How many kinds of barcodes are there?
Hundreds of barcode symbologies have been created, but less than two dozen are widely used. Each symbology has its own pattern of bars and spaces and its own rules for encoding data. There are two basic types of barcodes: linear and two-dimensional (2-D). Linear codes encode data in bars and spaces in a single line. The U.P.C./EAN symbol is the best-known example of a linear barcode. Two-dimensional codes encode data in an additional dimension. The two principle types of 2-D codes are stacked and matrix symbologies. Stacked symbologies resemble multiple linear symbols stacked on top of each other. Matrix symbologies feature blocks or lines in a grid or geometric pattern. There are also hybrid 2-D symbologies and other variations.
