Generate Barcode With Excel VBA

Objective:

We will create a barcode generator in Excel using VBA. The barcode will be a Code 39 barcode, which is widely used and easy to implement. The barcode will represent alphanumeric data.

Key Requirements:

1. Font for Barcode: To display barcodes, you need to have a barcode font installed on your system. A common free font for Code 39 barcodes is the « Free 3 of 9 Extended » font, which can be downloaded and installed.

You can find and install barcode fonts such as « Code39 » or « Free 3 of 9 Extended » online.

Steps:

1. Download and Install Barcode Font: Install the « Code 39 » or « Free 3 of 9 Extended » barcode font.
2. Use VBA to Generate Barcode: We will write a VBA code that will convert alphanumeric data into a barcode using that font.

Code Explanation:

Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of the code.

Sub GenerateBarcode()
    ' Define variables for the barcode value and the range where barcode should be inserted
    Dim BarcodeValue As String
    Dim BarcodeCell As Range
    ' Get the value to be converted into a barcode (can be taken from a specific cell in the sheet)
    BarcodeValue = InputBox("Enter the text for the barcode:", "Generate Barcode")
    ' Check if the input is empty, exit if it is
    If BarcodeValue = "" Then
        MsgBox "No value entered. Exiting barcode generation."
        Exit Sub
    End If   
    ' Select the cell where the barcode will appear
    Set BarcodeCell = ActiveSheet.Range("A1") ' You can change this range as needed  
    ' Format the cell to use the barcode font
    BarcodeCell.Value = "*" & BarcodeValue & "*" ' Code39 barcode format requires asterisks at both ends
    BarcodeCell.Font.Name = "Free 3 of 9 Extended" ' Change to the barcode font you installed
    BarcodeCell.Font.Size = 24 ' Set an appropriate font size to make it readable
    ' Optionally, adjust the column width and row height to ensure the barcode is visible
    BarcodeCell.ColumnWidth = Len(BarcodeValue) * 3 ' Adjust column width based on length of barcode value
    BarcodeCell.RowHeight = 50 ' Adjust row height to make sure barcode fits
    MsgBox "Barcode generated successfully!"
End Sub

Step-by-step Explanation:

1. User Input (Barcode Value):
   • The code starts by displaying an input box where the user can enter the data that will be turned into a barcode.
   • The value entered is stored in the variable BarcodeValue.
2. Validation:
   • The code checks if the user entered something. If no value is provided, a message box will appear, and the code will exit.
3. Barcode Format:
   • The entered value is then formatted by adding an asterisk (*) before and after the string. This is required for Code 39 barcodes, which use the asterisks as start and stop characters.
   • Example: If the user enters « ABC123 », the barcode will display « ABC123« .
4. Setting the Barcode Cell:
   • The code sets the cell where the barcode will be displayed (in this case, A1), and assigns the barcode value to that cell.
   • The cell font is then set to « Free 3 of 9 Extended » (or whichever barcode font you installed).
   • Font size is adjusted to make the barcode visible and readable. You can change the font size according to your needs.
5. Adjusting the Cell Size:
   • The code automatically adjusts the column width and row height to make sure the barcode fits within the cell properly. The column width is calculated based on the length of the barcode value (each character takes a certain width).
   • The row height is fixed to 50, but you can adjust this as needed to ensure the barcode is clearly visible.
6. Completion Message:
   • Finally, a message box is shown, confirming that the barcode has been successfully generated.

Important Notes:

1. Barcode Font: The key to generating the barcode visually is the font. Ensure that you have installed a barcode font such as Code39 or Free 3 of 9 Extended. Without this font, you will just see random characters instead of the barcode.
2. Testing: After running the macro, you can test the barcode by scanning it with a barcode scanner. A barcode scanner should interpret the scanned barcode and return the alphanumeric text that was entered into the input box (e.g., « ABC123 »).
3. Customization: You can customize the cell reference (currently A1) and other properties like the font size or column width based on your requirements.
4. Error Handling: The code can be further enhanced by adding error handling for cases such as invalid characters in the barcode text, or if the user cancels the input.

Example Use Case:

• If you want to create barcodes for products, you could modify the code to pull product codes from a list in your Excel sheet, and automatically generate barcodes for each product in a column.

Conclusion:

This VBA macro allows you to convert alphanumeric text into a readable barcode in Excel. By using barcode fonts and simple formatting, you can create a system that generates barcodes for inventory management, product labeling, or any other system requiring barcode representation.