USPS Confirm service allows
mailers to uniquely identify and track mail by placing an additional barcode,
known as a PLANET Code, on the front of letter and flat mailpieces. The PLANET
Code is a 12 -or 14- digit barcode - a ?wo-state?barcode similar in structure
to the POSTNET Code address barcode used by mail processing equipment to sort
the mail.
PLANET Codes consist of a series of tall and short bars.
PLANET Code digit Symbology is the inverse of POSTNET Code digit Symbology;
each POSTNET Code digit uses a combination of two tall and three short bars;
each PLANET Code digit uses three tall and two short bars. PLANET Codes must
begin and end with one long "framing bar".
All PLANET Codes include a check-sum digit or correction
character. This digit must always be the single-digit number (i.e., 0?) which,
when added to the sum of the other digits in the barcode, results in a whole
number that is a multiple of 10.
Depending on the type of Confirm mail, mailers must choose the
appropriate PLANET Code format:
Destination Confirm to track outgoing mailings. PLANET Codes can be used to
identify mail sent to customers
Origin Confirm to track incoming mail. PLANET Codes can be used to identify
reply mail that customers send back
Destination Confirm PLANET Code Format
The Destination Confirm PLANET Code consists of the following
elements:
Service Type ID: The first 2 digits represent the service (i.e., Destination
Confirm) and the class/shape of the mail. Destination Confirm Service Type IDs
are listed below
Subscriber ID: The next 5 digits identify the subscriber (assigned by the
Postal Service)
Mailing ID: The next 4 or 6 digits are available to the mailer to use for their
own identification purposes (e.g., mailings, clients, etc.)
Check-Sum Digit: The 12th or 14th digit is a check-sum digit that helps the
Postal Service to detect errors
Mailers should use the PLANET Code in combination with the
delivery point POSTNET Code to identify mailpieces uniquely.
Service Type IDs for Destination Confirm service:
40 - First-Class Mail letters
41 - First-Class Mail flats
42 - Standard Mail letters
43 - Standard Mail flats
44 - Periodicals letters
45 - Periodicals flats
46 - First-Class Mail cards
47 - Standard Mail cards
22 - Residual Mail items
Origin Confirm PLANET Code Format
The Origin Confirm PLANET Code consists of the following
elements:
Service Type ID: The first 2 digits represent the service (i.e., Origin
Confirm) and the class/shape of the mail. Origin Confirm Service Type IDs are
listed below
Customer ID: The next 9 or 11 digits are available to the subscriber to help
identify the customer (i.e., mailer of reply mailpiece) or the reply mailpiece
itself
Check-Sum Digit: The 12th or 14th digit is a check-sum digit that helps the
Postal Service to detect errors
For Origin Confirm service, the Postal Service identifies the
Confirm subscriber by the POSTNET Code preprinted on the reply mailpiece.
Service Type IDs for Origin Confirm service:
50 - Courtesy reply letters
51 - Courtesy reply flats
52 - Business reply letters
53 - Business reply flats
54 - Business reply cards
56 - QBRM letters
57 - QBRM cards
58 - Courtesy reply cards
21 - Miscellaneous items
2. Encoding Data Scope
Planet Barcode for .NET, ASP.NET supports:
0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
3. How to Generate Barcode Image in IIS without Visual Studio .NET?
Copy folder barcode from your downloaded package, to your IIS folder, e.g. C:\Inetpub.
Create a new virtual directory, named barcode.
Restart IIS.
Test your installation, goto http://YourDomain:port/barcode/linear.aspx?Type=PLANET&Data=12345678
To create barcode image in your ASP.NET application, you can pass the url to IMG tag src value.
For example, <img src="http://YourDomain:port/barcode/linear.aspx?Type=PLANET&Data=12345678" />
4. How to Generate Barcode Image through Web Controller in ASP.NET?
Integrate Barcode Controller to your ASP.NET project.
