# Barcodes

The ExpereAPI supports barcode functionality as a standard offering for lenders who require the ability to define and place barcode labels on generated documents.

Barcoding is a convenient means to include barcode labels on documents in a wide variety of formats with several industry-standard barcode types (fonts). You can add variable parameters, called patterns, such as document identifiers and also include text in a barcode. Barcoding is used to provide a consistent and standard labeling to all documents and packages generated by the system in a single transaction.
Note: Wolters Kluwer Financial Services warrants the presentation of barcodes on generated documents; the barcode warranty does not apply to file attachments.

From a system processing perspective, barcodes are rendered as a post-processing event that is independent of the document generation workflow (it does not impact processing time for non-barcoded documents). Because they are rendered in post-processing, processing time for transactions using barcodes is slightly longer than non-barcoded transactions.

In Expere IE, barcode processing is an entirely data-driven event. That is, barcode labels are defined and implemented through the data submitted in a given transaction. There are two primary means to implement barcodes on generated documents: through an authored tagline element in the transaction data or by defining the barcode on an AncillaryOutputOptions object submitted on a request.

## Authoring Barcode through a Tagline element

Barcodes for dynamic documents can be authored as part of the tagline element in an REQ file. Using this option, there is no need to submit an AncillaryOutputOption on the request to generate a documents. The tagline option is typically used when a common tagline is used across a number of documents as a shared, or common, file that is referenced in the REQ file. This option follows the placement (location) defined in the tagline element as well as allowing you to define the type (for example Code39) and any text to apply to the barcode.
Note: Using this tagline method does not work across static documents; to use this method you will have to customize each individual static document.

## Authoring Barcode through AncillaryOutputOption Object

Barcode processing is initiated and defined through transaction data submitted on a Web service request message on the AncillaryOutputOptions and Barcode objects. The barcode transaction data is submitted (requested) on the same message submitted to request a document or document package. The barcode is processed and generated as an image in the type (or font) selected, whether code 39, code 128, et al., and with document variables and/or text as submitted on the request. The image is then overlaid on the generated document to fit the position requirements defined by the system (with the default position as the lower-right of a page).
Note: This method does not require customization of static or dynamic documents.