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A GTIN bar code is not a new type of bar code at all. GTIN
numbers are simply 14 digit numbers that will be used to
identify products. GTIN numbers are fully compatible with
standard UPC-A, EAN-8 and EAN-13 bar code numbers therefore
UPC and EAN bar codes will continue to be used well into
the future.
All that is really going on is that the Uniform Code Council
is recommending that anyone that currently has a system in
place for reading 12 digit UPC bar codes should modify their
bar code databases so that they can accept up to 14 digit
numbers in bar codes used for identifying products.
This will allow existing bar code scanning systems to be
used to read any of the 4 primary types of bar code numbers
used for product identification (UPC-A, EAN-8, EAN-13 and
the newer GTIN numbers).
UPC bar codes will continue to be encoded using the UPC-A
bar code symbology, EAN-8 numbers will continue to be encoded
with the EAN-8 bar code symbology and EAN-13 numbers will
continue to be encoded with the EAN-13 bar code symbology.
The newer GTIN numbers will be encoded using either the Interleaved
2 of 5 or the EAN/UCC-128 bar code symbologies. The Interleaved
2 of 5 and EAN/UCC-128 bar code symbologies have been in
existence for many years and almost all bar code scanners
already have the ability to scan these types of bar code
symbols therefore no changes will need to be made to existing
bar code scanner hardware. All that has to change is the
way that the numbers are stored in a database.
For example, suppose that you have a retail point of sale
or inventory system that stores all bar code data in a database
and the data field that stores the bar code data is restricted
to hold only a 12 digit number (standard UPC-A numbers).
To support the new standard, you would need to modify the
database so that the bar code data field so that it will
be able to accept either an 8 digit, 12 digit, 13 digit or
14 digit number. If your database already contains existing
data that is shorter than 14 digits in length, they are recommending
that you pad the existing data with leading zeros so that
all numbers will end up being 14 digits in length.
All TAL Bar Code software products including our Bar
Code ActiveX Control, our Bar
Code DLLs and B-Coder
Professional have always supported UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-8,
EAN-13, Interleaved
2 of 5, RSS14 and EAN/UCC-128 bar codes therefore you will
be able to continue using the version of B-Coder Pro, our
Bar Code ActiveX Control or our Bar Code DLLs that you
have for a very long time - even with the changes that
are supposed to occur in 2005.
For more information on the 2005 changes to the bar code
world, please visit
http://www.uc-council.org/ean_ucc_system/pdf/GTIN.pdf
http://www.nysscpa.org/cpajournal/2004/304/essencials/p68.htm
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