has been retained) is a 13 digit (12 data and 1 check) barcoding standard which is a superset of the original 12-digit Universal Product Code (UPC) system developed in 1970 by George J. Laurer. The EAN-13 barcode is defined by the standards organization GS1.
Ean8	512	An EAN-8 is a barcode and is derived from the longer European Article Number (EAN-13) code. It was introduced for use on small packages where an EAN-13 barcode would be too large.
I2of5	1024	Interleaved 2 of 5 (ITF, from Interleaved Two of Five) is a continuous two-width barcode symbology encoding digits. It is used commercially on 135 film, for ITF-14 barcodes, and on cartons of some products, while the products inside are labeled with UPC or EAN.
IntelligentMail	2048	The Intelligent Mail Barcode (IM barcode) is a 65-bar code for use on mail in the United States. The term “Intelligent Mail” refers to services offered by the United States Postal Service for domestic mail delivery. The IM barcode is intended to provide greater information and functionality than its predecessors POSTNET and PLANET. An Intelligent Mail barcode has also been referred to as a One Code Solution and a 4-State Customer Barcode, abbreviated 4CB, 4-CB or USPS4CB.
Itf14	4096	ITF-14 (Interleaved Two of Five) is the GS1 implementation of an Interleaved 2 of 5 bar code to encode a Global Trade Item Number. ITF-14 symbols are generally used on packaging levels of a product, such as a case box of 24 cans of soup. The ITF-14 will always encode 14 digits.
MicroQr	8192	Micro QR code is a smaller version of the QR code standard for applications where symbol size is limited.
Patch	16384	Detects Patch 1, Patch 2, Patch 3, Patch 4, Patch 6, and Patch T patch code scanner sheets. The detected patch code symbology is returned as the barcode value.
Pdf417	32768	PDF417 is a 2D (stacked linear) barcode symbology used in a variety of applications, primarily transport, identification cards, and inventory management. PDF417 is one of the formats (along with Data Matrix) that can be used to print postage accepted by the United States Postal Service. PDF417 is also selected by the airline industry's Bar Coded Boarding Pass standard (BCBP) as the 2D bar code symbolism for paper boarding passes. PDF417 is the standard selected by the Department of Homeland Security as the machine readable zone technology for RealID compliant driver licenses and state issued identification cards. It is also used on FedEx on package labels.
Planet	65536	The Postal Alpha Numeric Encoding Technique (PLANET) barcode was used by the United States Postal Service to identify and track pieces of mail during delivery - the Post Office's "CONFIRM" services. It was fully superseded by Intelligent Mail Barcode by January 28, 2013.
Postnet	131072	POSTNET (Postal Numeric Encoding Technique) is a barcode symbology used by the United States Postal Service to assist in directing mail.
Plus2	262144	2-digit supplementals associated with EAN and UPC symbology barcodes.
Plus5	524288	5-digit supplementals associated with EAN and UPC symbology barcodes.
Qr	1048576	QR code (abbreviated from Quick Response Code) is the trademark for a type of matrix barcode (or two-dimensional barcode) first designed for the automotive industry in Japan. The QR Code system became popular outside the automotive industry due to its fast readability and greater storage capacity compared to standard UPC barcodes. Applications include product tracking, item identification, time tracking, document management, and general marketing.
Rm4scc	2097152	Royal Mail 4-State Customer Code is a barcode symbology used by the Royal Mail for its Cleanmail service.
Rss14	4194304	RSS 14 barcode (Reduce Space Symbology) encodes the full 14-digit EAN.UCC item identification in a symbol that can be omnidirectionally scanned by suitably configured point-of-sale laser scanners. RSS-14 alternate formats are read as well as the regular format. The alternate formats are truncated, stacked, and stacked omnidirectional. It is recommended that the alignment of truncated and stacked symbols be close to horizontal or vertical.
RssLimited	8388608	RSS Limited encodes a 14-digit EAN.UCC item identification with indicator digits of 0 or 1 in a small symbol which will not be scanned at POS. It is recommended that symbols whose height is near to the specified minimum be aligned close to horizontal or vertical.
Telepen	16777216	Telepen is a name of a barcode symbology designed in 1972 in the UK to express all 128 ASCII characters.
Upca	33554432	UPC-A. The Universal Product Code (UPC) is a barcode symbology widely used in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and in other countries for tracking trade items in stores. The most common form, UPC-A, consists of 12 numerical digits, which are uniquely assigned to each trade item.
Upce	67108864	UPC-E. This symbology differs from UPC-A in that it only uses a 6-digit code. To allow the use of UPC barcodes on smaller packages where a full 12-digit barcode may not fit, a 'zero-suppressed' version of UPC was developed called UPC-E, in which the number system digit and all trailing zeros in the manufacturer code and all leading zeros in the product code are suppressed. Encodations are a compressed form of UPC A. The DataString property holds the full uncompressed UPC A encodation for this symbology.
Aztec	134217728	Aztec is public domain 2D barcode symbology, formally defined by the ISO/IEC 24778:2008 standard
Pharmacode	268435456	Pharmacode is used in the pharmaceutical industry as a packing control system. Also known as Pharmaceutical Binary Code.
All	536870911	Read all barcode formats.