Copy BarcodeLib.Barcode.dll to the folder bin of your web application the barcodes are needed for.
Copy linear.aspx file to your web application.
Add barcode library to your Visual Studio Toolbox.
Open Toolbox in Visual Studio. Click menu View, and check submenu Toolbox.
Right click Toolbox, click menu Choose Items...
Goto .NET Framework Components tab.
Check component LinearWebForm, and its namespace is BarcodeLib.Barcode.Linear
If no component found, click Browse... button and select BarcodeLib.Barcode.dll file.
Now you can see the component displayed on Toolbox. You can drag LinearWebForm on your aspx page, change barcode setting through properties window.
5. How to Generate Barcode Image through Windows Controller in .NET?
Add Reference BarcodeLib.Barcode.dll to your project. Do not copy the dll to the bin directory, Visual Studio will do so, during project compilation time.
In your .NET windows project, right click mouse over Refereces in your Solution Explorer window. Then click menu "Add Reference ...".
Add BarcodeLib.Barcode.dll to your project.
Add barcode library to your Visual Studio Toolbox.
Open Toolbox in Visual Studio. Click menu View, and check submenu Toolbox.
Right click Toolbox, click menu Choose Items...
Goto .NET Framework Components tab.
Check component LinearWinForm, and its namespace is BarcodeLib.Barcode.Linear
If no component found, click Browse... button and select BarcodeLib.Barcode.dll file.
Now you can see the component displayed on Toolbox. You can drag LinearWinForm on your form, change barcode setting through properties widnow.
6. How to Generate Barcode Image in .NET class?
Add Reference BarcodeLib.Barcode.dll to your .NET project (ASP.NET website, Forms, any .NET project)
In your .NET class.
BarcodeLib.Barcode.Linear.Linear barcode = BarcodeLib.Barcode.Linear.Linear();
barcode.Data = "your barcode data";
// other barcode settings.// save barcode image into your system
barcode.drawBarcode("c:/barcode.gif");
Above code written in C# 2005
* Please set properties UOB and Resolution, before you set any image size related properties like barWidth, margin.
7. How to Save Barcode Image?
In Windows Controller, just call method SaveAsImage(string filename). e.g. SaveAsImage("C:\barcode.gif");
8. Barcode Property Settings
Set the Type property to BarcodeType.PLANET
Set the Data property with the value to encode. Type is string.
The valid data length should be 11 or 13. Please do not include last digit checksum.
Setting up barcode image size:
Set property UOM (Unit of Measure) for properties BarWidth, BarHeight, LeftMargin and TopMargin.
Default is UnitOfMeasure.Pixel (0). Valid values are UnitOfMeasure.Pixel (0), UnitOfMeasure.CM (1), UnitOfMeasure.Inch (2).
Set the BarWidth (for bar cell width) and BarHeight (for bar cell height) properties. Both types are float.
Set the LeftMargin and TopMargin properties, and types are both float.
Set the Resolution property (Value is expressed in DPI - Dots per inch). This property is not working in Windows Controller, we will use end user's windows resultion.
Setting up text style in barcode image:
Set the ShowText properties. If this value is true, barcode data will be displayed with the barcode.
Set the TextFont property. The font used to display text in barcode image.
Set the Format property for barcode image type. Value can be "gif", "jpg", "png", and "bmp", default is "png".
Set BearerBars property, if you want to draw borders around barcode image. Value can be BearerBar.None (no bear bars), BearerBar.Frame (top, bottom, left, right borders drawn), BearerBar.TopBottom (only top, bottom's are drawn).
Set Rotate property, if you want to rotate barcode image.
Value can be 0 (RotateOrientation.BottomFacingDown),
1 (RotateOrientation.BottomFacingLeft),
2 (RotateOrientation.BottomFacingUp),
3 (RotateOrientation.BottomFacingRight)
AddCheckSum property is not applied here.
Barcode Library will automatically add one checksum character using Modulo 10.