Barcode 2.5.1 beta

17 Jul 2023

This update changes the way the exported barcodes are named, adds metadata to exported files and more.

Naming Exported Files

There were two options for naming the exported files: a “normal” one where the software remembers the last used file name for each barcode and offers it on each save, and the “data–based” one where the barcodes were named after their data. You could switch between the options using two different “Export” menu items or by holding the Shift key when clicking the “Export” icon in the toolbar. Well, this is now gone.

Starting from this update the barcodes are always named by their content. There is just one “Export” item in the menu and there is no way to Shift–click the icon in the toolbar. We’re getting simpler here.

If you really miss the “normal” mode and want the software to remember the name you used — you can enable it back in settings, but the new feature explained below will not be available.

Custom File Names on Export

Sometimes it helps to add a suffix or prefix to the exported file name depending on the barcode data.

For instance, you might want to add a symbology or a customer name, or both, or maybe a light margin mark suffix to the file name etc. There are way too many options here to make a nice user interface for that, but we can use scripting instead :)

So now you can provide a custom script that will name the barcodes for you! That’s quite a new and experimental feature and you should only go there if you understand what you are doing and why. We’re here to help, though.

Metadata in Exported Files

The software now adds some basic metadata to barcodes exported to PDF, PNG and TIFF formats. This includes the barcode dimensions, customer–related information and comments, and some other details.

You can find the data in the “Keywords” section of PDF files and in the “Description” block of raster images. The EPS format is not yet supported, drop us a line if you miss that.

Everything is done automatically. Let us know if you need more data exported like that.

Locking Barcode Templates

This update lets you “lock” some of the barcodes in your list. The locked barcode has a “lock” symbol in the corner and does not save the changes you make to it.

The option is useful if you have a pre–configured barcode template and only need to change the data. You lock the barcode, open it for editing, change the data, export the result and go back to the barcodes list. The next time you open this barcode, it will look exactly as when you locked it.

In order to lock and unlock the barcode, use the context menu available on the right mouse click on the barcode. There is a new “Lock/Unlock” option there.

Other Changes

Besides that, there are some other changes made in this update:

Two new fields added to the second tab, where you can put a customer name and comments for the barcode;
The software show tooltips with some basic information when you hover barcode thumbnails with your mouse;
The window size and position is properly restored after restarting the application.

Cheers!

← →