Print Using Barcode Font

Question

I need to throw up some barcodes in the shop for employees to use to scan the appropriate responses.

I've got a C# app that can create fonts for our labels, but here I just want to select my Code 128 font in Microsoft Word and print it out.

Wiki shows I need a start/stop character and a check character in addition to my regular text. This means that selecting the text SCAN_YES and changing the font from Times New Roman to Code 128 will not cut it. I tried it, but the barcode reader can't read it.

I'm trying to follow along in the wiki doc, but I just don't get it.

For Weight 1, wiki shows Start Code A having value 103, but my ASCII chart says 103 is the letter g.

Then, wiki shows a Sum, Divisor, Sum/Divisor, and Remainder & Check Sum Value. Now I'm really lost. What are these for?

Is there a place that has Code128 For Dummies or could someone explain it to this Dummy?

Answer 1

If you are wanting to stick to human readable characters you should use Code 128 'B'.

This is what I get in Code 'B':

Answer 2

OK, I'm going to start with SCAN_YES and show what I'd do to convert it. You guys pitch in and tell me what I'm doing wrong.

I'm going with Start Set A. (Good/Bad?)

                    Weighted
Character    Value    Value    Total
Start Set A   103   103         103
S             83    83*1         83
C             67    67*2        134
A             65    65*3        195
N             78    78*4        312
_             95    95*5        475
Y             89    89*6        534
E             69    69*7        483
S             83    83*8        664
                    Total      2983

Modulus is 99 because 2983 / 103 = 28 R 99.

So, my encoded Code128 A barcode should be:

103(Code A=g)+83(S)+67(C)+65(A)+78(N)+95(_)+89(Y)+69(E)+83(S)+99(c)+106(stop=j)

Would, then, I change my Text in my MS Word document to be gSCAN_YEScj, then select my Code128 Barcode Font?

Apparently, that is not right, because that text put into barcode font will not scan with my barcode reader.

What if the modulus is an unprintable number like 7 (Audible bell)?