-video configuration parameter to disable it explicitly. After unpacking the source code, you can install the software with ./configure && make && sudo make install. To decode a PNG file with a QR code in ZBar, use:
zbarimg -d <file>.png
The -d parameter ensures that a window with the QR code appears (Figure 9) in addition to the decoded information in the terminal window.
If you want to read a QR code with a camera, you need to launch zbarcam. This pops up a preview window with the image from the webcam. Now hold up the QR code to the camera. Once the program has detected the code, it draws a green border around the QR code and prints the data in the terminal window (see the Big and Colorful” box).
You can disable the preview with the --nodisplay switch; raw delivers the raw data, and xml packages the data in an XML format. The above three parameters help if you want to integrate the tool into a script. The parameters --raw and --xml can also be used with zbarimg.
Of the tested programs, Portable QR-Code Generator offers the greatest functionality. Data entry is also convenient in a variety of tabs. Qrencode creates QR codes more quickly, and it is easy to scripted so you generate QR codes in batches. KBarcode4-light is deprecated, but it is the only program that can generate PDF files; the EPS images created by Qrencode offer similar output.
QtQR is especially recommended for decoding QR codes in PNG format. ZBar is a candidate for the command line that is also excellently suited for use in shell scripts. Along with a webcam, you could use it to create a small terminal for reading QR codes. libdecodeqr-simpletest is hardly usable in production and basically not worth installing.
Tim Schürmann is a freelance computer scientist and author. Besides books, Tim has published various articles in magazines and on websites.
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