Data Matrix .NET Crystal Reports Barcode Control

• Compile Data Matrix barcode creating capabilities into a strong named .NET Crystal Reports Barcode Library SDK
• Work perfectly with Visual Studio & .NET Framework 2.0, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 versions
• Generate & add 2d Data Matrix on Crystal Reports for ASP.NET web services & .NET Windows
• Capable of customizing generated Data Matrix using Visual C# code or Visual Basic code
• Also support QR Code and Data Matrix 2d (matrix) barcode generation on Crystal Reports
• Provide detail online guide for Crystal Reports barcode generation for ASP.NET web & Windows applications
• Enjoy free 6-month Premium Support & free 12-month Software Update with a purchased Crystal Reports Barcode Generator Control License

The Data Matrix Barcode Control for Crystal Reports is designed to generate high-quality Data Matrix barcode symbols within Crystal Report documents. Data Matrix barcodes can be preserved in exported file formats such as PDF, Word, Excel, and Rich Text Format (RTF).


This guide provides a structured, step-by-step methodology for generating Data Matrix (a 2D matrix barcode symbology) within Crystal Reports for .NET across ASP.NET, WinForms, and WPF projects. It covers core implementation, data encoding, dimension configuration, color and image settings, and advanced features to ensure seamless integration with Crystal Reports components and compliance with industry standards.

Crystal Reports Barcode Generator Control SDK Supported Barcodes

Create & Add Data Matrix Barcode on ASP.NET Crystal Reports Application

1. Create a new ASP.NET website.
• Choose "ASP.NET Crystal Reports Web Site" as the template and named the project as "BarcodeforCrystalReportsWebSite".
2. Add a new item "Crystal Report" to your project.
• Add a new item "Crystal Report" to the project and name it as "CustomerReport.rpt". view image
• Select "Mail Label" in the pop-up window and click "OK". view image
• In "Mailing Labels Report Creation Wizard", click "Create New Connection", and expand "ADO.NET". view image
• In "ADO.NET" form, choose "CustomerDataSet.xsd" file in your downloaded package, and click "Finish". view image
• In "Mailing Labels Report Creation Wizard", add table "Customer" under "ADO.NET" to selected table. And click "Next". view image
• Add all three fields "ID", "CustomerId", "CustomerName" to "Fields to Display:", then click "Next". view image
• Select default label "Return Address (Avery 5267)", and click "Finish".
• Now you can view the report template and find that field "Barcode" not in the report template. view image
• Now, please re-arrange the report template. view image
• Drag field "Barcode" to the report template, right click "Barcode" object and choose "Format Object" menu. view image
• In "Format Editor" form, check "Can Grow" property. view image
3. Drag a "Crystal Report Viewer" to the "Default.aspx".
• Add a reference to BarcodeLib.Barcode.CrystalReports.dll.
• Copy the following C# code to the "Default.aspx.cs" file.

     using System.Data.OleDb;
     using System.Drawing.Imaging;
     using BarcodeLib.Barcode.CrystalReports;
     using BarcodeLib.Barcode;


     protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
     {
     // Create the database connection. Please change to correct data file (BarcodeDemoData.mdb) path.
     OleDbConnection aConnection = new OleDbConnection(
        "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;
        Data Source=C:/BarcodeLib_NETBarcode_Trial/ReportingData/BarcodeDemoData.mdb");
     aConnection.Open();
	
     OleDbDataAdapter dataAdapter = new OleDbDataAdapter("SELECT * FROM Customer", aConnection);
     DataSet ds = new DataSet();
     dataAdapter.Fill(ds);
	
     // Add the Barcode column to the DataSet
     ds.Tables[0].Columns.Add(new DataColumn("Barcode", typeof(byte[])));
	
     // Use DataMatrixCrystal for Data Matrix
     DataMatrixCrystal barcode = new DataMatrixCrystal();
    
