Integrating ZXing-BarCode Scanner in your Android Application

Intigrating ZXing-BarCodeScanner In to your Android Application


Step One: Obtain the zxing src code

The src can be found at http://code.google.com/p/zxing/source/browse/trunk
Specifically you only need the android/ and the core/ projects. Use svn to checkout these to your local hard-drive.

Step Two: Build zxing core using Apache Ant

You will need to build the core project into a jar file using apache ant (download from here http://ant.apache.org/ivy/download.cgi).
Using a shell or cmd prompt navigate to the root directory of the downloaded zxing src and execute ”ant -f core/build.xml”.
This will produce a file core/core.jar which we will use in the next step.

Step Three: Build ZXing Android using Eclipse

Create a New Android Project (File –> New –> Android Project).
Set the project name to ZXing (or similar).
Select the “Create project from existing source” radio button
Click “Browse” and navigate to the android project that you downloaded from zxing and click “OK”
Select “Finish”


The project will not currently build. We need to add the core.jar file (that we produced in the previous step) into our project.
Right-click on ZXing project –> properties –> Java Build Path –> Add External Jars –> Navigate to and select core.jar –> Open –> OK.

Actually, while we’re here we should do one more very important thing!
Right-click on ZXing project –> properties –> Android –> Scroll down and check/tick the “Is Library” checkbox –> OK.

Step 4: Include ZXing Android into your project.

Within Eclipse,  Right-click on YOURPROJECTNAMEHERE project –> properties –>Android –> Scroll down to Libraries section –> Click Add –> Select ZXing (which should appear as an option as a result of completing previous step).

Next, in some trigger function e.g. button press within your code you should add:

Intent intent = new Intent("com.google.zxing.client.android.SCAN");
intent.putExtra("SCAN_MODE", "QR_CODE_MODE");
startActivityForResult(intent, 0);
In the same activity you’ll need the following to retrieve the results:
public void onActivityResult(int requestCode, int resultCode, Intent intent) {

  if (requestCode == 0) {
      if (resultCode == RESULT_OK) {
         String contents = intent.getStringExtra("SCAN_RESULT");
         String format = intent.getStringExtra("SCAN_RESULT_FORMAT");
         // Handle successful scan
      } else if (resultCode == RESULT_CANCELED) {
         // Handle cancel
      }
   }
}

Almost there! One of the current limitations of Android Library projects is that it will not pull anything from AndroidManifest.xml into your project.

So if we try to invoke the above code we will receive a runtime exception because your Android app has no idea how to handle the scan intent.
To fix this you just need to copy the following into your AndroidManifest.xml:

<activity android:name="com.google.zxing.client.android.CaptureActivity"
   android:screenOrientation="landscape"
   android:configChanges="orientation|keyboardHidden"
   android:theme="@android:style/Theme.NoTitleBar.Fullscreen"
   android:windowSoftInputMode="stateAlwaysHidden">
   <intent-filter>
      <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN"/>
      <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT"/>
   </intent-filter>
   <intent-filter>
      <action android:name="com.google.zxing.client.android.SCAN"/>
      <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT"/>
    </intent-filter>
</activity>
And as Columbo would say, “Just one more thing!”.
 Add this permission to the top of your AndroidManifest.xml:

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CAMERA"/>

EDIT: You need to do yet one more thing!
You need to add the core.jar (produced in Step two) to your new project
(Right-click your project –> Properties –> Java Build Path –> Add External JARS… –> Select core.jar –> OK).


Thanks