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PDF417 Fontware &
Writer SDK 4.1 User
Manual
PDF417 Fontware & Writer SDK 4.1 User Manual
Copyright © 2009, 2010 Morovia Corporation. All rights reserved.

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Publication date: May 2010

Revision: 3825

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Table of Contents
1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 1
What's New ................................................................................................................................... 1
Backward compatibility .................................................................................................................. 2
Installing Morovia PDF417 Fontware & Writer SDK ......................................................................... 2
To Install From a CD .............................................................................................................. 2
To Install from Direct Download ............................................................................................. 2
Limitations of Trial Version ............................................................................................................ 2
Notes on 64-bit Windows ............................................................................................................... 3
2. Overview ........................................................................................................................................... 5
What is PDF417? ............................................................................................................................ 5
Encoding Parameters ...................................................................................................................... 6
Input Format ......................................................................................................................... 6
Security Level ........................................................................................................................ 7
Sizing Parameters ........................................................................................................................... 7
Impact of Aspect Ratio ........................................................................................................... 8
yHeight ................................................................................................................................. 8
Module Width ....................................................................................................................... 8
Compact PDF417 ................................................................................................................... 8
Module Width ............................................................................................................................... 9
Working with PDF417 Fontware & Writer SDK ................................................................................ 9
Font-Based ............................................................................................................................. 9
Image File Based .................................................................................................................. 11
ActiveX Control .................................................................................................................... 11
Solution Quick Reference .............................................................................................................. 12
3. Using Encoder GUI ........................................................................................................................... 15
Exporting Images ......................................................................................................................... 16
Program Options .......................................................................................................................... 17
4. Using PDF417 Fontware with Microsoft Office Programs .................................................................... 19
Access (ActiveX Control) .............................................................................................................. 19
Access (PDF417 Font) ................................................................................................................... 21
Excel (ActiveX Control) ................................................................................................................ 22
Microsoft Word ............................................................................................................................ 23
Word Mail Merge ......................................................................................................................... 23
5. Encoder DLL API Reference .............................................................................................................. 27
ImageTypeEnum .......................................................................................................................... 27
PDF417Encode ............................................................................................................................. 28
PDF417Encode2 ............................................................................................................................ 29
DestroyPDF417EncodeResult ......................................................................................................... 30
PDF417ResultGetNumRows .......................................................................................................... 30
PDF417ResultGetNumCols ............................................................................................................ 31
PDF417ResultGetSecurityLevel ...................................................................................................... 31
PDF417ResultGetAspectRatio ........................................................................................................ 31
PDF417ResultGetBarcodeString ..................................................................................................... 32
PDF417ResultGetBarcodeString2 ................................................................................................... 33
PDF417GetErrorMessage ............................................................................................................... 33
PaintPDF417ImageRaster .............................................................................................................. 33
PaintPDF417ImageVector .............................................................................................................. 34
iv TABLE OF CONTENTS

PaintPDF417ImageClipboard ......................................................................................................... 35
6. PDF417 ActiveX Reference ................................................................................................................ 37
Specification ................................................................................................................................. 37
Properties ..................................................................................................................................... 37
AspectRatio Property .................................................................................................................... 38
BackColor, ForeColor Properties .................................................................................................... 38
Cols Property ............................................................................................................................... 39
CompactPDF Property .................................................................................................................. 39
ModuleWidth Property ................................................................................................................. 39
Picture Property ........................................................................................................................... 40
Rows Property ............................................................................................................................. 40
SecurityLevel Property .................................................................................................................. 40
TargetDPI Property ....................................................................................................................... 41
Text Property ............................................................................................................................... 41
YHeight Property ......................................................................................................................... 41
CopyToClipboard Method ............................................................................................................ 41
ExportImageRaster Method ........................................................................................................... 42
ExportImageVector Method ........................................................................................................... 42
GetActualAttributes Method ......................................................................................................... 42
7. Adding PDF417 Symbols to Crystal Reports ....................................................................................... 45
User Function DLL ....................................................................................................................... 45
Working with Crystal Reports ....................................................................................................... 46
Distributing UFL, Fonts with your report application ..................................................................... 48
8. Adding PDF417 Symbols to SQL Server Reporting Service .................................................................. 49
Custom Assembly ........................................................................................................................ 49
Installing Custom Assembly .................................................................................................. 49
Adding PDF417 Barcodes to Report .............................................................................................. 50
Deployment ................................................................................................................................. 51
9. Technical Support ............................................................................................................................. 53
A. Input Format for ECI and Macro PDF417 .......................................................................................... 55
Extended Channel Interpretation (ECI) .......................................................................................... 55
Macro PDF417 .............................................................................................................................. 55
B. Font Character Set ............................................................................................................................ 57
C. Fontware License Agreement ............................................................................................................ 59
Glossary ............................................................................................................................................... 61
Index ................................................................................................................................................... 63
List of Figures
2.1. Anatomy of a PDF417 symbol .......................................................................................................... 5
2.2. Example Compact PDF417 symbol .................................................................................................... 8
3.1. PDF417 Encoder GUI Options ......................................................................................................... 15
3.2. Export Options Dialog .................................................................................................................... 17
B.1. PDF417 Font (V4) Character Set ...................................................................................................... 57
List of Tables
2.1. List of PDF417 fonts ....................................................................................................................... 10
4.1. Interoperability between Microsoft Office Programs and PDF417 Fontware 4.0 ................................... 19
5.1. List of Enumerations ...................................................................................................................... 27
5.2. List of Functions ............................................................................................................................ 27
5.3. ImageTypeEnum Enumeration ........................................................................................................ 28
6.1. PDF417 Control Specification .......................................................................................................... 37
6.2. List of PDF417 Control Properties ................................................................................................... 37
6.3. List of PDF417 Control Methods ..................................................................................................... 38
7.1. List of Crystal Reports UFL Functions ( U25MoroviaPDF417FontEncoder4.dll) ................................ 45
A.1. Optional Fields in Macro PDF417 ................................................................................................... 56
Chapter 1. Introduction
PDF417 Fontware and Writer SDK 4.0 is the ultimate tool box to print PDF417 symbols. PDF417 is a multi-
row, variable-length two dimensional symbology with high data capacity and error correction capability.
This release supports creating PDF417, Macro PDF417 and compact PDF4171 symbols.
Both fonts and encoder functions are updated in this release, based on the feedback received from customers
using previous version. Especially, this release is updated to accommodate the most recent standard - ISO/
IEC 15438: PDF417 bar code symbology specification, second release, published in June 2006. Both 32-bit and 64-
bit encoder DLLs and applications are included in the package. Windows 2000 or above is required to run
run encoder GUI, or to call the encoder DLL. True type fonts can be used in other platforms such as OS/X or
Linux.
This package includes the following contents:
• Four true type fonts targeting laser printers and bar code printers - mrvpdf417n2.ttf,
mrvpdf417n3.ttf. mrvpdf417n4.ttf, mrvpdf417n6.ttf.
• Scalable PCL fonts to be used on PCL-compatible printers.
• The user manual, which you are reading on.
• PDF417 Encoder GUI, a GUI program to create barcode strings based on data entered. The program can
export barcode images in a variety of formats, such as PNG, EMF, SVG and EPS.
• A Windows native DLL that allows you to add PDF417 printing to your own application.
• A Crystal Reports extension DLL that adds PDF417 Code printing functionality to Crystal Reports 9.0
and above.
• An ActiveX Control that can be inserted into Microsoft Office programs or integrated into your custom
application.
• Examples demonstrating how to add PDF417 printing functionality to your applications in a variety of
programming environments, such as Access, VB6, and .Net.

What's New
This release
• Improved standard compliance. The code for the encoding is completely rewritten and is expected to
comply with the most recent update of ISO/IEC 15438 2006 standard.
• Optional PDF417 features, such as ECI and MacroPDF417, are supported in this release.
• New font design. We have learned that some software calculate line heights incorrectly and causes gaps
between two rows. In this release, fonts are redesigned to work around such problems.
• Image creating support. This package allows your application to create image files directly, without the
presence of the fonts.
• ActiveX Control. This package includes an ActiveX control that you can insert directly into Microsoft
Office programs, such as Word and Excel. You can also use the control in your custom applications.
• Crystal Reports support is provided. Previous version UFL was written on top of the Microsoft COM
layer. The COM dependency is removed in this release.

1
Previously referred as Truncated PDF417.
2 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

Backward compatibility
In order for 2D barcode fonts work correctly, the line gap between two rows must be rendered zero.
Unfortunately, many software assume that font height equals the height of em-square, which is not always
true. To accommodate these software, the fonts have undergone substantial changes in this version.
Consequently the backward compatibility is broken in this release. You can't use the version 4 fonts in
conjunction with an encoder from the early version, and vice versa. We changed font names and encoder file
names to reflect this change. Keep in mind that some knowledge base articles, and forum discussions are for
earlier versions. They are likely not applicable on the new version.

Installing Morovia PDF417 Fontware & Writer SDK

To Install From a CD
1. Insert the program CD into your CD drive. The setup starts automatically. Or if the auto-run feature
isn't enabled on your system, click the Windows Start button and choose the Run command. Type D:
\Setup.exe in the dialog box and click the OK button (Note that D represents the letter assigned to
your CD-ROM drive. If your drive is assigned to a different letter, use it instead of D).
2. Follow the on-screen instructions.
3. Your will be prompted to enter the License To and Registration Code. The License To and
Registration Code information are found on the back of the CD case.

To Install from Direct Download

1. Click the Download link to start the download.
2. When the browser prompts, do one of the following: A. To run setup immediately, click Open or Run
This Program from Its Current Location. B. If you decide to run the setup at a later time, click
Save or Save This Program to Disk.
3. If you chose Save This Program to Disk in Step 2, locate the file where you saved it, and double
click the .zip file to unzip the file.
4. Locate the .msi file under the root directory of the zip file, double click it to launch setup.
5. Follow the setup instructions.
6. Your will be prompted to enter the License To/ Registration Code. The License To and
Registration Code information can be found in the email we send to you after order completes.

Limitations of Trial Version

A trial version is provided on our web site that can be downloaded freely. In the trial version, whenever an
encoder function is called, a reminder dialog appears on the screen. Barcodes created by the trial version have
extra “DEMO” added at the end. To remove the limitation, purchase the full version.
If you are working with a server program, often the reminder dialog is not desirable. To disable the warning
dialog, create a file with name nomsgbox.trial, fill it with some text and place it under the same directory
that the encoder DLL resides. This method works with font encoder DLL and Crystal Reports UFL. By
default, both reside under c:\windows\system32.
 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 3

Notes on 64-bit Windows

When installed on 64-bit Windows, the installer copies two additional files - the 64-bit GUI encoder and 64-bit
font encoder DLL. Both files are under c:\program files (x86)\MoroviaPDF417Fontware4.0 directory.
Note that the filename of the 64-bit encoder DLL is MoroviaPDF417FontEncoder_x64.dll.
Chapter 2. Overview
This chapter briefly reviews the symbologies (a.k.a. barcode formats) supported by PDF417 Fontware.
PDF417 Fontware & Writer SDK supports normal PDF417, truncated PDF417 and Macro PDF417.

What is PDF417?
PDF417 is a multi-row, variable-length symbology with high data capacity and error-correction capability.
PDF417 offers some unique features which make it the widely used 2D symbology. A PDF417 symbol can
be read by linear scanners, laser scanners or two-dimensional scanners. PDF417 is capable of encoding more
than 1100 bytes, 1800 text characters or 2710 digits. Large data files can be encoded into a series of linked
PDF417 symbols using a standard methodology referred to as Macro PDF417.