     // Barcode settings
     barcode.ModuleSize = 4; 
     barcode.ImageFormat = System.Drawing.Imaging.ImageFormat.Png;
	
     foreach (DataRow dr in ds.Tables[0].Rows)
     {
        barcode.Data = (int)dr["CustomerId"] + "";
        byte[] imageData = barcode.drawBarcodeAsBytes();
        dr["Barcode"] = imageData;
     }
	
     CrystalReportSource1.ReportDocument.Load(Server.MapPath("CustomerReport.rpt"));
     CrystalReportSource1.ReportDocument.SetDataSource(ds.Tables[0]);
     CrystalReportSource1.DataBind();

     }

Data Matrix Barcode Data Character Encoding in Crystal Reports for .NET

Valid Encoding Character Set

Maximum Data Length

Data Matrix Encoding Data Mode

How to Encode Complex Data in Data Matrix within Crystal Reports

Encode ASCII Non-Printable Characters

Non-printable ASCII characters, such as carriage return, require special handling for Crystal Reports integration:

• Replace non-printable characters with a tilde (~) followed by a three-digit ASCII value (e.g., carriage return becomes ~013).
• Set ProcessTilde = true to enable tilde processing.
• Set DataMode = DataMatrixDataMode.Auto, which is required for extended character support.

Note: When scanning the Data Matrix barcode, the application must process the tilde-encoded characters to restore the original non-printable values, ensuring data accuracy in Crystal Reports.

Render Data Matrix with Unicode Text Encoded

To encode Unicode text (e.g., multilingual data) in Crystal Reports for ASP.NET, WinForms, or WPF:

• Instantiate a DataMatrix object.
• Set the Data property with the Unicode text; this can be bound to a Crystal Reports parameter field.
• Enable EncodeUnicodeText = true to activate Unicode support.
• Generate the Data Matrix 2D barcode for rendering in the CrystalReportViewer.

Additional Supported Data Formats

Data Matrix Barcode Dimension Settings in Crystal Reports for .NET

Quick Data Matrix Image Width Configuration

To generate a square Data Matrix image with a specified width suitable for Crystal Reports page headers or footers.

Rectangular Data Matrix Configuration

Data Matrix (ECC200) supports six rectangular symbol sizes, which are ideal for narrow Crystal Reports details sections:

• Initialize a DataMatrix object with the target data.
• Set FormatMode to the desired rectangular size (e.g., Format_16X48).
• Define the Data Matrix barcode width and height to match the symbol's row and column ratio, which is critical for Crystal Reports layout consistency.

How to create barcode with specified size in C#?

Color Configuration

Data Matrix supports custom foreground and background colors. However, scanner compatibility should be validated when colors deviate from standard black and white, particularly for reports printed or exported via Crystal Reports Server.

Image Format Settings

Advanced Data Matrix Features for Crystal Reports

Format Mode Customization

Structured Append Mode

To split large datasets across multiple Data Matrix barcodes (e.g., for Crystal Reports subreport data), Structured Append mode can be enabled:

• Set StructuredAppend = true.
• Set SymbolCount to the total number of Data Matrix barcodes.
• Set SymbolIndex to the order index of the current barcode (starting from 0).
• Set FileId to a unique random integer; all barcodes storing the same data message must share the same FileId value.

GS1 FNC1 (First Position)

To enable GS1 Application Identifier compliance for supply chain reporting within Crystal Reports, set the FNC1 property to FNC1.FNC1_1ST_POS.

Summary

More Tutorials for Crystal Reports 2D & Linear Barcode Generating

Linear (1D) Barcodes: Codabar Code 2 of 5 Code 11 Code 39 Code 93 Code 128 EAN 8 EAN 13 EAN 128/GS1 128 Interleaved 2 of 5 ITF14 MSI Plessey Onecode Planet Postnet RM4SCC UPC-A UPC-E

Matrix(2D) Barcodes: QR Code PDF417 Data Matrix