[Tex/LaTex] good LaTeX package for generating barcodes

barcodespackages

I'm looking for a good LaTeX package to generate one dimensional barcodes, that has the following properties.

  1. It doesn't require any external scripts or internet connection to work.
  2. It easily compiles to pdfs (so no pstricks hackery).

Do any such packages exist? An optional bonus would be if it could generate QR codes.

Best Answer

I wanted to try and tackle this question because I saw many solutions based on a dedicated font, and I thought: “Why use a font when you have perfectly good \vrule’s with TeX”. And so (in plain-tex):

\def\barcode#1#2#3#4#5#6#7{\begingroup%
  \dimen0=0.1em
  \def\stack##1##2{\oalign{##1\cr\hidewidth##2\hidewidth}}%
  \def\0##1{\kern##1\dimen0}%
  \def\1##1{\vrule height10ex width##1\dimen0}%
  \def\L##1{\ifcase##1\bc3211##1\or\bc2221##1\or\bc2122##1\or\bc1411##1%
    \or\bc1132##1\or\bc1231##1\or\bc1114##1\or\bc1312##1\or\bc1213##1%
    \or\bc3112##1\fi}%
  \def\R##1{\bgroup\let\next\1\let\1\0\let\0\next\L##1\egroup}%
  \def\G##1{\bgroup\let\bc\bcg\L##1\egroup}% reverse
  \def\bc##1##2##3##4##5{\stack{\0##1\1##2\0##3\1##4}##5}%
  \def\bcg##1##2##3##4##5{\stack{\0##4\1##3\0##2\1##1}##5}%
  \def\bcR##1##2##3##4##5##6{\R##1\R##2\R##3\R##4\R##5\R##6\11\01\11\09%
    \endgroup}%
  \stack{\09}#1\11\01\11\L#2%
  \ifcase#1\L#3\L#4\L#5\L#6\L#7\or\L#3\G#4\L#5\G#6\G#7%
    \or\L#3\G#4\G#5\L#6\G#7\or\L#3\G#4\G#5\G#6\L#7%
    \or\G#3\L#4\L#5\G#6\G#7\or\G#3\G#4\L#5\L#6\G#7%
    \or\G#3\G#4\G#5\L#6\L#7\or\G#3\L#4\G#5\L#6\G#7%
    \or\G#3\L#4\G#5\G#6\L#7\or\G#3\G#4\L#5\G#6\L#7%
  \fi\01\11\01\11\01\bcR}

\barcode 7046260816138
\bye

Which looks like: ean13barcode

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