Read Quality

ReadingQuality

►

Controls performance and accuracy prioritization during barcode recognition.

Can be one of the following values:

Name	Value	Description
Normal	0	Uses normal barcode extraction. The default setting. The reader uses standard detection and decoding routines, balancing speed and accuracy for most document types. Usage Recommended for most workflows with typical image quality. Provides a good balance between speed and detection reliability.	►
MostAccurate	1	Fine-grained scanning for barcode features, repeating the search with different settings. The reader performs multiple detection passes using different settings to maximize the likelihood of finding all barcodes, especially in degraded or challenging images. Usage Use for critical applications or documents with poor image quality. Increases processing time but improves detection accuracy and completeness. Impact May detect barcodes missed by standard routines. Recommended for regulated environments or when data loss is unacceptable.	►
Fastest	2	Coarse scanning for barcode features, prioritizing speed over completeness. The reader uses a simplified, faster detection routine that may give up earlier and may not find all barcodes, especially in degraded or complex images. Usage Use for high-volume workflows with consistently high-quality images. Prioritizes speed and throughput over maximum detection. Impact May miss faint, small, or damaged barcodes. Suitable for environments where speed is more important than completeness.	►

The ReadingQuality enumeration determines how the Standard Reader balances speed and accuracy when detecting and decoding barcodes. Choose the value that best matches your document quality and workflow requirements.

Usage and Configuration

Use Normal for typical documents with good image quality.
Use MostAccurate for degraded, noisy, or critical documents where maximum accuracy is required.
Use Fastest for high-volume, high-quality scans where speed is the top priority.

Impact

Higher accuracy settings increase processing time but improve detection of difficult barcodes.
Faster settings reduce processing time but may miss some barcodes or return fewer results.

Review diagnostic output to verify the effect of this setting on your document set.

Code 39 Settings

Code39Options

►

Options specific to Code39 barcode reading.

A combination of the following flags:

Name	Value	Description
None	0	No options set. The default setting. All standard Code 39 requirements are enforced, including the presence of start/stop characters and support for full ASCII encoding. Use this value for standard-compliant Code 39 barcodes.	►
DontRequireStartStop	1	Start/stop characters are not required in Code 39 barcodes. If enabled, the reader will attempt to decode Code 39 barcodes even if the start/stop characters (`*`) are missing. Usage and Configuration Enable for legacy or non-standard barcodes that omit start/stop characters. Disabling reduces false positives but may miss barcodes without these characters. Impact Increases detection of non-standard barcodes. May increase false positives, especially in noisy or cluttered images. Use with caution and review diagnostic output to ensure reliable results.	►
DisableFullASCII	2	Disables full ASCII encoding in Code 39 barcodes. If enabled, the reader will not interpret escape codes that allow Code 39 to encode the full ASCII character set. Only the standard Code 39 character set (A-Z, 0-9, and a few symbols) will be recognized. Usage and Configuration Enable for environments where only the standard Code 39 character set is used. Disabling allows decoding of barcodes using full ASCII encoding. Impact Reduces the risk of misinterpreting escape sequences as valid data. May prevent decoding of barcodes that rely on full ASCII encoding. Use this option to enforce strict character set requirements.	►

The Code39Options enumeration defines advanced configuration flags for reading Code 39 barcodes using the Standard Reader. These options allow you to relax or restrict certain requirements, such as the presence of start/stop characters or the use of full ASCII encoding, to accommodate a variety of document and barcode standards.

Usage and Configuration

Use these options to handle non-standard or legacy Code 39 barcodes that may not include start/stop characters or that require restricted character sets.
Adjust settings to balance detection coverage and the risk of false positives.

Impact

Relaxing requirements may increase the number of barcodes detected but can also increase false positives.
Restricting options improves accuracy but may miss non-standard barcodes.

Review diagnostic output to verify the effect of these options on your document set.

