C# SDK - installation

Using the barKoder SDK in a C# .NET Console Application #

The barKoder SDK provides powerful barcode decoding and ID Document decoding (MRZ) capabilities. This guide will help you set up and use our barcode API's in your C# .NET console application.

Installation #

1. Choose the NuGet package: #

BarkoderSDK.(VERSION).nupkg: barcodes only. .NET Framework 4.7.2; x86, x64 and ARM64.
BarkoderSDK.OCR.(VERSION).nupkg: barcodes plus MRZ (ID documents) and OCR text. .NET Framework 4.7.2; x64 and ARM64.
BarkoderNET.(VERSION).nupkg and BarkoderNET.OCR.(VERSION).nupkg: the same two options for .NET 8 and later; x64 and ARM64.

2. Add it to your project: #

The packages are part of the Windows SDK download from the barKoder Repository (they are not on nuget.org). Place the package you need in your local NuGet repository.
Install the package into your C# project from your local repository.

Important: The barKoder SDK is platform-specific and cannot be built for the "AnyCPU" platform. Create a separate target for each platform you ship: x64 and ARM64 for every package, and x86 only with BarkoderSDK (barcodes only).

Getting Started #

Follow these steps to use the barKoder SDK in your C# application:

1. Import the barKoder SDK: #

Add the following to your Program.cs file:

using BarkoderNET;

2. Explore Sample Code: #

Review the sample_csharp (.NET Framework) and sample_dotnet (.NET 8) demo applications in the SDK download for common usage patterns.

3. Bitmap Conversion to Grayscale: #

The SDK decodes an 8-bit grayscale image buffer. If you use the ConvertToGrayscale(Bitmap) helper from the sample code, include these imports:

using System.Drawing;
using System.Drawing.Imaging;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;

4. Initialize with a License Key: #

Pass a valid trial or production license key to Config.InitializeWithLicenseKey. It returns a ConfigResult; check Success and use its Configuration:

ConfigResult configResult = Config.InitializeWithLicenseKey("YourLicenseKeyHere");
if (!configResult.Success)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"License error: {configResult.ErrorMessage}");
}

Config config = configResult.Configuration;

5. Configure the Decoder: #

Enable the barcode types you need and adjust settings such as the decoding speed:

config.DecodingSpeed = DecodingSpeed.Slow;
config.MaximumResultsCount = 100;

config.SetEnabledDecoders(new List<DecoderType>
{
    DecoderType.QR, DecoderType.Datamatrix, DecoderType.PDF417,
    DecoderType.Code128, DecoderType.Ean13, DecoderType.UpcA
});

6. Decode an Image: #

Pass the grayscale buffer to Barkoder.DecodeImageMemory. Each result has BarcodeTypeName and TextualData; extra metadata (for example gs1 or parsed MRZ fields) is available through GetAllKeys and GetStringForKey:

using (var image = new Bitmap(args[0]))
{
    byte[] grayscale = ConvertToGrayscale(image);

    var results = Barkoder.DecodeImageMemory(config, grayscale,
        image.Width, image.Height, BKColorFormat.BKCF_Grayscale);

    if (results.Count == 0)
    {
        Console.WriteLine("No barcode found on image");
    }

    foreach (var result in results)
    {
        Console.WriteLine($"{result.BarcodeTypeName}: {result.TextualData}");
        foreach (string key in result.GetAllKeys())
        {
            Console.WriteLine($"  {key}: {result.GetStringForKey(key)}");
        }
    }
}

In the .NET 8 packages (BarkoderNET, BarkoderNET.OCR) the color format value is BKColorFormat.Grayscale.

7. Run Your Application: #

Build and run your application, specifying the image file name as the first (and only) command-line argument.

Using OCR (MRZ) Features #

The OCR packages also decode Machine-Readable Zones (MRZ) in ID documents and general OCR text. Follow these steps to enable OCR:

1. Install an OCR package: #

Use BarkoderSDK.OCR or BarkoderNET.OCR (x64 or ARM64). The barcode-only packages report that the build doesn't support OCR features.

2. Keep the OCR resources next to your application: #

The OCR model files (.onnx, .traineddata and latin_dict.txt) must be in the same folder as your application's .exe. The OCR package copies them to your build output; deploy them together with the .exe.

3. Enable MRZ Decoding: #

config.SetEnabledDecoders(new List<DecoderType> { DecoderType.IDDocument });

4. Enable General OCR Text Decoding: #

config.SetEnabledDecoders(new List<DecoderType> { DecoderType.OCRText });
config.SetCustomOption("enable_ocr_functionality", 1);

5. Use an OCR (MRZ) Enabled License Key: #

Ensure your license key supports OCR features. This is mandatory for OCR functionality.

Notes:- Ensure you have valid license keys for all features you intend to use.- For assistance or additional documentation, refer to the Barkoder SDK documentation or contact support.

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