barcode reader API in C# using PDF.co Web API

PDF.co Web API: the Rest API that provides set of data extraction functions, tools for documents manipulation, splitting and merging of pdf files. Includes built-in OCR, images recognition, can generate and read barcodes from images, scans and pdf.

On-demand (REST Web API) version:
 Web API (on-demand version)

On-premise offline SDK for Windows:
 60 Day Free Trial (on-premise)

ByteScoutWebApiExample.csproj

      
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <Project ToolsVersion="12.0" DefaultTargets="Build" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003"> <Import Project="$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\$(MSBuildToolsVersion)\Microsoft.Common.props" Condition="Exists('$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\$(MSBuildToolsVersion)\Microsoft.Common.props')" /> <PropertyGroup> <Configuration Condition=" '$(Configuration)' == '' ">Debug</Configuration> <Platform Condition=" '$(Platform)' == '' ">AnyCPU</Platform> <ProjectGuid>{1E1C2C34-017E-4605-AE2B-55EA3313BE51}</ProjectGuid> <OutputType>Exe</OutputType> <AppDesignerFolder>Properties</AppDesignerFolder> <RootNamespace>ByteScoutWebApiExample</RootNamespace> <AssemblyName>ByteScoutWebApiExample</AssemblyName> <TargetFrameworkVersion>v4.0</TargetFrameworkVersion> <FileAlignment>512</FileAlignment> </PropertyGroup> <PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Debug|AnyCPU' "> <PlatformTarget>AnyCPU</PlatformTarget> <DebugSymbols>true</DebugSymbols> <DebugType>full</DebugType> <Optimize>false</Optimize> <OutputPath>bin\Debug\</OutputPath> <DefineConstants>DEBUG;TRACE</DefineConstants> <ErrorReport>prompt</ErrorReport> <WarningLevel>4</WarningLevel> </PropertyGroup> <PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Release|AnyCPU' "> <PlatformTarget>AnyCPU</PlatformTarget> <DebugType>pdbonly</DebugType> <Optimize>true</Optimize> <OutputPath>bin\Release\</OutputPath> <DefineConstants>TRACE</DefineConstants> <ErrorReport>prompt</ErrorReport> <WarningLevel>4</WarningLevel> </PropertyGroup> <ItemGroup> <Reference Include="Newtonsoft.Json, Version=10.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=30ad4fe6b2a6aeed, processorArchitecture=MSIL"> <HintPath>packages\Newtonsoft.Json.10.0.3\lib\net40\Newtonsoft.Json.dll</HintPath> <Private>True</Private> </Reference> <Reference Include="System" /> <Reference Include="System.Core" /> <Reference Include="System.Xml.Linq" /> <Reference Include="System.Data" /> <Reference Include="System.Xml" /> </ItemGroup> <ItemGroup> <Compile Include="Program.cs" /> <Compile Include="Properties\AssemblyInfo.cs" /> </ItemGroup> <ItemGroup> <None Include="packages.config" /> <Content Include="sample.pdf"> <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory> </Content> </ItemGroup> <Import Project="$(MSBuildToolsPath)\Microsoft.CSharp.targets" /> <!-- To modify your build process, add your task inside one of the targets below and uncomment it. Other similar extension points exist, see Microsoft.Common.targets. <Target Name="BeforeBuild"> </Target> <Target Name="AfterBuild"> </Target> --> </Project>

ByteScoutWebApiExample.sln

      
Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 12.00 # Visual Studio 2013 VisualStudioVersion = 12.0.40629.0 MinimumVisualStudioVersion = 10.0.40219.1 Project("{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}") = "ByteScoutWebApiExample", "ByteScoutWebApiExample.csproj", "{1E1C2C34-017E-4605-AE2B-55EA3313BE51}" EndProject Global GlobalSection(SolutionConfigurationPlatforms) = preSolution Debug|Any CPU = Debug|Any CPU Release|Any CPU = Release|Any CPU EndGlobalSection GlobalSection(ProjectConfigurationPlatforms) = postSolution {1E1C2C34-017E-4605-AE2B-55EA3313BE51}.Debug|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Debug|Any CPU {1E1C2C34-017E-4605-AE2B-55EA3313BE51}.Debug|Any CPU.Build.0 = Debug|Any CPU {1E1C2C34-017E-4605-AE2B-55EA3313BE51}.Release|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Release|Any CPU {1E1C2C34-017E-4605-AE2B-55EA3313BE51}.Release|Any CPU.Build.0 = Release|Any CPU EndGlobalSection GlobalSection(SolutionProperties) = preSolution HideSolutionNode = FALSE EndGlobalSection EndGlobal

