This C program generates a UPC-A barcode and displays it using the X11 library on macOS or Linux. The program uses no third-party libraries and follows the UPC-A encoding format as per GS1 standards.
- Generates UPC-A barcode with 12-digit input.
- Displays the barcode using X11 (XQuartz for macOS).
- No external libraries are required beyond X11.
- XQuartz (for macOS) or X11 (for Linux).
- X11 development libraries.
You can compile the barcode.c
file using the following command:
gcc -o barcode barcode.c `pkg-config --cflags --libs x11`
Once compiled, run the program by passing a 12-digit UPC-A code as an argument:
./barcode 036000291452
This will display the barcode for the given UPC-A code in an X11 window.
- A UPC-A barcode is 12 digits long.
- It includes left and right guard patterns, center guard, and the encoded digits.
- Left Guard:
101
- Center Guard:
01010
- Right Guard:
101
Each digit is represented by a 7-bit binary pattern. The left and right sides use different encodings:
- Left side encoding: Odd parity.
- Right side encoding: Even parity.
- The program does not validate the check digit, but UPC-A barcodes typically use a checksum to ensure data integrity.
- Ensure that XQuartz or X11 is running before executing the program.