Virtual Barcode Reader: Frequently Asked Questions

Is Virtual Barcode Reader really free?

Behind each project, there is always a story. It all started with our intern in development, Aurélien.
Aurélien was deep into regression testing of the barcode recognition part of our GdPicture.NET Document Imaging SDK (and some of you know how boring this task can be). Tired of scanning barcodes with his cellphone and then sending them on the computer, he thought that having a barcode reader directly on the screen would make things a little easier. Since all virtual barcode readers available on the Internet require the use of software sometimes with a complicated interface, why not build our very own virtual scanning tool?
That’s what Aurélien did, and even if he's not working with us anymore, we maintained and made his project available to anyone, for free.
We hope you will find VBR useful!

What are the main features of VBR?

Ok, I get that the purpose of the app is to read barcodes. But what are the specific features and functionalities that set it apart from competitors' tools?

The application is fully integrated into the Windows system tray, and there isn't any interface (GUI).
It replaces the cursor with a rectangular detection shape.
Hovering over a barcode will instantly read it.
The size of the detection area is adjustable.
The content of the barcode is shown in the Windows notification bar.
You can output the barcode contents to the clipboard or an active window of your choice.

For the complete and illustrated list of features, check our page here.

How do I use this tool?

The VBR application will run in the system tray, here are the steps to use it:

Click on the icon to begin the detection.
When a barcode is detected, the detection rectangle turns green.
Once your barcode is detected, you can:
- CTRL + SHIFT + S: send the barcode to a window
- CTRL + SHIFT + D: display the barcode in a pop-up
- CTRL + SHIFT + C: copy the barcode in the clipboard
You can adjust the size of the rectangle by holding CTRL + SHIFT and turn the mouse wheel.
Right click on the icon will make a menu appear with some actions that are available to you, then choose the window where to send the barcode, or quit the program.

What are the actions available in the menu?

We have tried to keep the application as intuitive and straightforward as possible, with only the necessary actions to perform:

Copy to clipboard - when this option is enabled, information from the recognized barcode is automatically copied into the clipboard.
Output window - opens the menu with windows targets, where you can send information from the recognized barcode.
More options - menu with options, for selecting detectable barcode types.
About/Help - opens a window with some necessary application information and control description.
Quit - closes the application.

Do you have a list of all barcode symbologies recognized by VBR?

Here you will find the full list of barcode types:

DataLogic2of5	ReaderIata2of5	Industrial2of5	Interleaved2of5
Inverted2of5	Matrix2of5	Code39	Codeabar
BcdMatrix	Code128	Code93	EAN13
UPCA	EAN8	UPCE	ADD5
ADD2	DATAMATRIX	PDF417	QRCODE
MICROQR

How can I get help and support?

You can use our Contact Form for your communication with us.
Please note that since VBR is a free tool, the time for receiving an answer may vary. If you would like to see new features in VBR, please let us know!

I am a developer and I want to integrate your barcode reader engine, where do I find it?

You can develop powerful barcode reading and writing applications for desktop, Web, and mobile applications with the GdPicture.NET OCR SDK.
This tool includes 1D and 2D barcode features and is used by thousands of developers worldwide.