What is a barcode?
A barcode is a visual representation of data that consists of a series of lines or squares of varying width and spacing, which a barcode scanner can read. It is a machine-readable form of information that is used to track and identify products, inventory or other items. It can hold information such as product identification numbers, prices and other data about the item.
Barcodes turn up on all sorts of things: consumer products, shipping labels, library books and plenty else. Retail and supply chain management use them commonly, to streamline processes and improve accuracy. When scanned, the code can be quickly read by a computer system, which can then retrieve information about the item and carry out tasks such as updating inventory levels or processing a purchase transaction.