Figure 2.1. Anatomy of a PDF417 symbol

A PDF417 symbol is composed of several key elements. These elements are module, codeword, start pattern,
stop pattern, row indicator, row and column. Each key element is explained below.
module
A module is the smallest unit of a PDF417 symbol. The individual row height in a symbol is equal to the
module height. The width of a module is commonly referred as X dimension. The ratio of the module
height vs. width is called y-height. For better decodability, y-height should be no less than 3.0.
All other elements, such as start pattern, stop pattern and codewords, are composed of modules.
start pattern
A unique pattern of light and dark elements which indicates the leftmost part of a PDF417 symbol. All the
rows start with the same pattern, with the result that the entire leftmost part of the symbol appears as a
set of vertical bars and spaces.
codeword
A codeword contains four bars and four spaces, totaling 17 module widths and 1 module height. Each
codeword starts with a bar and ends with a space. PDF417 encodes user data into codewords. Each
codeword represent an integer value from 0 and 928.
stop pattern
A unique pattern of light and dark elements which indicates the rightmost part of a PDF417 symbol.
Same as start pattern, all rows of PDF417 symbols share the same stop pattern.
6 CHAPTER 2 OVERVIEW

row indicators
The two code words adjacent to the start or stop pattern in a row are row indicators. They encode
information about the structure of the PDF417 symbol in terms of the row identification, total number of
rows and columns and the error correction level.
row
A set of elements made up of a start pattern, row indicators, data codewords and a stop pattern. A
PDF417 symbol must have at least 3 rows and no more than 90.
column
A column refers to the set of codewords vertically. It does not include start pattern, stop pattern and row
indicators. A PDF41 symbol may have 1 to 30 columns.
In Figure 2.1, “Anatomy of a PDF417 symbol”, there are 9 rows and 3 columns.
Creating PDF417 symbols can be thought as two distinct processes: encoding and rendering. Your application
first calls a encoder function to convert the data into an integral representation. During this step you specify
the parameters desired, such as number of rows columns, or aspect ratio. After encoding succeeded, you can
one of rendering API to render the barcode in a variety of graphics formats supported, such as Windows
metafile or PNG. If you are using fonts, you retrieve barcode string and format the barcode string with one of
the fonts to turn them into a barcode.

Encoding Parameters
The minimum encoding parameters required are data encoded and security level. These two parameters decide
the minimum number of codewords required. Once the number of minimum codewords is known, the
program determines the size of the barcode based on other sizing parameters, such as number of rows and
aspect ratio.

Input Format
PDF417 is capable of encoding all 256 values (bytes). Except the NUL character, which serves as the
terminator for C language, you can enter all these characters as is. However, in some situations you may want
to use the escape method, because your environment does not support entering control characters, or you are
entering symbology specific features. For example:
• To specify advanced PDF417 features such as ECI and Macro PDF.
• To enter NUL character (ASCII code 0) and other control characters.
• To enter extended characters with pure ASCII.
The escape method described here is called tilde method. When creating PDF417 barcodes you can use the
following tilde codes:
~dnnn
When nnn corresponds to a numeric value between 0 and 255, the tilde code sequence represents a
character with value equal to nnn. For example, ~d032 represents a space character.
~~
Represents a tilde (~) character.
~2
Indicates that a MacroPDF417 control block follows.
~7
Indicates the start of a ECI block. This escape sequence must be followed by exact 6 digits, which
corresponds to the ECI value.
 CHAPTER 2 OVERVIEW 7

~X
Represents a character value from 0 to 26. Replace the X like in the following example ~@ means character
ASCII 0, ~A means character 1, ~B means character 2, ~C means character 3 ...
For more information on entering ECI and Macro PDF417 block, see Appendix A, Input Format for ECI and
Macro PDF417.

Security Level
PDF417 allows users selection of security level. While the default algorithm1 is appropriate to most
applications, you may want to increase the amount of error correction. Higher error correction level increases
the size of the barcode, but is more resistant to various errors, such as printing error and symbol damage
during the transport.
Internally, each symbol uses one of eight levels of error correction. Increasing the error correction by one level
doubles the number of error correction codewords. In turn, it roughly doubles the amount of damage that the
symbol can tolerate.
In our software, you can specify 9 to indicate that you want to use the default algorithm.
Since a PDF417 symbol must be rectangular, when the total number of data and security codewords does
not make up a rectangle, padding codewords are added to fill the spaces. The padding codewords just fill
the space, and do not increase the error resistance of the symbol2 For this reason, our software consider
the security level you requested as minimum, not the exact requirement. That is, if the symbol size required
can't satisfy the security level requirement, the software reports an error. However, if the security level can
be increased within the size specified, it selects a higher security level. The principle here is to reduce the
number of useless padding codewords and increase the ECC codewords without increasing the overall
symbol size. This arrangement makes the symbols produced more robust.

Sizing Parameters
After the minimum number of codewords are determined, the encoder selects a size that can fit these
codewords. The encoder is quite flexible here: you can specify the exact number of rows and columns, or you
can leave all the choices to the encoder.
The size of a printed PDF417 symbol is calculated as follows:
symbolwidth = (numCols*17+69)*moduleWidth
symbolHeight = numRows * yHeight * moduleWidth
Specifying Exact Number of Rows and Columns
If you want all your symbols have identical sizes, you may specify the number of rows and columns to
the ones required. In this scenario, you need to ensure that the size specified can hold the largest data
possible, otherwise the encoder will report an error.
Specifying Either Number of Rows or Columns
Sometimes it is easier to specify one parameter and allow another parameter to grow if needed. This is
useful when you occasionally have data that requires larger sizes.
For example, most of your data will fit a 11X7 rectangle. However, sometimes your data will require 14X7
rectangle. You can specify 7 as the number of columns, and leave the selection of rows to the encoder.
If another parameter, AspectRatio is not specified, the encoder will choose a combination that produces
the minimum number of codewords. Otherwise, it selects a combination that produces a symbol with its
aspect ratio closest match to the one specified.

1
The algorithm is described in Annex E, User selection of error correction level, ISO/IEC 15438:2006.
2
Worse, it might give you a false impression that your barcode is more error-resistant because it is larger.
8 CHAPTER 2 OVERVIEW

Specifying Neither Number of Rows nor Columns

This scenario is not recommended, however supported by the encoder. When neither number of rows
nor the number of columns is specified, the encoder will choose (1)if AspectRatio is not specified, the
combination that requires the minimum number of codewords. (2) The combination that produces a
symbol whose aspect ratio is the closest match to the value specified.
Because of the nature of PDF417 symbol, if you do not specify Aspect Ratio, the resulted barcode is
normally a short and wide one, as it is always efficient to expand horizontally than vertically. If you do
not like this behavior, set Aspect Ratio accordingly.

Impact of Aspect Ratio

Apsect Ratio does not affect the decision when you specify both the number of rows and columns. when
you only specify one of them, or not at all, it kicks in. The aspect ratio of a symbol is the ratio of its overall
height vs. its width. For example, if your aesthetics suggest that the symbol looks better when the width is
approximately 3 times its height, the aspect ratio is 0.33.
The value of aspect ratio is considered recommended unlike other parameters. Other parameters entered are
either considered minimum (such as security level) or exact (such as number of rows). It is not possible to
achieve the exact value. It enables the encoder to compare all possible row and column combinations and
select one that produces the closest match.
In order for the encoder to calculate the aspect ratio of the symbol, the encoder has to know another
parameter, yHeight, which is the height of a module vs. its width. Because this parameter only affects Aspect
Ratio, it impacts only when Aspect Ratio is considered during the selection process. If you specify both rows
and columns, or aspect ratio is 0, it does not have any effect.

yHeight
The yHeight is the height of the module vs. it width. For better decodability, yHeight should be greater than
3.0. After number of rows and columns are determined, yHeight affects the final symbol size.
If you are using font-based approach, note that yHeight is fixed per font. For example, MRV PDF417N3 has a
fixed yHeight of 3.1.

Module Width
The module width is the width of the module. It is an important parameter that affect overall symbol quality.
We will explain its selection in the next section.

Compact PDF417
Compact PDF417 was referred as Truncated PDF417 in previous standard. Compact PDF417 may be used
where space is a primary concern and the symbol damage is unlikely, such as in an office environment. It
removes the right row indicator, and reduces the stop pattern into a single bar.

Figure 2.2. Example Compact PDF417 symbol

 CHAPTER 2 OVERVIEW 9

Module Width
The module width, sometimes also referred as X dimension, is the smallest length in a PDF417 symbol. It must
be printed correctly otherwise you will end up with a low quality, or even worse, an unreadable barcode.
Through the API provided by our software, you can create either vector graphic files or raster graphic files.
Barcode string via font-based approach is a form of vector graphic. Regardless the graphic format to use,
eventually images are converted into individual pixels on a printer. Therefore, the resolution of the printer
has quite an impact on the dimension planning
On 600-dpi printers, a pixel is approximately 1.5 mils in width and height. This size is quite small compare
to the resolution of a barcode scanner (> 5mils). Obviously loss or addition of a printer pixel does not affect
the result, as the scanner is unable to find out. However, when you print on low resolution printers, such as
thermal printers or fax machines, the selection of the lengths must be planned carefully. A typical thermal
printer's resolution is 203 dpi, which means that the width of a printer pixel is about 5 mils, large enough to
affect the printing quality.
when working on lower resolution printer, the module width should be set to a value that produces integral
times of pixels on target printers. Note that images may undergo transform and its dimensions may alter
during the process from that they are created to that they are finally rendered on the printer. A typical
scenario is that an image is created but scaled up or down at a later time. The barcode image may look prefect
to human eyes, but renders poorly on the printer.
When rendering vector graphic images, our encoder also asks for the target printer resolution parameter, to
ensure that the lengths will render consistently on the target printer. When rendering raster graphic images,
the encoder asks for the number of pixels per X dimension. Special care should be paid to avoid loss or
addition of pixels during the rendering process.
When you are printing on a low resolution printer, such as a 203-dpi thermal printer, or 300-dpi ink-jet
printer, make sure that the X dimension is integral times of the pixel size. Follow the steps below to determine
the best X dimension for your printer:
1. First multiply nominal X dimension (in inches) by the printer resolution. Assuming that the nominal X
dimension is 15 mils and you are printing on a 300-dpi printer. The result will be 0.015*300 = 4.5.
2. Round this value to the closet integer. In this case, the round integer is either 4 or 5. We use 4.
3. Divide the result by the printer resolution to get the actual X dimension. In our case, it is 4/300 = 0.013
inch, or 13 mils.
4. 13 mils is the optimal X dimension for this printer. From Table 2.1, “List of PDF417 fonts”, we know
that MRV PDF417 N3 produces PDF417 barcodes at 13 mils at 12 points. If we go with font-base
solution, we use MRV PDF417 N3 at 12 points.

Working with PDF417 Fontware & Writer SDK

Previous PDF417 fontware support creating PDF417 barcodes using font-based approach only. This version
supports several methods creating barcodes. You should become familiar with each approach, and choose the
one best fit for your working environment.

Font-Based
Creating barcodes using fonts involves two distinct processes: encoding and rendering. Rendering is to choose
the appropriate font and font size and format the encoding results. Encoding is to convert the data into a
special string, a.k.a. Barcode String, which becomes a barcode after being formatted with an appropriate font.
10 CHAPTER 2 OVERVIEW

Warning PDF417 fonts are not intended to apply on the text encoded directly.
You must generate the barcode string first, and format the string with the font to
create a valid PDF417 barcode.

