Scan This List of Open Source Barcode Software

In honor of today's Google Doodle celebrating the 57th anniversary of the first barcode patent, I've decided to take a look at barcode software. Here are a handful of applications I uncovered -- some are for mobile phones, some are for app development, but all are open source.

KBarcode - Here's a barcode printing app just for the KDE desktop. it comes with a setup wizard, label designer, predesigned templates and a variety of database management tools. It even generates EAN, UPC, CODE39 and ISBN barcodes for you, then lets you print or export them right from the app.

ReadBarC - This tool was created specifically for Symbian OS mobile phones. Once you snap a picture of a barcode, it displays on the screen, then saves to the clipboard so other programs can access and interpret the barcode.

 Barcode Writer - Use this app to create barcodes in just about any format you can think of. Barcode Writer is written in Post Script so there's no need to install barcode fonts and "you can avoid re-implementing barcode generator code, or migrating to new libraries, whenever your project language needs change."

ZBar - This software suite reads barcodes from several sources including videos, images, and raw intensity sensors. Use it as a standalone app with the included GUI or integrate a scanning widget into your Qt, GTK+ or PyGTK GUI application. It's versatility makes it a great choice for developing software for the retail industry, inventory tracking, or mobile apps.

ZXing - This app, whose name means "Zebra Crossing," is a multi-format 1D/2D barcode image processing library implemented in Java. It's designed for use on mobile phones with built-in cameras and has individual packages for Android, BlackBerry, and the iPhone. There is also a J2ME client that's not officially supported but has been tested on a handful of Sony Ericsson and Nokia devices.