Java Code 128 Generator Tutorial

Generate, create barcode Code 128 images in Java applications (Servlet, Class, Jasper Report)

Generate, Create, Print, Draw Code 128 barcode in Java projects

Easy to Generate Code 128 in Java class, Java Bean, Applet, Swing applications
Create Code 128 linear barcode in Java Servlet, EJB, JSP, Tomcat, JBoss server side applications
Print, draw Code 128 barcode images in Eclipse BIRT, iReport, Jasper Reports Java reporting software
Generating & encoding industry standard Code 128 Bar Code images in EPS, PNG, GIF, JPEG formats
Compatible with latest ISO / IEC 15417 (2nd edition 2007-05-15)
Completely written and created in Java. Support JDK 1.4.2 and later version
Simple to redistribute Java Code 128 barcode library SDK. No registration key or activation code required.
Reliable Java library component for Code-128 generation

How to create, print Code 128 barcode in Java web, desktop application?

Download Java Code 128 Barcode Generator library
Install Java Code 128 barcode generation library into Java project
Start to Create

Java Barcode Code 128 Generator Introduction

Top

Java Barcode is a Java barcode generator Java library, which generates and prints standard Code 128 and 20+ linear and 2d barcodes in Java applications.

In free evaluation version of Java Barcode library, you will find compiled Java barcode library (single Jar file) to create, print Code 128 and other linear, 2d barcodes in your Java projects, detailed tutorial for generation barcodes in Java, and complete sample Java source code to generate Code 128 in Java class. Downloaded Java barcode generation software allows you to create and print QR Code, Data Matrix, UPC, GS1-128, Code 93, PDF417, Code 39, Intelligent Mail, and other barcodes in your Java products.

Code-128 Introduction

Code 128 is a very high-density barcode symbology. (A special application of Code 128 named GS1-128 is used extensively world wide in shipping and packaging industries.) It is used for alphanumeric or numeric-only barcodes.

Java Code 128 Generator - Valid Data Scope

Java Code 128 Generator encodes:

All 128 characters of ASCII
Values 128-255 in accordance with ISO 8859-1. There are referred to as extended ASCII.

How to Generate Code 128 in Java Class?

Top

Using Java Barcode Generator library, you can quickly create a Code 128 barcode image in Java using com.onbarcode.barcode.Code128 class. The following Java source code explains how to create, print a Code 128 barcode to an image file.

Initiate a new Code128 object
Set the code 128 barcode encoding data using method setData()
Call method drawBarcode() to print Code 128 barcode to a PNG image file

Code128 barcode = new Code128();
barcode.setData("Code 128");
		
try {
	barcode.drawBarcode("c://Output//OnBarcode.com//java-code-128-demo.png");
} catch (Exception e) {
	e.printStackTrace();
}

Print Code 128 in memory

OnBarcode Java Barcode library provides several functions to encode and print Code 128 barcodes to various Java objects. You can process these barcode objects in your Java program directly.

Image file path
Java BufferedImage object
Java Graphics2D object with specified rectangle area
Stream object
Byte array object

Create Code 128 in memory, output to Java BufferedImage object

java.awt.image.BufferedImage 	drawBarcode()

Create Code 128 and print barcode in specified area in Java Graphics2D object

void 	drawBarcode(java.awt.Graphics2D g, java.awt.geom.Rectangle2D rectangle)

Create Code 128 and print barcode to a Stream object

boolean 	drawBarcode(java.io.OutputStream outputStream)

Create Code 128 and print barcode to byte array

byte[] 	drawBarcodeToBytes()

Code 128 Encoding Character Set

Top

Code 128 character set supported

Code 128 barcode supports the following data characters

All 128 Full ASCII characters defined in ISO/IEC 646
Extended ASCII characters are also supported with Function Character (FNC4) used. (By default are values 128 - 255 of ISO/IEC 8859-1, Latin Alphabet 1)
Special characters: 4 non-data function characters, 4 code set selection characters, 3 Start chacters and 1 Stop character

To encode text in Code 128, you can call method setData() in Java class using Java Barcode Generator library.

Code128 barcode = new Code128();
barcode.setData("Code-128");

Code 128 Code Sets

To encode data efficiently, Code 128 standard specifies three code sets to convert Code 128 data to codewords.

Code Sets A: including all of the standard upper case alphanumeric characters and punctuation characters together with the control characters.
Code Sets B: including all of the standard upper case alphanumeric characters and punctuation characters together with the lower case alphabetic characters and seven special characters.
Code Sets C: including the set of 100 digit pairs from 00 to 99 inclusive, as well as three special characters.

We recommend you to choose Auto code set using Java barcode library.

barcode.setCodeSet(Code128.SET_AUTO);

How to print, customize Code 128 barcode text label in Java?

Top

Customize Code 128 text label font style

Set property TextMargin to specify the space between bar modules and text label.
Disable property AutoResizeBarcodeText to false to customize the text label font size manually.
Set property TextFont to specify the text label font family name, font style, and font size.

barcode.setTextMargin(5);
barcode.setAutoResizeBarcodeText(false);
barcode.setTextFont(new Font("ocr-b", Font.PLAIN, 14));

Hide Code 128 text label

In Java program, you can choose to hide Code 128 barcode text label to save barcode space.

Set property ShowText to false to prevent printing the Code 128 barcode text labels.

barcode.setShowText(false);

How to render Code 128 barcode with specified colors in Java?

Top

Here we will show how to customize, print Code 128 barcode with specified colors in Java application.

Set property ForeColor to specify the Code 128 bar module color
Set property BackColor to specify the Code 128 space module and background color
Set property TextColor to specify the Code 128 text label color

barcode.setForeColor(Color.red);
barcode.setBackColor(Color.white);
barcode.setTextColor(Color.red);

How to print rotated Code 128 barcode image in Java?

Top

Use property Rotate to rotate a Code 128 barcode image. You can rotate a Code 128 barcode in 0, 90, 180, 270 degrees in Java.

barcode.setRotate(IBarcode.ROTATE_90);

How to Create Code 128 image in Java JSP or Servlet web applications?

Top

Code 128 in JSP pages

Under demo package, copy barcode folder and its contents to your tomcat.
Start tomcat, navigate to http://YourDomain:Port/barcode/barcode?DATA=0123456789&TYPE=CODE128
To create bar code images in html or jsp pages, you can insert a image tag (img) into your page.
For example, <img src="http://YourDomain:Port/barcode/barcode?DATA=0123456789&TYPE=CODE128"/>

Code 128 in Java Servlet

OnBarcode Java Barcode Generator library supports Code 128 barcode generation in both Jakarta Servlet and Javax Servlet.

import com.onbarcode.barcode.AbstractBarcode; 
import com.onbarcode.barcode.Code128; 
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet; 
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest; 
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse; 
import javax.servlet.ServletException; 
import javax.servlet.ServletOutputStream; 
   
public class BarcodeServlet extends HttpServlet 
{ 
    public void doGet(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response) throws ServletException 
    { 
        try { 
            Code128 barcode = new Code128(); 
            barcode.setData("0123456789"); 
                 
            ServletOutputStream servletoutputstream = response.getOutputStream(); 
              
            response.setContentType("image/jpeg"); 
            response.setHeader("Pragma", "no-cache"); 
            response.setHeader("Cache-Control", "no-cache"); 
            response.setDateHeader("Expires", 0); 
           
            // Generate Code-128 barcode & output to ServletOutputStream
            barcode.drawBarcode(servletoutputstream); 
      
        } catch (Exception e) { 
            throw new ServletException(e); 
        } 
    } 
}

How to Generate & Print Barcode Code 128 Image in Java report applications?

Top

Using OnBarcode Java Barcode Generator library, you can create, print and insert Code 128 barcodes in reports in Java reporting applications. The barcode library supports Code 128 barcodes generation in iReport, Jasper Reports, Eclipse BIRT reports Java projects. View detailed developer guide below:

We recommend you use our BIRT Barcode Generator to generate and print Code 128 barcodes in your BIRT reports.

How to Set Generated Barcode Code 128 Image Width and Height?

Top

You can set barcode image width and height through properties barcodeWidth and barcodeHeight values.
You can set X (bar module width) and Y (bar module height) values

Java Code 128 Generator - Barcode Property Settings

Top

Java Code 128 Generator in Java Class: com.onbarcode.barcode.Code128

View the details here: complete Code 128 barcode property settings in Java class

Common Asked Questions

What is the barcode Code 128 text code?

Code 128 barcode is a high-density 1d barcode symbology, which encodes digits, letters, control characters, and full ASCII 128 characters. Using Java barcode generator library, you can easily encode, create, customize and print Code 128 barcode images in com.onbarcode.barcode.Code128 class in Java class, JSP, Servlet web and J2EE applications.

What is Code 128 barcode used for?

Code 128 barcode is a common linear barcode type used in:

Food and non-food industries
Shipping and packing industry
Health, public sector and government bodies

You can easily create standard Code 128 barcode images in Java web application using OnBarcode Java Barcode Generator library.

What is the check digit for code 128?

Code 128 barcode contains a mandatory check digit (checksum) character, which is based on module 103 (mod 103). Using Java barcode library API, the generator software will automatically calculate the check character and insert into the Code 128 barcode in Java projects.

What is Code 128 barcode maximum length?

The Code 128 ISO standard does not define the maximum number of characters in a single Code 128 barcode.

However some Code 128 standards will provide the limits. GS1-128 has limits the maximum length of Code 128 data to 48 characters.

Using Java Barcode library, you will encode and generate ISO standard Code 128 and application approved Code 128 barcodes, such as GS1-128 in Java applications.

How to scan, read Code 128 barcodes?

You can download and install OnBarcode free Code 128 barcode scanner software, or use barcode scanner device, or 3rd party apps installed on phone to read and scan the Code 128 barcodes. OnBarcode provides Java Barcode Reader library to scan, read Code 128 and other 2d, 1d barcodes in Java application. Also you can use the OnBarcode free Code 128 barcode scanner software to decode Code 128 barcode images.

Is Code 128 barcode better than Code 39?

Both Code 128 and Code 39 are popular linear barcode symbologies. Code 128 is more compact than Code 39, supporting more data to be encoded in a smaller space. Java Barcode library allows Java developers to encoding and printing both Code 128 and Code 39 in Java, JSP, Servlet class.