The Font-based approach is easy to understand, and in some occasions the only way to add barcode printing
functionality, such as in Crystal Reports.
The drawing below illustrates how you create a PDF417 symbol using font-based approach. You first create
the barcode string (which is an array of text lines). Format the barcode string with MRV PDF417 N3 font you
get the barcode.

Encoding
To create a valid barcode, you need to call an encoder to get a special string, and format this string with
our PDF417 font. To get this string, you need to call an encoder - you can run PDF417 Encoder GUI, and
obtain the result from this GUI program. Or if you need to bulk generate the results, using the programming
interface exposed from the encoder DLL.
PDF417 Encoder GUI
This GUI program allows you to quickly create barcode string and transfer it to other programs. You are
able to enter the data encoded, and create the barcode on the fly. For more information, see Chapter 3,
Using Encoder GUI.
MoroviaPDF417FontEncoder.dll
This DLL is a standard Windows DLL that can be called by many programming environments, including
Microsoft Office, C++, FoxPro and .Net. Most programming environments support Windows DLL
directly. We provide a VBA module and a C# class that wrap around the DLL functionality.
U25MoroviaPDF417FontEncoder.dll
This DLL is specifically designed for Crystal Reports. For more information on using the software with
Crystal Reports, see Chapter 7, Adding PDF417 Symbols to Crystal Reports.

Font Characteristics
In this package four fonts are provided, as below:

Table 2.1. List of PDF417 fonts

Filename Typeface y-height X-dim at 12 points
mrvpdf417n2.ttf MRV PDF417 N2 yHeight: 2.1 20 mils
mrvpdf417n3.ttf MRV PDF417 N3 yHeight: 3.1 13.35 mils
mrvpdf417n4.ttf MRV PDF417 N4 yHeight 4.2 10 mils
 CHAPTER 2 OVERVIEW 11

Filename Typeface y-height X-dim at 12 points

mrvpdf417n6.ttf MRV PDF417 N6 yHeight 6.2 6.67 mils

Note that y-height is fixed per font. Generally speaking, font MRV PDF417 N3 is recommended to use. MRV
PDF417 N2 should only be used when you have complete control on the full process, i.e. a closed system.
Using font you change the barcode size by increasing or decreasing font size. Font scales linearly on both
directions.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Fonts are supported by many applications. It is often the most easiest and straightforward method to add
barcode printing function to a document, report or custom program. The barcode string can be stored and
transferred to another platform. Troubleshooting is straightforward by examining text strings.
On the other side, font-based approach relies on rendering software to turn the drawing command into pixel
at the time of print. Some software may not rasterize fonts properly. PDF417 fonts require the line height
properly calculated to avoid line gaps (must be 0), which is not always the case. Some software allow you to
adjust the line gap, but many do not provide such an option.
Not all sizes will produce optimal size barcodes, especially when printed on low resolution printers. See the
chapter followed on notes working on low resolution printers, such as a fax machine.
Font-based approach also relies on the PDF417 fonts, which provide limited choices of y-height as y-height in
each font is fixed.
In case that you can't get the font work on an application, you have two other options - standard image files
and ActiveX control.

Image File Based

You can export barcodes as standard image files to be consumed in other word processing and imaging
programs. The PDF417 Encoder GUI supports exporting images in five formats via a GUI interface. The
Encoder DLL and PDF417 ActiveX Control also provides programming interfaces to export images in those
formats:
• PNG (Portable Network Graphics)
• BMP (Windows Bitmap File)
• EMF (Ehanced Meta File)
• SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics)
• EPS (Encapsulated PostScript)
Special attention should be paid when the target printer has low resolution, such as a thermal printer or fax
machine. When generating vector graphics files, the software allows you to specify target dpi which you
should set to the one that matches your printer. It is generally not recommended to scale the image down or
up when working with low-resolution printers.
PDF417 Font Encoder DLL provides a method to retrieve a Windows enhanced metafile (EMF) handle that
can be used to print to printers. The PDF417 ActiveX control provides a similar feature through its Picture
property.

ActiveX Control
For environments that support ActiveX Controls (also called OLE controls), you can insert the PDF417
ActiveX Control into documents, spreadsheets, or invokes the control at the background in your program.
With ActiveX Control you are able to change the barcode image by editing its properties.
Using ActiveX Control in Microsoft Office programs is straightforward. Programming knowledge is required
in order to integrate the control with your custom programs.
12 CHAPTER 2 OVERVIEW

Solution Quick Reference

Morovia PDF417 Fontware & Writer SDK 4.0 was conceived as a Swiss knife for adding PDF417 barcodes
to a wide range of programming environments and applications. Use the following list to quickly locate the
solution for your environment.
C++ Application
Both font-based and ActiveX-based solutions are supported in C++. ActiveX control can be invoked at
background.
Example C++ code are included in this release. See the files under CSample folder in the program
directory. The PDF417EncodeC.cpp contains code that dynamically loads the dll and calls the functions.
The PDF417EncodeC2.cpp uses VC++ pragrma to link to the import library. If you have Visual C++
installed, you can run build.bat on command prompt to build the executable.
Microsoft Word
It is recommended to insert the barcode using ActiveX control so that you can change the barcode easily
at later time. You can also invoke GUI encoder and paste the results in either RTF or EMF formats into
Microsoft Word.
Microsoft Excel
You can use PDF417 ActiveX control in Excel and link data to be encoded with a cell. Refer to the section
called “Excel (ActiveX Control)” for more information.
Mail Merge
If you currently store data in a database (typically Excel spreadsheet), and need to print labels with
PDF417 barcodes, you can use Word Mail Merge to pull the data and print them out. the section called
“Word Mail Merge” explains how to do so.
Microsoft Access
Both font and ActiveX control can be used in Microsoft Access reports. See the section called “Access
(ActiveX Control)” for using PDF417 control, and the section called “Access (PDF417 Font)” for font-
based solution.
Crystal Reports
PDF417 barcodes can be easily added to Crystal Reports 9.0 and above using UFL. See Chapter 7, Adding
PDF417 Symbols to Crystal Reports for more information.
SQL Server Reporting Service (SSRS)
This product includes a SSRS custom assembly that adds PDF417 barcode printing functionality to
Reporting Service. See Chapter 8, Adding PDF417 Symbols to SQL Server Reporting Service for details.
Visual Basic 6
Both font-based and ActiveX approaches can be used in Visual Basic 6. A sample project is included in the
software.
.Net (All versions)
Both Font encoder DLL and ActiveX control can be used in .Net programming environment with the help
of interoperability. The software includes examples written in C# on both approaches. Note: the software
includes only 32-bit ActiveX control by default. Using font encoder dll is encourage because both 32-bit
and 64-bit versions are included in the software.
Java
Java applications can access Encoder functions through Java Native Access(JNA)3.

3
https://jna.dev.java.net/
 CHAPTER 2 OVERVIEW 13

Delphi, Foxpro, Powerbuilder and more

Although we do not officially support those programming environments due to lack of software in our
lab. However, based on our support experience, our software fully support these programming languages
(both DLL and ActiveX control).
Currently, the software requires Windows 2000 or above to function. We are able to compile the encoder DLL
on other platforms such as Mac OS/X and Linux. If you need a solution to work on those platforms, write to
[email protected] for more information.
Could not locate your specific needs? You are welcome to email our support engineer at
[email protected]. Before you do, you might want to visit our site first to see if your concern has
been addressed. make sure that you concern has been visited by us. Search Morovia Knowledge Base4 and
Community Forums5 first. It is possible that your question has been addressed.

4
http://mdn.morovia.com/kb/
5
http://forums.morovia.com/
Chapter 3. Using Encoder GUI
PDF417 Encoder GUI is a GUI program that runs on Windows 2000 and above. It provides a fast way to
create PDF417 barcodes on the fly. From the program you can easily create barcodes either in barcode string
format, or images files, and transfer the to a graphics designer or word processor.

Figure 3.1. PDF417 Encoder GUI Options

Make Barcode
Click on this button to refresh the barcode display.
Data to Be Encoded
This is the place to enter the data to be encoded. Multiple-line text is supported. To enter the next line,
enter Ctrl+Enter.
Copy (RTF)
Place the barcode string in the clipboard, so that you can subsequently paste them into another
application such as Microsoft Word.
PDF417 Encoder GUI places both text and RTF formats into the clipboard. In applications that are capable
of processing RTF (Rich Text Format), you will see a barcode immediately after pressing the paste button.
Otherwise, you will see the text string instead. If this is the case, highlight the whole string and format
with “MRV PDF417” font.
16 CHAPTER 3 USING ENCODER GUI

Copy (EMF)
Place the barcode image in the clipboard, so that you can subsequently paste it into another application
such as Microsoft Word. The EMF created does not use font, so that you do not need to copy the font file
when you view document from another computer.
Note that X dimension in the resulted barcode is determined by the Module Size in the Options dialog, as
the EMF format does not use the font.
Barcode Info
This section displays the actual attributes of the barcode created, including error correction level, number
of rows, number of columns and aspect ratio of the barcode.
Launch Help
Launch the HTML Help of this program.
Options
Pops up the Options dialog where you can specify additional option for exporting barcode images. See
the section called “Program Options” for more information.
Export Image
Click on this button to export the barcode into standard image formats such as EMF, SVG, EPS and PNG.
About
Click on this button to pop up the About dialog.
X Dimension
This section displays the X-dimension of the barcode, in units of mils and mm.
Encoder DLL Info
This section displays the absolute path and the file version of the encoder DLL. This is useful if you have
multiple DLLs in the computer.
Font Options
Select the font and size from this section.
Encoding Options
Specify the barcode options: security level (0-9, 9 automatic). Compact PDF417, Rows, Columns and
Aspect Ratio.

Note If you leave all options to the default, the program selects a size that occupies
the least space, often a short and wide stripe. To create a tall and narrow symbol,
change Aspect Ratio to a value less than 1.0.

Exporting Images
PDF417 Encoder GUI supports exporting into several standard image formats. The images generated do
not contain references to the fonts so that you can move around them without requiring the software to be
installed.
• EMF. This is the default vector graphics format used on Windows operating system.
• PNG. PNG is a bitmap image format widely supported by imaging software. It is the recommended
image format for web graphics.
• BMP. BMP is the default bitmap format used on Windows platform.
 CHAPTER 3 USING ENCODER GUI 17

• EPS. This format is widely used in graphics design industry. Recommended to use in conjunction with
Adobe software such as Adobe Illustrator.
• SVG. SVG is an emerging vector graphics format. FireFox 3 supports it out of the box, as well as many
drawing programs such as Adobe Illustrator.

Program Options
You can specify a couple of options applicable in exporting barcode images.

