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Readers have a feature called auto discrimination, which detects the symbology that is being processed and decodes it accordingly. Autodiscrimination enables readers to map the combination of bars and spaces to the correct character, thus preventing reading errors. Bar code data entry is extremely accurate, with an error rate estimated at one error per more than 3 million characters.

Yes. Bar code readers support multiple common symbologies. Generally, readers can recognize more linear than 2-D symbologies, but often support a few common 2-D formats. Symbology support varies by reader manufacturer and model.

Variable-length symbologies can be used to encode only a few characters, if desired, while 2-D codes encode thousands of characters. The data capacity of variable-length bar codes is limited by the size of the symbol, which is in turn limited by the ability of the bar code reader. For reference, a standard U.P.C./EAN symbol encodes 14 numeric digits. Many bar code applications in warehousing, distribution, manufacturing, and inventory control require a serial number of similar length, which many common symbologies can easily encode into a compact symbol.

The variety of bar code formats available practically ensures you can find a symbology that meets your needs. The most important variables that determine the optimal symbology are the amount of data that needs to be encoded the space available to print the bar code and the type of data to encode.

Symbologies differ primarily by the type and amount of data that they can hold. Some symbologies offer full alphanumeric encoding, while others only encode numbers. Symbologies may be fixed or variable length. However, size isn’t unlimited, because the symbol must remain compact enough to be recognized by the reader. Two-dimensional symbologies can hold significantly more data than linear codes.