Label Template Syntax - Revision history

Dgarratt: Updated by push_wiki.py

2026-10-15T09:26:40Z

Updated by push_wiki.py

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:26, 15 October 2026
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	\| <code>SUPPRESS UNICODE</code> \|\| Stops accented and other non-ASCII characters being converted to the <code>_XX</code> hex escape form that Zebra printers read after <code>^FH</code>. Use it only for printers that do not use this escape form.		\| <code>SUPPRESS UNICODE</code> \|\| Stops accented and other non-ASCII characters being converted to the <code>_XX</code> hex escape form that Zebra printers read after <code>^FH</code>. Use it only for printers that do not use this escape form.
	\|-		\|-
	\| <code>SUPPRESS ASCII ENCODE</code> \|\| ~~Switches off~~ the ~~conversion of~~ control-character names ~~such as~~ <code><STX></code> ~~and~~ <code><ETX></code> into the real control characters before the label is sent. ~~The shipped Intermec templates start with~~ this ~~line~~. When writing a template for a non-Zebra printer, copy the directives from the shipped template for that printer make rather than working them out from scratch.		\| <code>SUPPRESS ASCII ENCODE</code> \|\| Normally the control-character names <code><STX></code>, <code><ETX></code>, <code><ESC></code> and so on are translated into the real control characters before the label is sent. With this directive they are sent to the device exactly as written. When writing a template for a non-Zebra printer, copy the directives from the shipped template for that printer make rather than working them out from scratch.
	\|}		\|}

Dgarratt: Updated by push_wiki.py

2026-10-15T09:03:35Z

Updated by push_wiki.py

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-[[Category: Commander4j]]
+'''Label Template Syntax''' describes how a label template file is put together. A template is the file that Commander4j, and [[AutoLab4j]], send to a barcode printer after filling in the values for a pallet or case. If you only want to make a small change to an existing label, [[Changing a Label]] is a gentler starting point; this page is the reference behind it.
-See [[Zebra ZPL Label]] for a label designed for a Zebra Pallet Label or [[Intermec IPL Label]] for a label designed using the IPL language. For explanation of it's format see below.
+== The idea in one paragraph ==
   DEFINE BARCODE BARCODE1   02<PADLEFT(<*EAN*>,14,0)>20<PADLEFT(<*VARIANT*>,2,0)>15<EXPIRYDATE(yy)><EXPIRYDATE(MM)><EXPIRYDATE(dd)>37<*QUANTITY^0000*>^10<*BATCH_NUMBER*>
 This line is used to create a barcode variable. You may wonder why you cannot use the same string to print the label and skip this step. The reason that using the Zebra ZPL language, when encoding in the Code 128 barcode symbology you need to determine what type of data is in the barcode. Numeric data can be compressed when it appears in pairs (even number) of characters. Alphabetic characters have to use a different encoding.
@@ Line 33: / Line 97: @@
 This is used to indicate the end of the DEFINE section of the label.

Dgarratt at 09:33, 25 August 2024

2024-08-25T09:33:28Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:33, 25 August 2024
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			[[Category: Commander4j]]
	See [[Zebra ZPL Label]] for a label designed for a Zebra Pallet Label or [[Intermec IPL Label]] for a label designed using the IPL language. For explanation of it's format see below.		See [[Zebra ZPL Label]] for a label designed for a Zebra Pallet Label or [[Intermec IPL Label]] for a label designed using the IPL language. For explanation of it's format see below.

Dgarratt: Created page with "See Zebra ZPL Label for a label designed for a Zebra Pallet Label or Intermec IPL Label for a label designed using the IPL language. For explanation of it's format see below. DEFINE BARCODE BARCODE1 02,14,0)>20,2,0)>1537<QUANTITY^0000>^10<BATCH_NUMBER> This line is used to create a barcode variable. You may wonder why you cannot use the same string to print the label and..."

2024-08-20T11:50:02Z

Created page with "See Zebra ZPL Label for a label designed for a Zebra Pallet Label or Intermec IPL Label for a label designed using the IPL language. For explanation of it's format see below. DEFINE BARCODE BARCODE1 02<PADLEFT(<*EAN*>,14,0)>20<PADLEFT(<*VARIANT*>,2,0)>15<EXPIRYDATE(yy)><EXPIRYDATE(MM)><EXPIRYDATE(dd)>37<*QUANTITY^0000*>^10<*BATCH_NUMBER*> This line is used to create a barcode variable. You may wonder why you cannot use the same string to print the label and..."

New page

See [[Zebra ZPL Label]] for a label designed for a Zebra Pallet Label or [[Intermec IPL Label]] for a label designed using the IPL language. For explanation of it's format see below.

DEFINE BARCODE BARCODE1 02<PADLEFT(<*EAN*>,14,0)>20<PADLEFT(<*VARIANT*>,2,0)>15<EXPIRYDATE(yy)><EXPIRYDATE(MM)><EXPIRYDATE(dd)>37<*QUANTITY^0000*>^10<*BATCH_NUMBER*>

This line is used to create a barcode variable. You may wonder why you cannot use the same string to print the label and skip this step. The reason that using the Zebra ZPL language, when encoding in the Code 128 barcode symbology you need to determine what type of data is in the barcode. Numeric data can be compressed when it appears in pairs (even number) of characters. Alphabetic characters have to use a different encoding.

So - the purpose of the DEFINE BARCODE directive it to let Commander4j look at the complete barcode string in advance and insert the appropriate commands to switch Code Sets before the data is sent to the barcode printer.

The Printer Commands which are used to switch between modes are also defined below.

DEFINE BARCODE BARCODE2 00<*SSCC*>

This is another example of a barcode variable.

DEFINE BARCODE FNC1 >8

FNC1 is required only at the end of variable length data section. It is not required as the last character in the bar code.

DEFINE BARCODE CODEA >9

Subset A supports numbers, upper-case letters, and control characters, such as tab and new-line

DEFINE BARCODE CODEB >6

Subset B supports numbers, upper- and lower-case letters and some additional characters.

DEFINE BARCODE CODEC >;

Subset C supports numbers only. It must have an even number of digits.

DEFINE BARCODE END *END*

This is used to indicate the end of the DEFINE section of the label.