Figure 3.2. Export Options Dialog

Y Height
The ratio of the height of a module vs. its with. For better readability, the value should be greater than 3.0.
This value affects graphics export only, and only effective when Use value from font is unchecked.
Use value from font
If this box is checked, the y-height will be taken from the current font selected when exporting barcodes
to image files.
X Dimension
Apply on Vector image format only. You can specify a nominal size for the module width. You can enter
something like "20 mils", or "0.02mm". If unit of measure is not specified, the unit of mils is assumed.
This parameter is taken only when Use value from font size is not checked.
Use value from font size
If this box is checked, the X dimension used when exporting vector graphics files will be taken from the
PDF417 font and its font size, instead of the X dimension box. This will create a barcode closely resemble
the one displayed on the screen. By default this box is checked.
Target Resolution
Apply on vector image format only. If you export a vector graphic images to a low resolution device such
as screen or thermal printer, you should fill this field with the value of the resolution. For screen, use 96.
This value makes sure that the length units are properly aligned to the edge of pixels when rasterized.
18 CHAPTER 3 USING ENCODER GUI

Number Pixels Per Module

This option applies on raster images only. Specify the number of pixels of a module (the real estate unit of
a PDF417 barcode).
Foreground Color / Background Color
Specify the color for image background and foreground. Color values are specified using six hexidecimal
digits, with the components in the order of red, green and blue. For exmaple 000000 is the value for black
color, and ff0000 is the value for pure red.
Chapter 4. Using PDF417 Fontware with
Microsoft Office Programs
Some office programs, such as Excel and Access, support programming using VBA (Visual Basic for
Application). Some programs support embedding ActiveX controls. All office programs seem to accept copy/
paste of RTF and EMF objects. The table below summarizes the support options of various Office components
(version 2007).

Table 4.1. Interoperability between Microsoft Office Programs and PDF417 Fontware 4.0
Application RTF/EMF (from GUI ActiveX control Programmable
encoder)
Word both Yes No
a
Excel EMF Yes
Access Both Yes Yes
PowerPoint Both Yes No
OneNote Both No No
Publisher Both No No
Visio Both No No
a
Excel does not format line gaps properly. Consequently you can't put RTF in an Excel cell.

Access (ActiveX Control)

This section explains the steps to add PDF417 barcodes in a Microsoft Access report using Morovia PDF417
Control.
1. The PDF417 ActiveX control must be installed and registered on the computer.
2. Open a report in design view and choose Insert → ActiveX Control...

3. From the list of controls, select Morovia PDF417 Control.

20 CHAPTER 4 USING PDF417 FONTWARE WITH MICROSOFT
OFFICE PROGRAMS

4. After the control is placed on the report, right click on it and choose Properties...
5. Modify the Control Source property to point to the table and filed of the data you wish to encode into
the barcode.

6. Modify other properties, such as ModuleWidth, Cols, Rows and AspectRatio. After you are satisfied
with the result, close the property dialog.
7. Save the run the report. You should see the barcode appear in the report.
 CHAPTER 4 USING PDF417 FONTWARE WITH MICROSOFT OFFICE
PROGRAMS 21

Access (PDF417 Font)

You can also add PDF417 barcodes to Access report using font-based solution.
1. Before creating barcodes in Microsoft Access, you must import the required module. This module
adds VBA function so that you can put into the report. Choose Modules → Import and select Access
Example.mdb file, located in the program folder.

2. Choose PDF417FontEncode_Module from the other database. After it is properly imported, it will
appear as one of the modules in the database.

3. Open a report in design view and add a text box to the report. The text box will be modified to contain
a barcode.
4. Right click on the text box and choose properties.
5. Place the formula =PDF417Encode([TestData.Data],0,7,9,True,0,3.1) in the control source
property of the text box where [TestData.data] is the field that contains the data to be encoded into the
PDF417 barcode. The following parameters are rows, cols, security level, full size PDF flag,
22 CHAPTER 4 USING PDF417 FONTWARE WITH MICROSOFT
OFFICE PROGRAMS

aspect ratio and y-height. Note that the y-height value should match the one in the font to be used.
In our case, the font we will use is MRV PDF417 N3, which has a fixed y-height of 3.1.

6. Run the report. You should see lines of hexadecimal characters appear in the place of the text box. This
is the barcode string in the raw text form.
7. Go back to the design view and change the font of the text box. In our case, choose MRV PDF417 N3 and
8 points. Adjust the size of the text box to fit the whole barcode.
8. Save and run your report. You should see the barcodes appear in the report.

Excel (ActiveX Control)

Excel has line gap issues with PDF417 fonts. You can paste EMF image from GUI encoder, or use ActiveX
control as outlined below.
1. After you finished other parts of the spreadsheet, choose View → Toolbars → Control Toolbox
2. When Control Toolbox appears, click on More Controls button.

3. From the list of controls presented, choose Morovia PDF417 Control.

4. Select the area to place the control in the spreadsheet.
5. Right click on the control, choose Properties and change the Linked Cell property to the name of the
cell that contains the data you wish to encode.
 CHAPTER 4 USING PDF417 FONTWARE WITH MICROSOFT OFFICE
PROGRAMS 23

6. Change other properties as necessary such as Rows, Cols and AspectRatio to adjust the size of the
barcode.
7. After editing the properties, click on Exit Design Mode button to exit design mode. The barcode will
appear in the spreadsheet.

8. The barcode is now bound to the cell. Change the data of the linked cell, the barcode will change
accordingly.

Note: to subsequently modify or delete the barcode control, Excel must enter Design Mode. This can be
done by pressing the Design Mode button on the Control Toolbox.

Microsoft Word
Using PDF417 control in Microsoft Word is similar to the one in Excel, except that Word does not provide a
way for data binding.
1. choose View → Toolbars → Control Toolbox.
2. In the toolbox, choose the more controls button.
3. Select Morovia PDF417Control from the list of available ActiveX controls. After selecting it, the control
will appear in the document, the control may be sized as necessary. To change the properties of the
control right click on the control and choose Properties.
4. When finished, exit the design mode by choosing the design mode button.
5. To edit the properties of the control the program must be in design mode. If there are problems editing
the properties of the control, press the design mode button to enable it.

Word Mail Merge

This tutorial uses Excel file Word Mail Merge DataSource.xls as mail merge data source. The data looks
like this:
24 CHAPTER 4 USING PDF417 FONTWARE WITH MICROSOFT
OFFICE PROGRAMS

We want to print address information as well as a PDF417 barcode that encodes such information in Avery
label paper 5163. The Print Preview looks like the one below:

1. Before we start, we need to import a module into Excel. To do that, open Visual Basic Editor. In Excel
2007, this is done by selecting Developer → Visual Basic.
In Visual Basic Editor, choose File → Import File. Navigate to the PDF417 Fontware installation folder,
and select the Morovia.PDF417FontDLL.bas.
Close Visual Basic Editor.
2. Add a new column in the spreadsheet that will hold the barcode string. In our case, we use column H.
In cell H2, enter the definition as below:

After hitting Enter, you should see a hexadecimal string result show up. If not, examine the formula
you entered.
Note the use of Excel function CONCATENATE here. This function is used to combine several fields, as
well as line return characters.
See the DLL API for the meaning of each field. Here we require the number of columns as 4.
 CHAPTER 4 USING PDF417 FONTWARE WITH MICROSOFT OFFICE
PROGRAMS 25

3. Copy the formula to other cells of the same column. This can be done by selecting cell H2, highlighting
the cells that the formula is copied, and select Paste.
Close the Excel file and start Microsoft Word.
4. In Microsoft Word, choose Mailing → Start Mail Merge → Labels. Select Avery 5163 as the label we will
work on.
5. Select Select Recipients Select Existing List. In the file dialog, navigate to the spreadsheet we just
created. If it asks for Select Table, choose Sheet1$.
6. Click on Address Block. This is for the address line. Microsoft Word has the intelligence to select the
address block.
7. Hit Enter once to move the cursor below, and click on Insert Merge Field. Select Barcode as the merge
field. The document looks like the one below:

Click on Review Results. You should see the first record show up, with hexadecimal characters in the
place of barcode.
8. Now adjust the font for the address block and the barcode field. For the address block, we use Arial 16
points. For the barcode, use MRV PDF417 N3 14 points. Note: the font should match the yHeight value
in the formula.

Warning Make sure that there is no gap between two lines in the barcode field.
If you see blanks inside the barcode, adjust the paragraph setting by selecting
Paragraph Spacing. Use 0 for Before and After spacing, and Single for Line spacing.

9. Copy the format to other labels by selecting Update labels.

26 CHAPTER 4 USING PDF417 FONTWARE WITH MICROSOFT
OFFICE PROGRAMS

10.Select Preview Results to view the sheets of labels.

Chapter 5. Encoder DLL API Reference
Creating PDF417 barcodes using DLL APIs involves three steps. The first step is to call PDF417Encode with
data to encode and the PDF417 options. If this step succeeds, a pointer is returned from which you can
query the attributes of the barcode created, or “paint” the barcode into an image file. Finally, you should call
DestroyPDF417Result to release the memory resource used by the encoder result object.
For the meanings of PDF417 barcode attributes, such as rows, columns, aspect ratio and security level, see
Chapter 2, Overview.

Table 5.1. List of Enumerations

Enumeration Comment
ImageTypeEnum Image formats supported by the encoder.

Table 5.2. List of Functions

Function Comment
PDF417Encode Encodes data and returns a pointers that points to encoder result object.
PDF417Encode2 Abbreviated version of PDF417Encode.
DestroyPDF417EncodeResult Releases all resources allocated to the encoder result object.
PDF417ResultGetNumRows Retrieves the number of rows of the PDF417 barcode created.
PDF417ResultGetNumCols Retrieves the number of data columns of the PDF417 barcode created.
PDF417ResultGetSecurityLevel Retrieves the security level of the PDF417 barcode created.
PDF417ResultGetAspectRatio Retrieves the actual aspect ratio of the PDF417 barcode created.
PDF417ResultGetBarcodeString Retrieves the barcode string that becomes a PDF417 symbol after being
formated with a PDF417 font.
PDF417ResultGetBarcodeString2 Returns barcode string without requiring user to preallocate the buffer.
PDF417GetErrorMessage Retrieves a string that describes the error.
PaintPDF417ImageRaster Writes the PDF417 barcode in raster image format specified to a disk file.
PaintPDF417ImageVector Writes the PDF417 barcode in vector image format specified to a disk file.
PaintPDF417ImageClipboard Creates a Windows Enhanced Meta File object and place it into the
clipboard.

ImageTypeEnum
Image formats supported by the encoder.
enum ImageTypeEnum {
IMAGE_PNG=0,
IMAGE_SVG=1,
IMAGE_EMF=2,
IMAGE_EPS=3,
IMAGE_BMP=4
};
28 CHAPTER 5 ENCODER DLL API REFERENCE

Remarks
The ImageTypeEnum enum has the following values:

Table 5.3. ImageTypeEnum Enumeration

Constant Value Comment

IMAGE_PNG 0 PNG (Portable Network Graphics).
IMAGE_SVG 1 SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics).
IMAGE_EMF 2 EMF (Windows Enhanced MetaFile).
IMAGE_EPS 3 EPS (Encapsulated PostScript).
IMAGE_BMP 4 BMP (Windows Bitmap).

PNG and BMP are raster formats, which store color information of individual pixels. SVG, EMF and EPS are
vector graphics formats and contains drawing commands instead. If you are using raster graphic format,
one pixel should be mapped to one or integral times pixels on the printer. If you are using vector graphics
format, the drawing units should map to integral times pixels on the printer. They are referenced in the
PaintPDF417ImageRaster function and PaintPDF417ImageVector function.

