Barcodes

Barcodes are visual patterns of black and white lines that represent information about a product. Scanners read these patterns to quickly identify items, usually in stores, libraries, or warehouses. Each barcode corresponds to a unique number that links to details like price, description, and inventory status in a database. They help businesses track goods efficiently, reduce errors, and speed up the checkout process. Barcodes come in various types, with the most common being the Universal Product Code (UPC) and the QR code, which can also store more complex data and be scanned by smartphones.