| Developer(s) | ZXing Team |
|---|---|
| Initial release | 1 October 2009 |
| Stable release | 3.6 / June 1, 2011 |
| Written in | Java (programming language) |
| Operating system | Android (operating system) |
| License | Apache License 2.0 |
| Website | main site android market |
The application Barcode Scanner also known as ZXing (short for Zebra Crossing) is an Android app that allows a user to scan 1-D or 2-D "graphical barcodes" with the camera on their Android device. This program turns that scan into the original data that is represented by the barcode. This allows the user to get to web addresses, geographical coordinates, small pieces of text, and much more just by pointing their device's camera at a barcode. In this way the android based system works very similarly to a conventional Barcode Reader except that it is only composed of commodity hardware and some this software application.
There are many different types of barcodes that are supported by this application, in addition to the commonly though of of 1-D barcode. These are commonly used on products such as food, books, clothing, DVDs, and most other products sold commercially. When the Barcode Scanner application scans the 1-D barcode on one of these types of items, it can automatically search the web for that product. With this functionality, the application can enable the user to quickly do comparisons between the price of an item they are looking at in a store with prices from online retailers.
The most basic 2-D type of code that can be read by this application is a Data Matrix code however the QR code is generally more widely used. QR codes are often embedded in websites so that when users are browsing the website on their desktop or laptop and want to transfer a link, product, or application to their Android device, they can quickly point their camera at the screen and using the Barcode Scanner application, get that data from the website.