PDF417Encode
The PDF417Encode function encodes data and returns a pointers that points to encoder result object.
int __stdcall PDF417Encode(
const char * dataToEncode,
int numRows,
int numCols,
int securityLevel,
int fullsizePDF,
double aspectRatio,
double yHeight,
void ** ppResult
);

Parameters
dataToEncode
[in] Pointer to a null-terminated string containing the data to be encoded. You can use tilde codes to
encode control characters such as NUL, as well as advanced features such as ECI and MacroPDF417. For
more information, see the section called “Input Format”.
numRows
[in] An integer that indicates the number of rows desired in the barcode created. Valid values are between
3 and 90, or 0 for automatic selection.
numCols
[in] An integer that indicates the number of data columns desired in the barcode created. Valid values are
between 1 and 30, or 0 for automatic selection.
securityLevel
[in] An integer value that corresponds to the security level desired. Valid values are between 0 and 9. If
9 is specified, the program will select a security level based on the data encoded, based on the method
described in the standard. Note: The security level in the result can be higher than specified, 10:30 PM
 CHAPTER 5 ENCODER DLL API REFERENCE 29

2/20/2010 but will never be lower. When the program finds that there is room for additional security
codewords in the symbol, it will increase the security level automatically. To find out the actual security
level in the symbol created, use PDF417ResultGetSecurityLevel function.
fullsizePDF
[in] An integer value that indicates whether to produce full-sized PDF417 symbol, or a compact version. If
the value is 0, compact PDF symbols are produced.
aspectRatio
[in] The aspect ratio of the symbol desired. If 0 is specified, the program does not use it as a criteria.
yHeight
[in] The ratio of module height vs. module width. When you are createing barcodes using the fonts, use
the value that match the font. For example, the yHeight for font 'MRV PDF417 N3' is 3.1.
ppResult
A pointer to a pointer that points to the encode result created. Use this pointer to discover the actual
attributes of the symbol created, or create image files.

Return Values
If the function succeeded, the return value is 0. If the function failed, it returns the error code. You can call
function PDF417GetErrorMessage to obtain the description of the error.

Remarks
This function encodes the data according to the parameter specified, and returns a pointer from which you
can retrieve the encoding result.

PDF417Encode2
The function PDF417Encode2 is an abbreviated version of PDF417Encode.
void *__stdcall PDF417Encode2(
const char * dataToEncode,
int numRows,
int numCols,
int securityLevel,
int fullsizePDF,
double aspectRatio,
double yHeight
);

Parameters
dataToEncode
[in] Pointer to a null-terminated string containing the data to be encoded. You can use tilde codes to
encode control characters such as NUL, as well as advanced features such as ECI and MacroPDF417. For
more information, see the section called “Input Format”.
numRows
[in] An integer that indicates the number of rows desired in the barcode created. Valid values are between
3 and 90, or 0 for automatic selection.
numCols
[in] An integer that indicates the number of data columns desired in the barcode created. Valid values are
between 1 and 30, or 0 for automatic selection.
30 CHAPTER 5 ENCODER DLL API REFERENCE

securityLevel
[in] An integer value that corresponds to the security level desired. Valid values are between 0 and 9. If
9 is specified, the program will select a security level based on the data encoded, based on the method
described in the standard. Note: The security level in the result can be higher than specified. but will
never be lower. When the program finds that there is room for additional security codewords in the
symbol, it will increase the security level automatically. To find out the actual security level in the symbol
created, use PDF417ResultGetSecurityLevel function.
fullsizePDF
[in] An integer value that indicates whether to produce full-sized PDF417 symbol, or a compact version. If
the value is 0, compact PDF symbols are produced.
aspectRatio
[in] The aspect ratio of the symbol desired. If 0 is specified, the program does not use it as a criteria.
yHeight
[in] The ratio of module height vs. module width. When you are createing barcodes using the fonts, use
the value that match the font. For example, the yHeight for font 'MRV PDF417 N3' is 3.1.

Return Values
If the function failed, the return value is 0 (NULL). If it succeeds, it returns a pointer that points to the result
object. You should release the encoder result object by calling function DestroyPDF417EncodeResult.

Remarks
In this function, a pointer is returned instead of status code. A non-null return value indicates that no error
occured. The pointer associated resource must be released by calling DestroyPDF417EncodeResult.
The function PDF417Encode2 is an abbreviated version of PDF417Encode.

DestroyPDF417EncodeResult
The DestroyPDF417EncodeResult function releases all resources allocated to the encoder result object.
void __stdcall DestroyPDF417EncodeResult(
void * pResult
);

Parameters
pResult
[in] Pointer to the encoder result object.

Remarks
After the object is destroyed, the specific pointer pResult is no longer valid.

PDF417ResultGetNumRows
The PDF417ResultGetNumRows function retrieves the number of rows of the PDF417 barcode created.
int __stdcall PDF417ResultGetNumRows(
void * pEncodeResult
);
 CHAPTER 5 ENCODER DLL API REFERENCE 31

Parameters
pEncodeResult
[in] The pointer that points to the encoding result object, returned from PDF417Encode or
PDF417Encode2 functions.

Return Values
The number of data rows in the PDF417 barcode. Always succeed.

PDF417ResultGetNumCols
The PDF417ResultGetNumCols function retrieves the number of data columns of the PDF417 barcode
created.
int __stdcall PDF417ResultGetNumCols(
void * pEncodeResult
);

Parameters
pEncodeResult
[in] The pointer that points to the encoding result object, returned from PDF417Encode or
PDF417Encode2 functions.

Return Values
The number of data columns in the PDF417 barcode. Always succeed.

PDF417ResultGetSecurityLevel
The PDF417ResultGetSecurityLevel function retrieves the security level of the PDF417 barcode created.
int __stdcall PDF417ResultGetSecurityLevel(
void * pEncodeResult
);

Parameters
pEncodeResult
[in] The pointer that points to the encoding result object, returned from PDF417Encode or
PDF417Encode2 functions.

Return Values
The actual security level in the PDF417 barcode. It should be a number bewteen 0 and 8.

Remarks
PDF417 specification defines nine different levels for security codewords, ranging between 0 and 9. In our
software you can use 9 for automatic security level selection. The encoder always selects that the highest
security level possible within the size constraint. To obtain the actual security level in the barcode, call
function PDF417ResultGetSecurityLevel.

PDF417ResultGetAspectRatio
32 CHAPTER 5 ENCODER DLL API REFERENCE

The PDF417ResultGetAspectRatio function retrieves the actual aspect ratio of the PDF417 barcode created.
double __stdcall PDF417ResultGetAspectRatio(
void * pEncodeResult
);

Parameters
pEncodeResult
[in] The pointer that points to the encoding result object, returned from PDF417Encode or
PDF417Encode2 functions.

Return Values
The actual aspect ratio of the PDF417 barcode.

Remarks
The Aspect Ratio refers to the ratio of height to width of a bar code symbol. A code twice as high as it is wide
has an aspect ration of 2; a code twice as wide as it is high has an aspect ratio of 0.5.

PDF417ResultGetBarcodeString
The PDF417ResultGetBarcodeString function retrieves the barcode string that becomes a PDF417 symbol
after being formated with a PDF417 font.
int __stdcall PDF417ResultGetBarcodeString(
void * pEncodeResult,
char * buffer,
unsigned int * maxSize,
const char * eol
);

Parameters
pEncodeResult
[in] The pointer that points to the encoding result object, returned from PDF417Encode or
PDF417Encode2 functions.
buffer
[in] The pointer that points to a byte array that receives the string.
maxSize
[in,out] Pointer to a variable that specifies the size of the buffer pointed to by the buffer parameter, in
bytes. When the function returns, this variable contains the size of the data copied to buffer.
eol
[in] Pointer to a NUL terminated string that will be appended to each row in the barcode string.

Return Values
If the function succeeded, it returns the length of the string (excluding terminating NUL character). If the
funtion fails due to insufficient storage, it returns 0.

Remarks
When creating barcodes using font-based solution, you first call encoder function PDF417Encode or
PDF417Encode2 to obtain a pointer that points to the result object. Then PDF417ResultGetBarcodeString
is called to obtain a string that becomes PDF417 symbol after the font is applied. If memory is not an issue,
 CHAPTER 5 ENCODER DLL API REFERENCE 33

allocate a large buffer with 8096 bytes to hold the largest PDF417 barcode. This size is sufficient for the largest
symbol with carriage return and line feed as line ending.

PDF417ResultGetBarcodeString2
The PDF417ResultGetBarcodeString2 function returns barcode string without requiring user to preallocate
the buffer.
const char *__stdcall PDF417ResultGetBarcodeString2(
void * pEncodeResult,
const char * eol
);

Parameters
pEncodeResult
[in] The pointer that points to the encoding result object, returned from PDF417Encode or
PDF417Encode2 functions.
eol
[in] Pointer to a NUL terminated string that will be appended to each row in the barcode string.

Return Values
Pointer to a NUL terminated string that represents the barcode (barcode string). If the function failed due to
insufficient memory, it returns NULL.

Remarks
This function was added in 4.1 release to make it easier for the caller to retrieve barcode string. The encoder
result manages the buffer by itself. Caller should cache the string returned, but not the pointer, as the contents
may change after another call of PDF417ResultBarcodeString2 is made.

PDF417GetErrorMessage
The PDF417GetErrorMessage function retrieves a string that describes the error.
const char *__stdcall PDF417GetErrorMessage(
int errorno
);

Parameters
errorno
[in] The error number.

Return Values
a read only string that describes the error.

Remarks
The string returned is a read only string. User should not modify the string directly.

PaintPDF417ImageRaster
34 CHAPTER 5 ENCODER DLL API REFERENCE

The PaintPDF417ImageRaster function writes the PDF417 barcode in raster image format specified to a disk
file.
int __stdcall PaintPDF417ImageRaster(
void * pEncodeResult,
const char * lpszFilename,
int pixelsPerModule,
int forecolor,
int backcolor,
int imageType
);

Parameters
pEncodeResult
[in] Pointer that points to the encoder result object.
pszFilename
[in] Pointer to the file name for the image file to be created.
pixelsPerModule
[in] Number pixels per module with.
forecolor
[in] Value of the foreground color, in RGB colorspace.
backcolor
[in] Value of the background color, in RGB colorspace.
imageType
[in] An integer that indicates the image file format. The current version supports two formats: PNG(0)
and BMP(4).

Return Values
If the function failed, it returns the error code. You can call function PDF417GetErrorMessage to obtain the
description of the error.

Remarks
Note: the order of the component bytes are R, G and B, which is opposite of COLORREF type on Windows.

PaintPDF417ImageVector
The PaintPDF417ImageVector function writes the PDF417 barcode in vector image format specified to a disk
file.
int __stdcall PaintPDF417ImageVector(
void * pEncodeResult,
const char * lpszFilename,
int module_width_hm,
int target_dpi,
int forecolor,
int backcolor,
int imageType
);

Parameters
pEncodeResult
[in] Pointer that points to the encoder result object.
 CHAPTER 5 ENCODER DLL API REFERENCE 35

module_width_hm
[in] Module width (X dimension), in the unit of high metric. 1 unit high metric = 1/1000 cm.
target_dpi
[in] The resolution of the target printer.
forecolor
[in] Value of the foreground color, in RGB colorspace.
backcolor
[in] Value of the background color, in RGB colorspace.
imageType
[in] An integer that indicates the image file format. The current version supports three formats: SVG(1),
EMF(2) and EPS(3).

Return Values
If the function failed, it returns the error code. You can call function PDF417GetErrorMessage to obtain the
description of the error.

Remarks
Note: the order of the component bytes are R, G and B, which is opposite of COLORREF type on Windows.

PaintPDF417ImageClipboard
The PaintPDF417ImageClipboard function Creates a Windows Enhanced Meta File object and place it into
the clipboard.
int __stdcall PaintPDF417ImageClipboard(
void * pEncodeResult,
int module_width_hm,
int target_dpi,
int forecolor,
int backcolor
);

Parameters
pEncodeResult
[in] Pointer that points to the encoder result object.
module_width_hm
[in] Module width (X dimension), in the unit of high metric. 1 unit high metric = 1/1000 cm.
target_dpi
[in] The resolution of the target printer.
forecolor
[in] Value of the foreground color, in RGB colorspace.
backcolor
[in] Value of the background color, in RGB colorspace.

