AztecQRGenerator.Core 1.3.0

AztecQRGenerator.Core

A powerful .NET Framework library for generating QR codes and Aztec codes from Base64-encoded data with support for multiple image formats.

Features

• ? QR Code Generation - Standards-compliant QR codes
• ? Aztec Code Generation - Compact 2D barcodes
• ? Multiple Formats - PNG, JPEG, and BMP output
• ? Flexible API - Return as Bitmap or save to file
• ? Customizable - Configurable size and error correction
• ? ISO-8859-1 Encoding - Latin-1 character support
• ? Production Ready - Comprehensive error handling and logging

Installation

Install via NuGet Package Manager:

Install-Package AztecQRGenerator.Core

Or via .NET CLI:

dotnet add package AztecQRGenerator.Core

Quick Start

Generate QR Code as Bitmap

using AztecQR;
using System.Drawing;

var generator = new QRGenerator();

// Generate QR code in memory
Bitmap qrCode = generator.GenerateQRCodeAsBitmap(
    qrstring: "SGVsbG8gV29ybGQh",  // Base64 encoded data
    lCorrection: 2,                 // Error correction level (0-10)
    lPixelDensity: 300              // Size in pixels
);

// Use the bitmap (e.g., display in UI)
pictureBox.Image = qrCode;

// Remember to dispose when done
qrCode.Dispose();

Save QR Code to File

using AztecQR;
using System.Drawing.Imaging;

var generator = new QRGenerator();

// Save as PNG (recommended)
bool success = generator.GenerateQRCodeToFile(
    qrstring: "SGVsbG8gV29ybGQh",
    lCorrection: 2,
    lPixelDensity: 300,
    filePath: "qrcode.png",
    format: ImageFormat.Png
);

Generate Aztec Code

using AztecQR;
using System.Drawing;

var generator = new AztecGenerator();

// Generate Aztec code in memory
Bitmap aztecCode = generator.GenerateAztecCodeAsBitmap(
    aztecstring: "SGVsbG8gV29ybGQh",
    lCorrection: 2,
    lPixelDensity: 300
);

// Or save directly to file
generator.GenerateAztecCodeToFile(
    aztecstring: "SGVsbG8gV29ybGQh",
    lCorrection: 2,
    lPixelDensity: 300,
    filePath: "aztec.png",
    format: ImageFormat.Png
);

Supported Image Formats

Recommendation: Use PNG format for barcodes. JPEG compression can cause artifacts that reduce scanability.

API Reference

QRGenerator Class

Methods

GenerateQRCodeAsBitmap(string qrstring, int lCorrection, int lPixelDensity)

• Returns: Bitmap - QR code as a bitmap object
• Use for: In-memory generation, UI display

GenerateQRCodeToFile(string qrstring, int lCorrection, int lPixelDensity, string filePath, ImageFormat format)

• Returns: bool - True if successful
• Use for: Saving directly to file with format selection

AztecGenerator Class

Methods

GenerateAztecCodeAsBitmap(string aztecstring, int lCorrection, int lPixelDensity)

• Returns: Bitmap - Aztec code as a bitmap object
• Use for: In-memory generation, UI display

GenerateAztecCodeToFile(string aztecstring, int lCorrection, int lPixelDensity, string filePath, ImageFormat format)

• Returns: bool - True if successful
• Use for: Saving directly to file with format selection

Parameters

• qrstring / aztecstring: Base64 encoded string to encode in the barcode
• lCorrection: Error correction level (0-10, default: 2) - Higher = more redundancy
• lPixelDensity: Size in pixels (must be > 0, typical: 200-500)
• filePath: Output file path (including extension)
• format: ImageFormat.Png, ImageFormat.Jpeg, or ImageFormat.Bmp

Advanced Usage

Multiple Formats from One Generation

using (Bitmap qr = generator.GenerateQRCodeAsBitmap("SGVsbG8=", 2, 300))
{
    qr.Save("output.png", ImageFormat.Png);
    qr.Save("output.jpg", ImageFormat.Jpeg);
    qr.Save("output.bmp", ImageFormat.Bmp);
}

Error Handling

try
{
    var generator = new QRGenerator();
    bool success = generator.GenerateQRCodeToFile(
        "SGVsbG8gV29ybGQh", 2, 300, "output.png", ImageFormat.Png
    );
    
    if (success)
    {
        Console.WriteLine("QR code generated successfully!");
    }
}
catch (ArgumentException ex)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Invalid input: {ex.Message}");
}
catch (InvalidOperationException ex)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Generation failed: {ex.Message}");
}
catch (IOException ex)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"File error: {ex.Message}");
}

Logging

The library includes built-in logging to help with debugging:

// Set minimum log level (default: Info)
Logger.Instance.SetMinimumLogLevel(LogLevel.Debug);

// Logs are written to: {AppDirectory}/Logs/AztecQR_yyyyMMdd.log

Requirements

• .NET Framework 4.7.2 or higher
• System.Drawing (included)
• ZXing.Net 0.16.9 (automatically installed)

Performance

• Generation Speed: ~10-50ms per barcode (depends on size)
• Memory Usage: ~1-5 MB per generation (proportional to pixel density)
• Thread Safety: Logger is thread-safe, generators are not (create per thread)

Best Practices

1. ? Use PNG format for all production barcodes
2. ? Dispose bitmaps properly to prevent memory leaks
3. ? Validate Base64 input before generation
4. ? Test scanability with real barcode scanners
5. ?? Avoid JPEG unless file size is absolutely critical
6. ?? Use appropriate sizes (300-500px recommended for printing)

Examples

Windows Forms Application

private void GenerateQRCode()
{
    var generator = new QRGenerator();
    string base64Data = Convert.ToBase64String(
        Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(textBox.Text)
    );
    
    Bitmap qrCode = generator.GenerateQRCodeAsBitmap(base64Data, 2, 300);
    pictureBox.Image = qrCode;
}

ASP.NET Web Application

public ActionResult GenerateQRCode(string data)
{
    var generator = new QRGenerator();
    using (Bitmap qrCode = generator.GenerateQRCodeAsBitmap(data, 2, 300))
    {
        using (MemoryStream ms = new MemoryStream())
        {
            qrCode.Save(ms, ImageFormat.Png);
            return File(ms.ToArray(), "image/png");
        }
    }
}

Batch Processing

var generator = new QRGenerator();
var dataList = new List<string> { "data1", "data2", "data3" };

foreach (var data in dataList)
{
    string fileName = $"qr_{DateTime.Now.Ticks}.png";
    generator.GenerateQRCodeToFile(data, 2, 300, fileName, ImageFormat.Png);
}

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Invalid Base64 String

• Ensure your input is properly Base64-encoded
• Use Convert.ToBase64String() to encode data

File Access Denied

• Check write permissions in the output directory
• Ensure the path is valid

Low Scan Success Rate

• Use PNG format instead of JPEG
• Increase pixel density (try 400-500)
• Increase error correction level
• Test with multiple scanner apps

License

MIT License - See LICENSE for details

Links

• GitHub Repository: https://github.com/johanhenningsson4-hash/AztecQRGenerator
• Documentation: https://github.com/johanhenningsson4-hash/AztecQRGenerator#readme
• Report Issues: https://github.com/johanhenningsson4-hash/AztecQRGenerator/issues

Author

Johan Henningsson

Version 1.2.0 - Multiple format support, in-memory generation, comprehensive logging