Android Tutorial QR Code - "Store" image/bitmap in a QR Code

See attached B4A project:

1. It takes an image (png or jpg) and convert it into a byte array
2. The byte array is converted into a Base64 String
3. The String is then converted into a QR Code (bitmap)
4. Use the QR Code bitmap and decodes it into a string (Base64)
5. Convert the Base64 string extracted from the QR Code into a byte array
6. Converts the byte array into a Bitmap and display it in iv3

You need to extract core-3.3.2.jar from the attached zip folder and copy it to your additional library folder.

Same can be done by using PDF417 and other 2D barcodes.

Enjoy!


1.png

Probably not the ideal thing to do with QR Codes i.e storing a bitmap/image in a QR Code (QR Code limited in terms of number of bytes) but it can be done as what the attached project demonstrates.

Sample Code:
B4X:
#Region  Project Attributes
    #ApplicationLabel: b4aQRImage
    #VersionCode: 1
    #VersionName:
    'SupportedOrientations possible values: unspecified, landscape or portrait.
    #SupportedOrientations: portrait
    #CanInstallToExternalStorage: False
#End Region

#AdditionalJar: core-3.3.2.jar

#Region  Activity Attributes
    #FullScreen: False
    #IncludeTitle: True
#End Region

Sub Process_Globals
    'These global variables will be declared once when the application starts.
    'These variables can be accessed from all modules.
   
    Dim nativeMe As JavaObject


End Sub

Sub Globals
    'These global variables will be redeclared each time the activity is created.
    'These variables can only be accessed from this module.

    Private iv1 As ImageView
    Private iv2 As ImageView
    Private iv3 As ImageView
   
    Dim  bm As Bitmap
   
    Dim su As StringUtils
   

End Sub

Sub Activity_Create(FirstTime As Boolean)
    'Do not forget to load the layout file created with the visual designer. For example:
    Activity.LoadLayout("main")
    nativeMe.InitializeContext
   
    bm.Initialize(File.DirAssets, "jhs.png")
    Dim b() As Byte = GetImageBytes
   
    Dim s As String = su.EncodeBase64(b)
    Log(s)
   
    iv2.Bitmap = nativeMe.RunMethod("encodeAsBitmap", Array(s))
   
    Dim decoded As String = nativeMe.RunMethod("decodeQRImage", Array(iv2.Bitmap))
    Log(decoded)
   
    Dim nb() As Byte = su.DecodeBase64(decoded)
    iv3.Bitmap = BytesToImage(nb)
 
   
 
   iv1.Bitmap = bm

End Sub

Sub Activity_Resume

End Sub

Sub Activity_Pause (UserClosed As Boolean)

End Sub

Sub GetImageBytes() As Byte()
    Dim bytes() As Byte = Bit.InputStreamToBytes(File.OpenInput(File.DirAssets,"jhs.png"))
    Return bytes
End Sub


Public Sub BytesToImage(bytes() As Byte) As Bitmap
    Dim In As InputStream
    In.InitializeFromBytesArray(bytes, 0, bytes.Length - 1)
    Dim bmp As Bitmap
    bmp.Initialize2(In)                
    Return bmp
End Sub


#if Java


import com.google.zxing.MultiFormatWriter;
import android.graphics.Bitmap;
import com.google.zxing.common.BitMatrix;
import com.google.zxing.BarcodeFormat;
import com.google.zxing.WriterException;

import android.graphics.BitmapFactory;

import com.google.zxing.BinaryBitmap;
import com.google.zxing.ChecksumException;
import com.google.zxing.FormatException;
import com.google.zxing.LuminanceSource;
import com.google.zxing.NotFoundException;
import com.google.zxing.RGBLuminanceSource;
import com.google.zxing.Reader;
import com.google.zxing.Result;
import com.google.zxing.common.HybridBinarizer;
import com.google.zxing.qrcode.QRCodeReader;



public static int white = 0xFFFFFFFF;
public static int black = 0xFF000000;
public final static int WIDTH = 500;

public Bitmap encodeAsBitmap(String str) throws WriterException {
    BitMatrix result;
    Bitmap bitmap=null;
    try
    {
        result = new MultiFormatWriter().encode(str,
                BarcodeFormat.QR_CODE, WIDTH, WIDTH, null);

        int w = result.getWidth();
        int h = result.getHeight();
        int[] pixels = new int[w * h];
        for (int y = 0; y < h; y++) {
            int offset = y * w;
            for (int x = 0; x < w; x++) {
                pixels[offset + x] = result.get(x, y) ? black:white;
            }
        }
        bitmap = Bitmap.createBitmap(w, h, Bitmap.Config.ARGB_8888);
        bitmap.setPixels(pixels, 0, WIDTH, 0, 0, w, h);
    } catch (Exception iae) {
        iae.printStackTrace();
        return null;
    }
    return bitmap;
}

public static String decodeQRImage(Bitmap bMap) {

    String decoded = null;

    int[] intArray = new int[bMap.getWidth() * bMap.getHeight()];
    bMap.getPixels(intArray, 0, bMap.getWidth(), 0, 0, bMap.getWidth(),
            bMap.getHeight());
    LuminanceSource source = new RGBLuminanceSource(bMap.getWidth(),
            bMap.getHeight(), intArray);
    BinaryBitmap bitmap = new BinaryBitmap(new HybridBinarizer(source));

    Reader reader = new QRCodeReader();
    try {
        Result result = reader.decode(bitmap);
        decoded = result.getText();
    } catch (NotFoundException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
    } catch (ChecksumException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
    } catch (FormatException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
    }
    return decoded;
}

#End If

Base64 String of original image that gets converted to a QR Code:
B4X:
iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAA6AQMAAADxxSnEAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAASdAAAEnQF8NGuhAAAAB3RJTUUH5AQKCjgSMo399QAAAPBJREFUGNN9kLFuwjAQhv+QAh0qYTY24A14g0QsHfMCDFGfogOSzZNk7ApPUG99BbZEHchWuSoCV40wlztATD3Z+uTz+fz/B1wjsox+xUi8ZJ/wT0xoPwKKMOKFGSfaiwfA5UAP+KGOHQHFUb6pjaDAgPK1toNPQtgnEbALfkEdvjZFoVKc3ptym6LUzTOJyQ7LPAbmzudU+eZe2y5T69gB1qKLf4q+GfHKpexuS2rQtUswZneWYe+e3fBy8Rh4EpOGT0pKlajvSEksGMrg/hih5IGExGAMeG0xtlC/BpmDOhl8kGJtULWoYGmE2rMOxhkq4FQS8JQDxwAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==
 

Attachments

  • b4aQRImage.zip
    10.4 KB · Views: 449
  • core-3.3.2 (2).zip
    493.6 KB · Views: 451
Last edited:

Emme Developer

Well-Known Member
Licensed User
Longtime User
Good tutorial as always. Anyone should remember, as you already wrote, that qrCode has a max bytes size (3kb) and a base64 string is heavier than source file by 33%
 

Johan Schoeman

Expert
Licensed User
Longtime User
Better definition of the image/bitmap but it results in a Version 39 QR Code....


2.png


Anyone with an idea how we can achieve better definition with a smaller QR Code version? How do they for eg fit a whole lot of data and an image into a single PDF417 code when a PDF417 code can hold....

".......PDF417 data capacity: A single PDF417 symbol can theoretically hold up to 1850 alphanumeric characters, 2710 digits or 1108 bytes. Due to internal data compression algorithms the exact data capacity depends on the structure of the data to be encoded....."
 

Attachments

  • b4aQRImage11042020.zip
    12.8 KB · Views: 271
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