Return Values
If the function failed, it returns the error code. You can call function PDF417GetErrorMessage to obtain the
description of the error.
Chapter 6. PDF417 ActiveX Reference
Many programming environments support the use of ActiveX objects. We have tested the Morovia PDF417
ActiveX with Visual Basic, Visual C++, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Word, Excel, Access and IIS programs.
The object can be used as a control embedded in a VB form or a dialog, or be used at background for image
creation and printing purposes. The PDF417 ActiveX object can also be inserted into Microsoft Office
documents and many other ActiveX-aware programs.

Specification
Table 6.1. PDF417 Control Specification
Prog ID Morovia.PDF417Control
ClassID {89C50E31-CBFE-4AF3-B36F-DFD8FE60ACD0}
Licensed no
File name PDF417Ctrl.dll
Interface IPDF417Control
Interface ID {F6FC2671-7888-4DDB-8DAF-A6544C205546}

Properties
Table 6.2. List of PDF417 Control Properties
Name Description
AspectRatio Returns or sets a value for the overall height to width ratio of PDF417 symbols
generated.
BackColor Specifies the background color for the control.
Cols Returns or sets a value for the number of codeword columns in PDF417 symbols
generated.
CompactPDF Returns or sets a value that determines whether to generate the compact version of all
PDF417 symbols generated.
ForeColor Specifies the foreground color for the control.
ModuleWidth Specifies the width of a module (the smallest unit in a PDF417 barcode).
Picture Returns a snapshot of the drawing in Windows Enhanced Metafile Format (EMF).
Rows Returns or sets a value for the maximum number of codeword rows in all PDF417
barcodes generated.
SecurityLevel Returns or sets a value for security level used in all PDF417 barcodes generated.
TargetDPI Specifies the value of DPI when exporting the images to vector graphics.
Text Specifies the data to encode.
38 CHAPTER 6 PDF417 ACTIVEX REFERENCE

Name Description
YHeight Returns or sets a value that reflects the height of the module vs. the width in all
PDF417 barcodes generated.

Table 6.3. List of PDF417 Control Methods

Name Description
CopyToClipboard Place the drawing to clipboard in EMF format.
GetActualAtrributes Retrieves the actual values of atrtibutes in the PDF417 barcodes generated.
ExportImageVector Export image to a file in vector graphics format specified (EMF, EPS or SVG).
ExportImageRaster Export image to a file in raster graphics fromat specified (PNG or BMP).

AspectRatio Property
Description
Returns or sets a value for the overall height to width ratio of PDF417 symbols generated.

Syntax
object.ActualVersion = [Number]

Remarks
The AspectRatio determines the overall shape of the PDF417 symbol and is defined as the overall height to
width ratio. Higher values for the Aspect Ratio (greater than 1) produce tall, thin PDF417 bar codes and small
values (greater than zero and less than 1) produce short, wide bar codes. A value of 1 produces approximately
square bar codes.
Generaly speaking, a lower AspectRatio produces more space-efficient barcodes.
Setting the value to 0 allows the program to select a size that produces the least number of codewords, under
the constraints of Rows and Cols specified.
The default value is 0.0 (automatic selection).

BackColor, ForeColor Properties

Description
BackColor - returns or sets the background color of the control.
ForeColor - returns or sets the foreground color of the control.

Syntax
object.BackColor[= Color]
object.ForeColor[= Color]

Remarks
For open systems we strongly recommend to set the background color to solid white (0xFFFFFF) and
foreground color to black (0x000000). Note: barcode requires decent contrast between the foreground color
 CHAPTER 6 PDF417 ACTIVEX REFERENCE 39

and the background color in order to be readable. Always test the readability thoroughly when you select a
color pair different from black and white.

Cols Property
Syntax
object.Cols = Number

Description
Returns or sets a value for the number of codeword columns in PDF417 symbols generated.

Remarks
When the value is 0, the program selects one that produces the least number of codewords.
The default value is 0.

CompactPDF Property
Syntax
object.CompactPDF = Boolean

Description
Returns or sets a value that determines whether to generate the compact version of PDF417 symbols.

Remarks
PDF417 standard specifies a compact version, with the stop pattern reduced to a single terminating bar.
Compact version symbols should only be used in a clean and controlled environment.
The default value for this property is FALSE.

ModuleWidth Property
Description
Returns or sets a value that determines the width of a single module in the PDF17 symbols generated.

Syntax
object.ModuleWidth[= String]

Remarks
The “real estate” unit of a PDF417 symbol, the module, is always rectangular. This property sets the width of
the rectangle. It affects the overall symbol size.
The default value for ModuleSize is 20 mils. The property can be any numbers between 1 and 100.
40 CHAPTER 6 PDF417 ACTIVEX REFERENCE

This property is a string, and accepts the following units: mil, himetric, mm, cm, pt and inch. For example,
“0.01cm” and “1mm” are all valid. If no measure unit is specified, unit of mil (which is 1/1000th inch) is
assumed.

Picture Property
Description
Readonly property. Returns a snapshot of the drawing in Windows Enhanced Metafile Format (EMF).

Syntax
object.Picture

Remarks
The Picture property provides a convenient method to retrieve the drawing without first saving it to disk. The
picture object contains an enhanced metafile handle which can be passed to clipboard or played on a device.
The included VB6, VC++ and C# examples use this property to retrieve an EMF handle and play it on the
target printer to print the barcode.

Rows Property
Description
Readonly property. Returns the number of rows requested.

Syntax
object.Rows

Remarks
Set the number of rows required for PDF417 barcodes generated. 0 means automatic.

SecurityLevel Property
Description
Specifies the security leve in the PDF417 barcode generated.

Syntax
object.SecurityLevel = Number

Remarks
In PDF417 symbols security level is selectable and ranges between 0 and 8. Specifying 9 for automatic
selection based on the amount of data encoded. The value is considered "minimum" by our software, as it will
increase the security level if the size constraint allows. To retrieve the actual value of the security level, use
GetActualAttributes method.
 CHAPTER 6 PDF417 ACTIVEX REFERENCE 41

TargetDPI Property
Specifies the resolution of the target printer, applicable during exporting vector graphics.

Syntax
object.TargetDPI = Number

Remarks
Whe producing small sizes of barcodes, especailly on lowe resolution printers, lengths must be align to the
boundary of pixels in order to retain high quality. The ActiveX control adjusts the drawing units automaticaly
based on this property when exporting vector graphics images.

Text Property
Specifies the Data to be encoded into the PDF417 symbol.

Description
Returns or sets a string for the message to be encoded.

Syntax
object.Text[= String]

Remarks

YHeight Property
Specifies the ratio of height of a module vs. its width.

Description
Returns or sets the y-height in the PDF417 barcode generated.

Syntax
object.YHeight[= Double]

Remarks
For better decodability, this value should be greater than 3.0.

CopyToClipboard Method
Copies the PDF417 image into the system clipboard, in EMF format.

Syntax
obj.CopyToClipboard
42 CHAPTER 6 PDF417 ACTIVEX REFERENCE

Description
Use this method to place a copy of barcode image to the clipboard, so that you can either retrieve it
immediately in your application, or other applications such as Microsoft Word.

ExportImageRaster Method
Description
Exports the current drawing to a disk file, in raster image format (PNG or BMP).

Syntax
obj.ExportImageRaster(filename, pixelsPerModule, imageType)

Parameters
filename
[in] filename. A string that corresponds to the file to be written.
pixelsPerModule
[in] Number of pixels per module.
imageType
[in] Image type. The current version supports two raster image formats:
• 0 - PNG
• 4 - BMP

ExportImageVector Method
Description
Exports the current drawing to a disk file, in raster image format (EMF, SVG and EPS).

Syntax
obj.ExportImageVector(filename, imageType)

Parameters
filename
[in] filename. A string that corresponds to the file to be written.
imageType
[in] Image type. The current version supports two three image formats:
• 1 - SVG
• 2 - EMF
• 3 - EPS

GetActualAttributes Method
 CHAPTER 6 PDF417 ACTIVEX REFERENCE 43

Description
Retrieves the actual values of atrtibutes in the PDF417 barcodes generated.

Syntax
obj.GetActualAttributes(numRows, numCols, securityLevel, aspectRatio)

Parameters
numRows
[out] The actual number of rows in the barcode generated.
numCols
[out] The actual number of cols in the barcode generated.
securityLevel
[out] The actual security level in the barcode generated.
aspectRatio
[out] The actual aspect ratio of the barcode generated.

Remarks
You can specify exact values to Rows, Cols, SecurityLevel and AspectRatio, or leave one or more of them to be
determined by the program. Use this method to retrieve the actual value in the barcode generated.
Chapter 7. Adding PDF417 Symbols to
Crystal Reports
Adding PDF417 barcodes to Crystal Reports is straightforward. The example included in the software was
authored in Crystal Reports 9.

Warning Due to the length constraint imposed by Crystal Reports, the approach
outlined in this chapter requires Crystal Reports version 9 and above, unless you are
encoding fairly small amount of data. It is possible to create PDF417 Code symbols
in earlier versions such as 8.5, but the solution is quite awkward. If you have such
needs, write to [email protected] for more information.

User Function DLL

The software includes a file called U25MoroviaPDF417FontEncoder4.dll, which is specially crafted to
provide Crystal Reports with PDF417 encoding functions. If you installed the software using the installer we
provided, the DLL can be found under c:\windows\system32 at default. When distributing your report,
you can also copy it into the bin folder of Crystal Reports at c:\program files\common files\Crystal
Decisions\version\bin. This file is not a COM DLL and does not require registration. After the DLL is
copied, restart Crystal Reports.

Note In the trial version, the DLL prompts a warning dialog when the encoder
function is called. The full version does not have this limitation.

This DLL exports two functions:

Table 7.1. List of Crystal Reports UFL Functions ( U25MoroviaPDF417FontEncoder4.dll)

Function Name Comment
Number Morovia_PDF417Encode_Set Encodes the data into a full sized PDF417 barcodes
(DataToEncode, numRows, numCols, securityLevel, with attributes specified. Returns the number of
aspectRatio, yHeight) segments required for the data encoded.
Number Morovia_PDF417CompactEncode_Set Encodes the data into a compact PDF417 barcodes
(DataToEncode, numRows, numCols, securityLevel, with attributes specified. Returns the number of
aspectRatio, yHeight) segments required for the data encoded.
String Morovia_PDF417_Get() Returns a segment of the result. Each segment
consists of no more than 254 characters (the
maximum number allowed by Crystal Reports).

The Morovia_PDF417_Get has no parameters. The two encoder functions, Morovia_PDF417Encode_Set and
Morovia_PDF417CompactEncode_Set have size parameters each. The first parameter is data encoded. The
following six parameters are number of rows, number of columns, security level, aspect ratio and y-height
46 CHAPTER 7 ADDING PDF417 SYMBOLS TO CRYSTAL REPORTS

1
. The function returns a number, which indicates the number of subsequent calls to Morovia_PDF417_Get.
Each call of Morovia_PDF417_Get retrieves a chunk of encoder results.
The following script demonstrates the basic flow to get it work in Crystal Reports:
// Crystal Reports impose a constraint on UFL string length: max 255 characters.
// To get around this limit, use the code below
// This workaround requires Crystal Report Version >= 9
// The forumula is written in Crystal Syntax.

StringVar DataToEncode := "Morovia PDF417 Fontware and Writer SDK " +

"is a powerful software solution to create PDF417 symbols in Crystal Reports.";

NumberVar numRows := 0;
NumberVar numCols := 3;
NumberVar securityLevel := 9;
NumberVar aspectRatio := 0.0;
// Note: 3.1 is for 'MRV PDF417 N3' font.
// other font requires change of this parameter.
// See user manual for the y-height value of each font.
NumberVar yHeight := 3.1;

StringVar BarcodeString := "";

// First find out how many chunks required to get the whole barcode string
NumberVar chunks := Morovia_PDF417Encode_Set(DataToEncode,
numRows, numCols,
securityLevel, aspectRatio,
yHeight);

// Loop until all the data is retrieved

NumberVar i:=0;
For i :=1 To chunks Step 1 Do
(
BarcodeString := BarcodeString + Morovia_PDF417_Get;
);

// Returns the complete string

BarcodeString;
Because of the length restraint that UFL imposes on the string, it is not possible to complete in one UFL call.
Instead, you prepare all parameters and call Morovia_PDF417Encode_Set. This function calls encoder at
the back end, and returns the number of chunks required. After that the program enters a loop that calls
Morovia_PDF417_Get repeatedly until all result are retrieved and stored in BarcodeString.

Working with Crystal Reports

The screen shots in the following tutorial were taken in Crystal Reports 9. Interfaces in other versions may
appear differently.
Assume that you have a database table with several fields. You already put them into the report, and want to
add a column to hold PDF417 barcode for ID field.
1. First switch to design mode. Choose Report → Formula Workshop.
2. Right click on Formula Fields and choose New.
3. Give your formula field a name, in this example we will name it Morovia_PDF417. In versions 9 and
above, you will be prompted to use the editor or the expert, choose Use Editor.

1
Note: the y-height specified must match the font used, otherwise the aspect ratio will not be achieved correctly. To learn how these
factors affect the final symbol size, see Chapter 2, Overview.
 CHAPTER 7 ADDING PDF417 SYMBOLS TO CRYSTAL REPORTS 47

4. In the Formula Editor, choose Functions → Additional Functions →

moroviapdf417fontencoder4(U25MoroviaPDF417FontEncoder4.dll). You should see
Morovia_PDF417Encode_Set appears under. If not, the DLL is not installed properly.
5. In the edit box below, copy and paste entire script in the section called “User Function DLL”. Make
necessary changes. For example, you are likely to change the value of DataToEncode variable to one of
your database field. Version, Error Correction Level can be changed in the code accordingly.
6. Choose Save → Close to close Formula Workshop.
7. From the Field Explorer, drag the Morovia_PDF417 Formula Field to the report.
8. Choose File → Print Preview. You should see a series of meaningless lower case letters and digits in
the box. This is normal as the barcode string is completely difference from the data encoded in case of
PDF417 barcode.

9. Switch back to design mode. Right click on the field and choose Format Field. Click on the Font tab,
and choose the MRV PDF417 N3 font. Set the font size to 6 points or to the size appropriate for your
environment.

10.Drag the cursor to make the formula field big enough to contain the entire barcode. You may need to
adjust both horizontally and vertically. Be sure to leave some spaces for quiet zone requirement.
11.Run the Print Preview again. The barcode should come up. Print a page and scan the barcode to make
sure that the font size is appropriate and the bounding rectangle is big enough to hold the whole
barcode.
48 CHAPTER 7 ADDING PDF417 SYMBOLS TO CRYSTAL REPORTS

Note If you add barcodes to report using the trial version and subsequently
upgrade to the full version, you need to refresh the report once. Otherwise the
barcode will continue to be scrambled.

Distributing UFL, Fonts with your report application

Once you finish the report design, you can distribute your report application with Crystal run time files,
barcode fonts and the UFL library.

Note Developer License is required to distribute font files and encoder UFL DLL
outside your organization.

Two run time files need to be included in your distribution package:

1. Morovia PDF417 Font Files. The font files are located c:\program files\morovia
\PDF417Fontware4, and should be copied to the target computer's fonts folder.
2. PDF417 Encoder UFL. This DLL is installed at c:\windows\system322 by default. In the target
computer, it can be placed in the same location, or the bin folder of Crystal Reports at c:\program
files\common files\Crystal Decisions\version\bin.
Chapter 8. Adding PDF417 Symbols to
SQL Server Reporting Service
Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Service has gained momentum in enterprise reporting market. SQL Server
Reporting service includes a Report Designer and Report Server. The Report Designer works with Visual
Studio 2003 and 2005, allowing developers to quickly design and deploy a report.

Custom Assembly
SSRS can't use the encoder DLL directly. A ready-to-use custom assembly
(ReportServicePlugin_PDF417.dll) built under Visual Studio 2003 (.net 1.1) is included in the software.

Note In case that you need to build the assembly by yourself, The source
code is also included in the distribution. The project files are packed in
ReportServicePlugin_PDF417_src.zip, which is located under the program
folder.

This assembly exposes two functions: PDF417Encode and PDF417CompactEncode. The prototype for this
function is as below:
string PDF417Encode(string strDataToEncode,
int numRows, int numCols,
int securityLevel,
double aspectRatio,
double yHeight);

string PDF417CompactEncode(string strDataToEncode,

int numRows, int numCols,
int securityLevel,
double aspectRatio,
double yHeight);
The two functions have the same signature. The only difference is that the first function produces barcode
strings for full size PDF417 barcodes, and the other compact PDF417 barcodes. or the meanings of the
parameter, refer to the section called “PDF417Encode2”. Note that the yHeight parameter should match the
font used in order to calculate the aspect ratio correctly, unless you are not using this parameter. To learn how
parameters affect the symbol size, see the section called “Sizing Parameters”.

Installing Custom Assembly

For Reporting Service 2000, copy the DLL into the following two directories:
• Report Designer Folder: [Program Files]Microsoft SQL Server\80\Tools\Report Designer.
• Deploy folder [Program Files]Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL\Reporting Services
\ReportServer\bin.
For Reporting Service 2005, copy the DLL into the following directories:
• Report Designer Folder: [Program Files]Microsoft Visual Studio 8\Common7\IDE
\PrivateAssemblies.
50 CHAPTER 8 ADDING PDF417 SYMBOLS TO SQL SERVER
REPORTING SERVICE

• Deploy folder [Program Files]Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL\Reporting Services

\ReportServer\bin.
If you have multiple SQL Server instances, you will have multiple MSSQL.n directories. Locate the one that the
Reporting Service is installed under.

Adding PDF417 Barcodes to Report

In this tutorial, we demonstrate how you can add barcodes into a report. Assume that we have a table called
orders with the following data and structure:

The task is to print labels with OrderID printed on the top and a PDF417 barcode on the bottom with all fields
encoded into the barcode. Each field is separated with a control character \n (ASCII 10).
1. First we build the SQL statement required for this report. It should produce two fields, the first is
OrderID and the second one with all field concatenated together. We give the second field a new name
DataToEncode
select OrderID,
Cast(OrderID As VarChar(4)) + Char(10) +
Company + Char(10) + ModelNumber + Char(10) +
SerialNumber As DataToEncode
From Orders;
2. Layout the report as desired. Make changes to the format of each field. The result looks like below:

3. In order to call the function we need to add reference to the custom assembly. Select Report → Report
Properties to bring up Report Properties dialog.
4. click on References tab. Navigate to the location of the customer assembly and add it.

5. Click on the DataToEncode text box, and bring up its property sheet. Under the General tab, change its
value to the formula below:
=Morovia.ReportService.PDF417V4.PDF417Encode(Fields!DataToEncode.Value, 0, 4, 9, 0, 3.1)
 CHAPTER 8 ADDING PDF417 SYMBOLS TO SQL SERVER
REPORTING SERVICE 51

The formula calls the PDF417Encode function with the following parameter: rows (0), columns(4),
security level (auto), aspect ratio(0) and y-height(3.1). We want the barcode grow vertically, so we set
rows=0 and cols=4 (requiring the barcode to have 4 data columns).
6. Now preview the report. You should see lines of hexadecimal characters at the place of the barcode.
7. Format the text box with MRV PDF417 N3, 12 points. Preview the report again, you should see the
barcodes.

If you are printing to a laser printer, you should get a good quality barcode label printed. Now if you are
printing to a low resolution thermal printer, such as a Zebra with 203 dpi in resolution, you should examine if
the font size produces the optimal results. Follow the steps below:
1. According to Table 2.1, “List of PDF417 fonts”, MRV PDF417 N3 produces barcodes with X dimension
at 13.35 mils at 12 points. Now translate it into inches and multiply the result by the printer resolution:
13.35x0.001*203=2.71.
2. 2.71 is not a optimized value so we either round to 3, or 2. 3 will render X dimension as
3*1000/203=14.77 mils. The optimal font size therefore is 14.77*12/13.35=13.28 points.
3. Change the font size of the barcode text box to 13.28 points. Now the barcode produced will have high
quality when printed on target printers.

Deployment
The Reporting Service require any custom assembly defined in the security policy otherwise a run-time error
will be thrown and all you get is #Error without any explanation. Follow the steps below to change security
policy. Two security policy files are required to change:
• RSPreviewPolicy.config. This policy file is used for DebugLocal preview in Visual Studio. This file
is located in the Report Designer folder which is [Program Files]Microsoft SQL Server\80\Tools
\Report Designer for RS2000 and [Program Files]Microsoft Visual Studio 8\Common7\IDE
\PrivateAssemblies for RS2005.
• rssrvpolicy.config, the policy file used for running Report Server. The file is located under
[Program Files]Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL\Reporting Services\ReportServer\bin
directory.
Perform the following steps to add security policy required to run custom assembly:
1. Open RSPreviewPolicy.config, and add the following content at the end (just before two ending
1
CodeGroup tags):
<CodeGroup class="FirstMatchCodeGroup"
version="1"
PermissionSetName="FullTrust"
Name="ReportServicePlugin_PDF417.dll" Description="ReportServicePlugin_PDF417.dll">
<IMembershipCondition class="UrlMembershipCondition" version="1"
Url="C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\Common7\IDE\" \
"PrivateAssemblies\ReportServicePlugin_PDF417.dll" />
52 CHAPTER 8 ADDING PDF417 SYMBOLS TO SQL SERVER
REPORTING SERVICE

</CodeGroup>
Note that on RS2000 the custom assembly is located in a different directory.
2. Save the file. In Visual Studio, change the active configuration to DebugLocal and run the report. You
should see the barcodes on the report. Examine the contents in the Output window.
If you see message A first chance exception of type 'System.Security.SecurityException' occurred in
mscorlib.dll, the security is not configured properly.
3. After you have successfully run the report under DebugLocal configuration, publish the report to the
Report Server. Open rssrvpolicy.config and add similar lines.
<CodeGroup class="FirstMatchCodeGroup"
version="1"
PermissionSetName="FullTrust"
Name="ReportServicePlugin_PDF417.dll" Description="ReportServicePlugin_PDF417.dll">
<IMembershipCondition class="UrlMembershipCondition" version="1"
Url="C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.2\Reporting Services\" \
"ReportServer\bin\ReportServicePlugin_PDF417.dll" />
</CodeGroup>
Note that you may change the file path if it is located in a different location.
4. Restart SQL Server Reporting Service and browse the report. You should see the barcodes on the report
this time.
Chapter 9. Technical Support
Morovia offers a wide variety of support services. To help you save time and money when you encounter a
problem, we suggest you try to resolve the problem by following the options below in the order shown.
• Consult the documentation. The quickest answer to many questions can be found in the Morovia
product documentation.
• Review the tutorial and sample applications. The tutorial steps you through the development process
for a typical barcode application. The sample applications provide working code examples in several
programming languages. All sample applications are extensively commented.
• Access Morovia Online. Morovia Online provides a knowledge base which documents the frequently
asked questions and a web forum.
The web address for knowledge base is http://support.morovia.com. You can ask question at support
forum at http://forum.morovia.com.
• Contact Morovia Technical Support Service. The Technical Support service is provided for free up to
180 days after the purchase. Email Morovia support engineers at [email protected].