PDF 417 Settings

Pdf417Options

►

Options specific to PDF417 barcode reading.

A combination of the following flags:

Name	Value	Description
None	0	No options set. The default setting. Only standard PDF417 barcodes are detected and decoded, with no special handling for truncated or macro symbols. Use this value for standard-compliant PDF417 barcodes.	►
ReadTruncated	1	Enables detection of truncated PDF417 symbols. If enabled, the reader will search for truncated PDF417 barcodes, which use less area by omitting the right-hand side of the symbol. Usage and Configuration Enable for documents or labels that use truncated PDF417 barcodes to save space. Disabling restricts detection to full-size PDF417 symbols. Impact Increases detection of space-saving barcode formats. May increase processing time or false positives in cluttered images. Use when truncated PDF417 barcodes are expected in your workflow.	►
EnahancedBoundaryLocation	2	Enables enhanced boundary detection for PDF417 barcodes. If enabled, the reader applies additional routines to more accurately locate and define the boundaries of individual blocks or strips within PDF417 barcodes. Usage and Configuration Enable for documents where PDF417 barcodes are partially obscured, damaged, or have irregular boundaries. Disabling uses standard boundary detection. Impact Improves detection accuracy in challenging or degraded images. May increase processing time. Use when standard detection fails to accurately locate PDF417 barcodes.	►
OutputHeader	4	Outputs data from the Macro PDF417 header, if present. If enabled, the reader will extract and output data from the Macro PDF417 header at the end of the barcode, when such a header is present. Usage and Configuration Enable when Macro PDF417 barcodes are used to encode additional metadata or document structure. Disabling ignores macro header data. Impact Provides access to additional information encoded in Macro PDF417 barcodes. May increase output data size. Use when macro header data is required for downstream processing.	►

The Pdf417Options enumeration defines advanced configuration flags for reading PDF417 barcodes using the Standard Reader. These options allow you to enable detection of truncated symbols, enhance boundary detection, and output macro header data, providing flexibility for a variety of PDF417 barcode formats and use cases.

Usage and Configuration

Enable options as needed to support non-standard, truncated, or macro PDF417 barcodes.
Adjust settings to improve detection accuracy or to extract additional data from PDF417 symbols.

Impact

Enabling additional options may increase detection coverage and output data, but may also increase processing time.
Use diagnostic output to verify the effect of these options on your document set.

Barcodes to Read

Int32

►

The maximum number of barcodes to read.

Scan Interval

Int32

►

Sets the number of lines that are read per scan when attempting to find a barcode.

Read Directions

ReadDirection

►

Specifies the orientation(s) in which the barcode reader searches for barcodes on the document.

A combination of the following flags:

Name	Value	Description
None	0	Represents no directions. Not recommended in general use.
East	1	Easterly scan (horizontally, left to right).
South	2	Southerly scan (vertically, top to bottom).
West	4	Westerly scan (horizontally, right to left).
North	8	Northerly scan (vertically, bottom to top).
All	15	Represents all supported directions.

The 'Read Directions' property determines which directions the Barcode Reader will scan when searching for barcodes within an image. By default, the reader scans in all supported directions, but you can limit or expand the search to target specific orientations as needed.

Usage and Configuration

Select one or more directions to match the expected orientation(s) of barcodes in your documents.
Common directions include South (top-to-bottom), North (bottom-to-top), East (left-to-right), and West (right-to-left).
Multiple directions can be enabled to detect barcodes with inconsistent or mixed orientations.

Impact and Considerations

Enabling all directions increases the likelihood of detecting barcodes regardless of their placement, but may increase processing time.
Some barcode types may yield different values if read upside down or in a non-standard orientation. For example, a Patch T barcode read upside down may be interpreted as a Patch 3.
Restricting directions can improve performance and reduce false positives if you know the expected orientation.

Example

For documents scanned in a consistent orientation, select only the primary direction (e.g., South).
For mixed or uncertain orientations, enable multiple directions to ensure all barcodes are detected.

Barcode Validation Options

Enforce Checksum

Boolean

►

Sets whether or not checksum values are enforced.

Quiet Zone Tolerance

Double

►

Defines how tolerant the barcode reader is of marks in the Quiet Zone.

Skip All Validation

Boolean

►

Enables reading of barcodes that are damaged or malformed by skipping all validation.

Used By

Barcode Detection

Standard Reader

Remarks

How It Works

Usage and Configuration

Diagnostics

Example Scenarios

Properties

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Symbologies with Optional Checksums

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Used By