Input Processing

Input Processing

parse

In supporting barcode symbologies, when the parse option is specified, any instances of ^NNN in the data field are replaced with their equivalent ASCII value, useful for specifying unprintable characters.

Additionally, control character names can be used to specify equivalent ASCII values, as follows:

Sequence	ASCII value
^NUL	0
^SOH	1
^STX	2
^ETX	3
^EOT	4
^ENQ	5
^ACK	6
^BEL	7
^BS	8
^TAB	9
^LF	10
^VT	11
^FF	12
^CR	13
^DLE	16
^DC1	17
^DC2	18
^DC3	19
^DC4	20
^NAK	21
^SYN	22
^ETB	23
^CAN	24
^EM	25
^SUB	26
^ESC	27
^FS	28
^GS	29
^RS	30
^US	31

ASCII control characters SO and SI cannot be encoded by name (since SO would prefix clash with SOH).

Note: When this option is enabled, literal instances of "^" in the data should be escaped as ^094 to avoid replacement if the subsequent data characters represent a valid substitution. For example, literal "^123" in the input data can be escaped as ^094123, literal "^RS" in the data can be escaped as ^094RS, and literal "^ABC" in the data can be escaped as ^094ABC (in case ^ABC becomes a valid substitution in the future).

Example

Equivalent symbols:

Data:    This is Data Matrix
Options: 
Encoder: datamatrix

Data:    This is ^068ata Matrix
Options: parse
Encoder: datamatrix

parsefnc

In supporting barcode symbologies, when the parsefnc option is specified, non-data function characters can be specified by escaped combinations such as ^FNC1, ^FNC@ (FNC1 in second position, see below), ^FNC4, ^SFT/ and ^ECI000003.

Note: When this option is enabled, literal instances of ^ in the input data can be escaped as ^^.

Example

Manually-composed Code 93 Extended demonstrating use of the special shift combination (/)A to represent !:

Data:    TERRY^SFT/A
Options: parsefnc includecheck
Encoder: code93

FNC1 in first position

FNC1 in first position, written ^FNC1 at the start of the data, denotes data in GS1 Application Identifier standard format. Elsewhere in the data ^FNC1 is a field separator.

The names first and second position come from Code 128, where FNC1 directly follows the Start character for GS1 data, or follows an AIM application indicator in a single symbol character for AIM data. Other symbologies use the names for these two declarations rather than for literal positions.

• Recommendation: Consider the GS1 encoders, such as GS1-128, GS1 DataMatrix and GS1 QR Code, which take data in GS1 Application Identifier standard format and place every FNC1 automatically.
• A further ^FNC1 in the data is a field separator.
• ECIs are not available with FNC1 in first position.

Example

Code 128 with FNC1 in first position, and a further FNC1 separating a variable-length field:

Data:    ^FNC1010952123454321310ABC123^FNC121XYZ
Options: parsefnc includetext
Encoder: code128

FNC1 in second position

FNC1 in second position marks data that conforms to an industry format identified by an AIM application indicator: one letter or two digits at the start of the data. With the parsefnc option, write ^FNC@ at the start of the data followed by the AIM application indicator, e.g. ^FNC@T... or ^FNC@99..., and the encoder places the FNC1 where the symbology requires it. A reader transmits the AIM application indicator followed by the data, and reports FNC1 in second position in the symbology identifier, e.g. ]C2T... for Code 128.

• ^FNC@ is available for Code 128, Code 16K, Code 49, PosiCode, Data Matrix, Data Matrix Rectangular, Data Matrix Rectangular Extension, Aztec Code, Compact Aztec Code, Code One, DotCode, QR Code, Rectangular Micro QR Code, MicroPDF417 and Grid Matrix. The symbology pages give any limits.
• The AIM application indicator must be one letter A to Z or a to z, or two digits. With a digit it is always two characters, so ^FNC@123 is the AIM application indicator 12 followed by data 3.
• A further ^FNC1 in the data is a field separator.
• ECIs are not available with FNC1 in second position.

Example

Code 128 with AIM application indicator T:

Data:    ^FNC@T12345^FNC1ABC
Options: parsefnc includetext
Encoder: code128