Note If you purchased your software from our reseller, check to see if they provide
support services before contacting Morovia.

Support services and policies are subject to change without notice.

Appendix A. Input Format for ECI and Macro
PDF417
Extended Character Interpretation (ECI) and Macro PDF417 are optional features defined in PDF417
specification. ECI allows content of mixed encoding types (for example different languages) encoded in the
symbol. Macro PDF417 defines a standard method to split large amount data into multiple symbols that
can be decoded and concatenated without relying on the order of scan. Both features require support of the
scanner.
The two features must be entered using the special syntax outlined below.

Extended Channel Interpretation (ECI)

ECI was introduced to allow output data stream to have interpretations different from the default character
set (ISO8859-1). An ECI can be any number between 0 and 999999. The tilde code sequence ~7nnnnnn is used
to enter the ECI value. The tilde code sequence can appear at any places of the input, provided that exact 6
digits follows ~7. For example to start an interpretation , enter ~7000010.

Macro PDF417
Using Macro PDF417, large amount data is split into several file segments and encoded into individual
symbols. To create Macro PDF417 symbols, you need to enter the control block information using ~2 tilde
code sequence. A sample input looks like this:
12345678901234567890~2[3][LA-CONFIDENTIAL][6][fn:part2|ts:199044|ad:Justin Power|fs:110990]

Syntax
The tilde code sequence for Macro PDF417 control block information is as follows:
~2[SI][FID][TS][fn:string|...]
The ~2 must appear at the end of the message. The data after the control block is ignored. The first three fields
are required. The last field is optional and can contain several additional sub-fields.

Segment Index (SI)

In Macro PDF417, each symbol represents a segment of the whole file. To rebuild the whole file, the segment
must be constructed in proper order. The value of segment index is 0 based. For example, for a file divided
into k segments, the segment index can be any number between 0 and k-1.
The value allowed for SI is between 0 and 99.

File ID (FID)
All symbols belong to the same group have the same file ID. The File ID can be any string, such as archive2.
Although the standard does not set a limit on the length of the File ID, keep in mind that the control block
reduces the overall symbol capacity.

Total Segments (TS)

The “total segments” field is required for every symbol in the group. It should remain constant among all
symbols.
56 APPENDIX A INPUT FORMAT FOR ECI AND MACRO PDF417

Optional Fields
Macro PDF417 defines several optional fields to encode additional file information such as file name,
timestamp, file size and checksum. All these fields must be at the end of the control block. If more than two
optional fields are present, they should be separated with vertical bars |. Within a field, a colon : divides the
name part and value part.
The acceptable field names are listed below:

Table A.1. Optional Fields in Macro PDF417

Field Field Name Field Name (normal) Comment Data Type
Designator (abbreviated)
0 fn filename File Name string
1 sc segmentcount Segment Count number
2 ts timestamp Time Stamp number
3 sd sender Sender string
4 ad addressee Addressee string
5 fs filesize File Size number
6 cs checksum Checksum number

For example, [fn:archive1.zip|ts:20051231|sd:[email protected]|cs:9901234] encodes 4 optional

fields: file name (archive1.zip), time stamp (20051231), sender ([email protected]) and checksum
(9901234).
Appendix B. Font Character Set
Warning The glyph structures described here apply on PDF417 Fontware 4.0.
Beginning with 4.0, the glyph structures are changed to overcome restrictions
imposed by some printing software.

In some circumstances, it is desirable to substitute the font with the custom drawing routines. This section
explains the mapping of each character in the font.
The basic element in a PDF417 barcode is a rectangle cell called module, in either black or white. If “1”
represents a black module and “0” represents a white module, we can use an array of strings to represent a
PDF417 barcode. The result is further compressed by combining adjacent cells into a character. In a PDF417
font (version 4.0), four vertical modules are merged into one character, as illustrated below:

Figure B.1. PDF417 Font (V4) Character Set

The PDF417 font uses 16 characters (0-9, A-F) to represent 16 possible scenarios. To draw a PDF417 barcode
from the encoding results, you have two options:
• Convert the encoding results to an array of string consisting of 1 and 0 only, and draw cells from the
left to the right, and from the top to the bottom.
• Create a drawing routine to draw these 16 glyphs. Scan the encoding results and call the routine one by
one.
When designing drawing routines, you may also consider joining adjacent dark cells into polygons to reduce
the number of drawing commands.
58 APPENDIX B FONT CHARACTER SET

Note Be ware that the cell is a rectangle instead of a square. The height of a cell is
yHeight times of the width. If you are writing bitmaps from the barcode string, make
sure to round the height into integral times of pixels and the height of all cells should
be consistents in the whole symbol.

For the list of yHeight and X dimensions of the PDF417 fonts, see Table 2.1, “List of PDF417 fonts”.
Appendix C. Fontware License Agreement
By using or installing font software (referred as "Fontware" and "SOFTWARE" in this agreement, including
fonts, components, source code, install program etc.) created by Morovia Corporation (referred as "Morovia"
below), you (or you on behalf of your employer) are agreeing to be bound by the terms and conditions of this
License Agreement. This License Agreement constitutes the complete agreement between you and Morovia.
If you do not agree to the terms and condition of the agreement, discontinue use of the Fontware immediately.

License Grant
Number of Installation or Users: In consideration for the license fee paid, Morovia grants to you only, the
License, the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to use the font in accordance with the license you purchase.
If you are using this product for your employer, this agreement also includes your employer. You may only
use the font on computers (CPUs) for which the Fontware is licensed.
The Single User License allows an individual to use the license Fontware on 1 CPU in your organization
connected to any number of printers or other image producing devices. If you install or use the fonts on more
than one CPU in your organization, or multiple individuals access the barcode printing functionality (e.g.
printing from a printer server), multiple single user licenses must be purchased.
The Corporate License allows unlimited use of the licensed fonts in the organization that purchases it.
After the Corporate License is purchased, the fonts may be installed and used on multiple CPUs in that
organization without any additional fees to be paid to Morovia.
The Developer License allows 1 developer to install the fonts within his organization (Corporate License) as
well as rent, lease or distribute the licensed fonts bundled with an application up to 10,000 users (formerly
referred as Distribution License). The developer may not resell, rent, lease or distribute the fonts alone, they
must be bundled with an application or with the application installation files. The developer may not resell,
rent, lease or distribute the fonts in any way that would directly compete with Morovia. If use exceeds 10,000
concurrent users or installations, additional Developer License is required.

Copyright
All title and intellectual property rights in and to the Software Product (including but not limited to any
images, photographs, animations, video, audio, music, text, and "applets" incorporated into the Software
Product), the accompanying printed materials, and any copies of the Software Product are owned by
Morovia. All title and intellectual property rights in and to the content that is not contained in the Software
Product, but may be accessed through use of the Software Product, is the property of the respective content
owners and may be protected by applicable copyright or other intellectual property laws and treaties. This
Agreement grants you no rights to use such content. If this Software Product contains documentation that
is provided only in electronic form, you may print one copy of such electronic documentation. You may not
copy the printed materials accompanying the Software Product.

Distribution Limits
You must own a Developer License to distribute fonts outside your organization. You are allowed to
distribute the software inside or outside your organization for up to 10,000 copies. When you distribute the
software, you adhere to the following terms: (a) You may not resell, rent, lease or distribute the Software
alone. The Software must be distributed as a component of an application and bundled with an application or
with the application's installation files. The Software may only be used as part of, and in connection with, the
bundled application. (b) You may not resell, rent, lease or distribute Software in any way that would compete
with Morovia. (c) You must include the following MOROVIA copyright notice in your Developed Software
documentation and/or in the "About Box" of your Developed Software, and wherever the copyright rights
notice is located in the Developed Software ("Portions Copyright (c) Morovia Corporation 2004. All Rights
60 APPENDIX C FONTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT

Reserved."). (d) You agree to indemnify, hold harmless, and defend MOROVIA, its suppliers and resellers,
from and against any claims or lawsuits, including attorney's fees that may arise from the use or distribution
of your Developed Software. (e) you may use the SOFTWARE only to create Developed Software that is
significantly different than the SOFTWARE. (f) You must use font embedding technology when you use the
SOFTWARE in PDF and WORD documents; (g) You must specify the exact domain name when creating
embedded fonts for web pages. (h) All GUI programs coming with the font package are non-distributable.

Termination
This Agreement is effective until terminated. This Agreement will terminate automatically without notice
from Morovia if you fail to comply with any provision contained here. Upon termination, you must destroy
the written materials, the Morovia product, and all copies of them, in part and in whole, including modified
copies, if any.

Warranty & Risks

The fonts provided by Morovia are licensed to you as is and without warranties as to performance of
merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose or any other warranties whether expressed or implied. You,
your organization and all users of the font, assume all risks when using it. Morovia shall not be liable for
any consequential, incidental, or special damages arising out of the use of or inability to use the font or the
provision of or failure to provide support services, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such
damages. In any case, the entire liability under any provision of this agreement shall be limited to the greater
of the amount actually paid by you for the font or US $5.00.
Glossary
DLL Acronym for Dynamic Link Library, a library of executable functions or data
that can be used by a Windows application. A DLL can be used by several
applications at the same time. Some DLLs are provided with the Windows
operating system and available for any Windows application. Other DLLs
are written for a particular application and are loaded with the application.

EMF Acronym for Enhanced MetaFile. A newer 32-bit version of Windows

MetaFile. EMF contains frame information and contain more drawing
commands then its predecessor, WMF.

Macro PDF417 A method to link multiple PDF417 symbols together in order to encode large
amount of data.

PDF417 PDF417 is a multi-row, variable-length symbology with high data capacity

and error-correction capability. PDF417 has some unique features which
makes it the widely used 2D symbology. A PDF417 symbol can be read
by linear scanners, laser scanners or two-dimensional scanners. PDF417 is
capable of encoding more than 1100 bytes, 1800 text characters or 2710 digits.
Large data files can be encoded into a series of linked PDF417 symbols using
a standard methodology referred to as Macro PDF417.

PNG Acronym for Portable Network Graphics. PNG is a bitmap image format that
employs lossless data compression.

RTF Acronym for Rich Text Format. A document file developed by Microsoft
since 1987 for cross-platform document interchange. Most word processors
are able to read and write RTF documents.
Index
A
Adding PDF417 symbols to Crystal Reports, 45
Adding PDF417 symbols to SQL Server Reporting
Service, 49

M
Macro PDF417, 55
File ID, 55
Optional Fields, 56
Segment Index, 55
Syntax, 55
Total Segments, 55

P
PDF417 Control
AspectRatio Property, 38
BackColor Property, 38
Cols Property, 39
CompactPDF Property, 39
CopyToClipboard Method, 41
ExportImageRaster Method, 42
ExportImageVector Method, 42
ForeColor Property, 38
GetActualAttributes Method, 43
ModuleWidth Property, 39
Picture Property, 40
Rows Property, 40
SecurityLevel Property, 40
Specification, 37
TargetDPI Property, 41
Text Property, 41
YHeight Property, 41

S
Symbol Attributes
Security Level, 7

T
Technical Support, 53