Features to Look for in a Commercial Barcode Reader SDK

Barcodes are everywhere. They are on billboards, grocery items you purchase, books that you read, and packages you receive. Barcode technology makes the identification of items easier and avoids human errors. Barcode scanners are devices or software designed to read barcodes. While a barcode reader on your phone may scan common barcodes or QR codes, a robust barcode reader SDK is critical for commercial use. A barcode scanner SDK allows you to embed barcode scanning functionality into your existing or new applications. You don't need to design anything from scratch as all the development has been done for you. It just takes a few lines of code, and your application is ready. This blog will give you an overview of the benefits of barcode reader SDK and the essential features you must look for in it.

Benefits of a Barcode Reader SDK

While looking for a barcode scanner online, you will find plenty of options. But, some exceptionally brilliant benefits come along with a barcode scanner SDK. Below are some of these.

• Customization Capabilities: An online barcode reader may not let you customize settings as per your use case. But, a barcode scanner SDK will allow you to do so.
• Economical: An online barcode reader may be free to use, but it won't fulfill your business's requirements. On the other hand, a barcode reader SDK's initial cost may seem a little high compared to 'free,' but it will save you a lot of money in the long run.
• Add-ons to Suit your Needs: Most leading companies provide add-on features for your specific use cases. You can opt for a label recognition feature to capture data accompanied by a barcode or warehouse or inventory operations tools. You can find multiple options to choose from.

Essential Features to Look for In a Barcode Reader SDK

Now that you are aware of the benefits of a barcode scanner SDK, here are the key features you must consider while looking for a barcode scanner for your business.

Support Multiple Barcode Symbologies: A particular business will indeed have to deal with a specific set of barcodes, but you never know what kind of requirement may arise next. Hence, look for a barcode scanner SDK that supports multiple barcode symbologies, such as QR Codes, PDF417 codes, GS1 codes, DataMatrix codes, linear barcodes, etc. This way, you won't face a situation when your barcode reader cannot read a barcode.

High Speed: Speed is critical when it comes to barcode scanning. You cannot opt for a barcode reader that scans two or three barcodes in a minute. Leading barcode readers can scan hundreds of barcodes in a short time. One of the many benefits of barcode technology is that it saves a lot of time; hence, look for a barcode reader that performs fast barcode scanning.

Works in Challenging Environments: There are various industries and operations in which challenging environments such as low-light, glare, and shadow are quite common. Hence, choose a barcode reader that works well in all such conditions. No challenging environment should stop it from reading barcodes.

Reads Tough Barcodes: Just like challenging environments, tough barcodes such as wrinkled, tiny, angled, curved, dense, marked up, dense, and incomplete are hard to read. So, you must go for a barcode scanner that is capable of reading tough barcodes. It should quickly read such barcodes.

Reads Single and Multiple Barcodes at Once: Gone are the days when a barcode reader could scan one barcode at once. Today, powerful barcode scanners can scan multiple barcodes at once. Hence, it would be best if you opted for a barcode reader SDK that can scan single as well as numerous barcodes at once for quick functioning.

While looking for a barcode scanner online for your business, don't forget to consider these features. Also, try before you buy to check out all these features on your own.