Program.cs

      
using System; using System.Collections.Generic; using System.IO; using System.Net; using System.Threading; using Newtonsoft.Json; using Newtonsoft.Json.Linq; namespace ByteScoutWebApiExample { class Program { // The authentication key (API Key). // Get your own by registering at https://app.pdf.co/documentation/api const String API_KEY = "***********************************"; // Source file const string SourceFile = @".\sample.pdf"; // Comma-separated list of barcode types to decode. // See the documentation: https://apidocs.pdf.co/?#barcode-reader const string BarcodeTypes = "Code39,Code128,Interleaved2of5,EAN13"; // Comma-separated list of page indices (or ranges) to process. Leave empty for all pages. Example: '0,2-5,7-'. const string Pages = ""; // (!) Make asynchronous job const bool Async = true; static void Main(string[] args) { // Create standard .NET web client instance WebClient webClient = new WebClient(); // Set API Key webClient.Headers.Add("x-api-key", API_KEY); // Upload file to the cloud string uploadedFileUrl = UploadFile(SourceFile); if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(uploadedFileUrl)) { Console.WriteLine("File upload error."); return; } // * READ BARCODES FROM UPLOADED FILE * // Prepare requests params as JSON // See documentation: https://apidocs.pdf.co/?#barcode-reader Dictionary<string, string> parameters = new Dictionary<string, string>(); parameters.Add("url", uploadedFileUrl); parameters.Add("type", BarcodeTypes); parameters.Add("pages", Pages); parameters.Add("async", Async.ToString()); // Convert dictionary of params to JSON string jsonPayload = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(parameters); try { // URL of "Barcode Reader" endpoint string url = "https://api.pdf.co/v1/barcode/read/from/url"; // Execute POST request with JSON payload string response = webClient.UploadString(url, jsonPayload); // Parse JSON response JObject json = JObject.Parse(response); if (json["error"].ToObject<bool>() == false) { // Asynchronous job ID string jobId = json["jobId"].ToString(); // URL of generated JSON file with decoded barcodes that will available after the job completion string resultFileUrl = json["url"].ToString(); // Check the job status in a loop. // If you don't want to pause the main thread you can rework the code // to use a separate thread for the status checking and completion. do { string status = CheckJobStatus(jobId); // Possible statuses: "working", "failed", "aborted", "success". // Display timestamp and status (for demo purposes) Console.WriteLine(DateTime.Now.ToLongTimeString() + ": " + status); if (status == "success") { // Download JSON results file as string string jsonFileString = webClient.DownloadString(resultFileUrl); JArray jsonFoundBarcodes = JArray.Parse(jsonFileString); // Display found barcodes in console foreach (JToken token in jsonFoundBarcodes) { Console.WriteLine("Found barcode:"); Console.WriteLine(" Type: " + token["TypeName"]); Console.WriteLine(" Value: " + token["Value"]); Console.WriteLine(" Document Page Index: " + token["Page"]); Console.WriteLine(" Rectangle: " + token["Rect"]); Console.WriteLine(" Confidence: " + token["Confidence"]); Console.WriteLine(); } break; } else if (status == "working") { // Pause for a few seconds Thread.Sleep(3000); } else { Console.WriteLine(status); break; } } while (true); } else { // Display service reported error Console.WriteLine(json["message"].ToString()); } } catch (WebException e) { // Display request error Console.WriteLine(e.ToString()); } finally { webClient.Dispose(); } Console.WriteLine(); Console.WriteLine("Press any key..."); Console.ReadKey(); } /// <summary> /// Uploads file to the cloud and return URL of uploaded file to use in further API calls. /// </summary> /// <param name="file">Source file name (path).</param> /// <returns>URL of uploaded file</returns> static string UploadFile(string file) { // Create standard .NET web client instance WebClient webClient = new WebClient(); // Set API Key webClient.Headers.Add("x-api-key", API_KEY); try { // 1. RETRIEVE THE PRESIGNED URL TO UPLOAD THE FILE. // * If you already have a direct file URL, skip to the step 3. // Prepare URL for `Get Presigned URL` API call string query = Uri.EscapeUriString(string.Format( "https://api.pdf.co/v1/file/upload/get-presigned-url?contenttype=application/octet-stream&name={0}", Path.GetFileName(file))); // Execute request string response = webClient.DownloadString(query); // Parse JSON response JObject json = JObject.Parse(response); if (json["error"].ToObject<bool>() == false) { // Get URL to use for the file upload string uploadUrl = json["presignedUrl"].ToString(); // Get URL of uploaded file to use with later API calls string uploadedFileUrl = json["url"].ToString(); // 2. UPLOAD THE FILE TO CLOUD. webClient.Headers.Add("content-type", "application/octet-stream"); webClient.UploadFile(uploadUrl, "PUT", file); // You can use UploadData() instead if your file is byte[] or Stream return uploadedFileUrl; } else { // Display service reported error Console.WriteLine(json["message"].ToString()); } } catch (Exception e) { Console.WriteLine(e); throw; } finally { webClient.Dispose(); } return null; } /// <summary> /// Check Job Status /// </summary> static string CheckJobStatus(string jobId) { using (WebClient webClient = new WebClient()) { // Set API Key webClient.Headers.Add("x-api-key", API_KEY); string url = "https://api.pdf.co/v1/job/check?jobid=" + jobId; string response = webClient.DownloadString(url); JObject json = JObject.Parse(response); return Convert.ToString(json["status"]); } } } }

packages.config

      
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <packages> <package id="Newtonsoft.Json" version="10.0.3" targetFramework="net40" /> </packages>

VIDEO

ON-PREMISE OFFLINE SDK

Get 60 Day Free Trial

See also:

ON-DEMAND REST WEB API

Get Your API Key

See also: