What Is a Barcode?
Have you ever carefully examined the packet of milk you bought from the store or the back of your favorite magazine? There, you will see black lines of varying thicknesses arranged side by side. We call these lines barcodes. Barcodes are a kind of “secret language” that allows computers to recognize products.
How Does a Barcode Work?
To read barcodes, special devices called barcode scanners are used. These devices emit a laser beam over the barcode. The black lines in the barcode absorb the light, while the white spaces between them reflect it back. The scanner detects these reflections and sends the information to a computer. The computer then instantly converts this data into numbers to determine what the product is, its name, and how many units remain in stock within seconds.
Visual representing the invention of the barcode. (Generated by artificial intelligence.)
Time Travel: The Birth of the Barcode
Years ago, a supermarket chain owner began searching for a way to quickly record information about the thousands of products in his store. After extensive research and development, the striped system we see everywhere today was created. Thanks to barcodes, we no longer have to wait long at checkout counters because information can be accessed extremely quickly.
What Do These Lines Tell Us?
The numbers beneath the barcode are not randomly arranged. They typically consist of 13 digits.
- The first three digits: Indicate the country of origin of the product. If a barcode begins with 868 or 869, the product is from Türkiye.
- The following digits: Identify the manufacturer and the specific product.
- The last digit: Is the “check digit” and verifies whether the barcode has been read correctly.
Important note: Contrary to common belief, barcodes do not contain price information. Prices are stored in the computer system, and the store owner can change them at any time, but the product’s barcode remains unchanged.
Visual representing the applications of barcodes. (Generated by artificial intelligence.)
Where Are Barcodes Used?
Barcodes are not only found in supermarkets but in every aspect of life. They are used on books in libraries, on medicines in hospitals, and even on large machines in factories. This ensures that no product is lost and everything can be accurately tracked.
