JasperReports PDF-417 Generator Library

How to generate PDF-417 barcodes in iReport?

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1. Create a new report in iReport, and add barcode.jar to report classpath from the downloaded trial package
2. Click "Cancel" button, in "Select an image file" window
3. Right click on the image and edit its "Properties", and set property "Expression Class" to "net.sf.jasperreports.engine.JRRenderable";
4. To input PDF-417 barcode data manually, set property "Image Expression" to "new com.onbarcode.barcode.jasper.JasperRenderer(
   com.onbarcode.barcode.jasper.BarcodeGenerator.draw(101, "12345", "", "X=2&Y=60"))"
5. To print PDF-417 with data from database, please set property "Image Expression" to "new com.onbarcode.barcode.jasper.JasperRenderer(
   com.onbarcode.barcode.jasper.BarcodeGenerator.draw(101, $F{data field} + "", "", "X=2&Y=60"))";
   
   BarcodeGenerator.draw method accepts 4 parameters:
   the second is the barcode data to encode, in String,
   the last is the barcode settings String. More details about barcode settings string, please check the PDF-417 property table below

PDF-417 Valid Character Set

PDF-417 Data Encoding Mode

PDF-417 Maximum Data Length

Generate PDF-417 with ASCII Text Encode

PDF-417 supports all 128 ASCII characters, including 95 printable characters and 33 non-printable control characters. Encoding printable ASCII text is straightforward, while non-printable characters require a specific format.

• Non-printable control characters (e.g., [CR], [LF]) cannot be directly entered into the "Data" field. You must convert them to a specific format.
• Convert the non-printable character to a string in the format "~ddd", where "ddd" is the three-digit ASCII value of the character. For example, [CR] has an ASCII value of 13, so it becomes "~013".
• In the Report Item Property panel, set the "ProcessTilde" property to "true". This tells the JasperReports Library to interpret the "~ddd" format as a non-printable character.
• Set the "DataMode" to "PDF417DataMode.Byte" (required for non-printable characters).
• Enter the formatted string into the "Data" field (e.g., "a~013bc" to encode [CR] between "a" and "b").
• Save the JRXML template to apply the settings.

Note: Common errors here include forgetting to set "ProcessTilde" to "true" or using the wrong DataMode (e.g., Text instead of Byte). Both will prevent non-printable characters from encoding correctly.

Generate PDF-417 with Unicode Text Encode

You can easily encode Unicode text (e.g., Arabic, Chinese, Cyrillic) into PDF-417 in JasperReport reports using the Report Item Property panel. This is useful for international reports that require non-ASCII text encoding.

• Select the PDF-417 and open the Report Item Property panel.
• Locate the "EncodeUnicodeText" property and set it to "true". This enables the JasperReports Library to encode Unicode text from the "Data" field.
• Enter the Unicode text into the "Data" field. For dynamic data, use an Expression like "$F{UnicodeData}" to reference the Field storing the text.
• Set the "DataMode" to "PDF417DataMode.Auto". The library will automatically select the optimal mode for Unicode encoding.
• Save the JRXML template to apply the settings.

Note: If the decoded text is garbled, check that "EncodeUnicodeText" is set to "true" and the DataMode is "Auto". Also, ensure the scanner supports the specific Unicode character set (e.g., Arabic, Cyrillic).

Other Data Formats in PDF-417

PDF-417 in JasperReport reports supports additional advanced data formats, commonly used in business and industrial scenarios.

• Binary data: Encode binary data (e.g., file byte arrays, encrypted data) by setting "DataMode" to "PDF417DataMode.Byte" and using the "ProcessTilde" property to format byte values as "~ddd". Bind the binary data to a Field ($F{}) with a BLOB type from a JDBC DataSource.
• ECI mode data: To encode data using the Extended Channel Interpretation (ECI) protocol (for international character sets), enable ECI mode in the Report Item Property panel and select the appropriate ECI code for your character set. This is useful for encoding non-ISO 8859-1 characters.

You can fully customize the dimension size of PDF-417 in JasperReport reports, including module size, row/column count, margins, and unit of measure.

The following settings are available in the Report Item Property panel to customize PDF-417 dimensions.

• UOM (Unit of Measure): Select the unit for dimension settings: PIXEL, CM, or INCH. Default is PIXEL.
• X: Width of the bar module (the smallest unit of the barcode). The minimum width is defined by your application's specifications (typically 2-5 pixels).
• XtoYRatio: The ratio of bar width (X) to bar height. Default value is 0.3333333f (1:3 width-to-height ratio).
• RowCount: Number of rows in the PDF-417 symbol. Valid range is 3 to 90.
• ColumnCount: Number of data columns per row. Valid range is 1 to 30.
• LeftMargin, RightMargin, TopMargin, BottomMargin: Quiet zone (empty space) around the PDF-417. The minimum width of each margin is 2X (twice the module width X).
• Resolution: Image resolution (e.g., 300 DPI) for high-quality printing.

PDF-417 Error Detection and Correction (ECL) in JasperReport Reports

How to Create Compact (Truncated) PDF-417 Barcodes

Compact PDF-417 (also called Truncated PDF-417) is a condensed version of PDF-417, designed for space-constrained reports. It removes the right-row indicator and stop pattern, reducing overall size. It is ideal for scenarios where space is a primary concern and symbol damage is unlikely.

Locate the "Truncated" property and set it to "true" to enable Compact PDF-417.



Note: Compact PDF-417 is more susceptible to damage. Avoid using it in high-damage environments. Use standard PDF-417 with a higher ECL instead.

Create Macro PDF-417 Barcodes

Macro PDF-417 provides a mechanism to split large data into blocks and store it across multiple PDF-417 symbols. This is similar to the Structured Append feature in QR Code and Data Matrix symbologies and is useful for encoding data that exceeds the maximum length of a single PDF-417.

Up to 99,999 individual PDF-417 symbols can be used to encode data in Macro PDF-417. Each symbol contains control information to ensure the original data is reconstructed correctly, regardless of scanning order.

• Select the first PDF-417 in your JRXML template (for the first data block).
• Open the Report Item Property panel and set the "MacroPDF417" property to "true" to enable Macro mode.
• Configure the following control properties:
  • MacroSymbolCount: The total number of PDF-417 symbols needed to store the entire data message (e.g., 3 for splitting data into 3 blocks).
  • MacroSymbolIndex: The position of the current PDF-417 in the sequence (starts at 0 for the first symbol).
  • MacroFileId: A unique identifier (integer) for all symbols in the same Macro PDF-417 set. All symbols must have the same MacroFileId.
• Enter the portion of the data to encode in the current PDF-417 (e.g., the first 1,000 characters for MacroSymbolIndex 0).
• Repeat the process for each additional symbol (add new Barcode Components to the report, adjust MacroSymbolIndex for each, and keep MacroFileId consistent).
• Save the JRXML template to apply the settings. You can use a Subreport (Embedded nested report) to organize multiple Macro PDF-417 symbols in a single report.

Note: Ensure all symbols have the same MacroFileId and correct MacroSymbolIndex. Incorrect settings will prevent the scanner from reconstructing the original data.

iReport Barcode PDF-417 Generator - Property Settings

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