How to generate, print Code 39 barcode in BIRT reports?

BIRT Barcode Code 39 Generator Introduction

Top

Barcode Code-39 Introduction

BIRT Code-39 Generator - Valid Data Scope

• 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
• Uppercase letters (A - Z)
• - (Dash), $ (Dollar), % (Percentage), (Space), . (Point), / (Slash), + (Plus)
• BIRT Code 39 Extension Generator support all 128 ASCII characters

Code 39 Generators

How to Generate Code 39 in BIRT Report

Top

1. Copy com.onbarcode.barcode.birt_2.2.1.jar to your Eclipse plugins directory "\eclipse\plugins\"
2. Create a new empty report in your BIRT Report barcoding project
3. Open View "Palette", and add report item "Barcode" to your created BIRT report
4. Right click the report item you have added, and select "Properties" menu item to edit barcode parameters
5. All the barcode properties are in the "General" tab. Please note that the values for "Data" and ""UPC/EAN Supplement Data" should be arounded by """, unless you are inputting expression
6. Change Barcode Type into Code 39 in the general tab, and preview the report. A Code 39 barcode image is printed on your BIRT report
7. If you want to encode barcode data from BIRT report data set, you need to input expression to "Data" property like "row["CUSTOMERNUMBER"]"
   
   

BIRT Barcode Code 39 Generator - Property Settings

Top

Code 39 Standard Mode

Supports 43 valid characters:

• Numeric digits: 0 - 9
• Uppercase letters: A - Z
• Symbols: -, $, %, space, ., /, +
• Dedicated Start/Stop character (*)

Set Type property to CODE39 in Report Item Property.

Code 39 Full ASCII Mode

• Supports full 128 ASCII characters (ISO 646 IRV), including lowercase letters.
• Set Type property to CODE39EX (extended mode) in Report Item Property.
• Used for reports requiring lowercase, special control characters, and Locale/Internationalization support.

Code 39 Check Digit (MOD43) Configuration

Code 39 does not enable check digit by default. MOD43 check digit enhances data security.

• Enable check digit: set AddCheckSum = true in Report Item Property.
• The BIRT Report Engine automatically calculates and appends the MOD43 check digit.
• To hide check digit in HRI (human readable interpretation): set ShowCheckSumChar = false.

Note: The check digit is only used for verification and will not be decoded as valid data by scanners.

Hide Check Digit in HRI

• Enable the check digit but hide it from the HRI (human readable interpretation).
• Set ShowCheckSumChar = false in Report Item Property.
• This keeps the barcode valid while cleaning up displayed text.

Code 39 Start/Stop Characters Display

Code 39 uses asterisk (*) as fixed Start/Stop characters, which should not be included in raw data.

• Show asterisks in HRI: set ShowStartStopInText = true.
• Hide asterisks in HRI: set ShowStartStopInText = false.
• This property is fully configured in Report Item Property without additional Script.

All size parameters are set in Report Item Property, compatible with BIRT Master Page and layout rules:

• UOM (Unit of Measure): PIXEL / CM / INCH
• X: Width of narrow bar module (minimum value defined by application standards)
• Y: Height of bar module
• N: Wide/narrow bar ratio (valid: 2.0 - 3.0; default = 2)
• I: Intercharacter gap (minimum = X; multiple of X)
• LeftMargin / RightMargin: Quiet zone (minimum width = 10X)

Wide/Narrow Bar Ratio (Property N)

• Valid range: 2.0 to 3.0 (inclusive)
• Default value: 2.0
• Set directly in Report Item Property; higher values improve scanning accuracy for low-resolution printers.

Intercharacter Gap (Property I)

• Defines the space between two encoded characters.
• Value is a multiple of narrow bar width (X).
• Default = 1.0; adjust to 2.0 for clearer character separation.

Common Asked Questions