QR Codes

Introduction of QR Codes

QR code is an abbreviation for Quick Response Code, which was developed in Japan in the early '90s as a 2-dimensional matrix bar code.  It is a cheap solution enabling print-to-online by delivering machine-readable encoded information.  With the popularity of the internet and e-commerce in China, and the popularity of mobile applications and mobile payments, the use of QR codes has become not only popular but also essential in many mobile applications nowadays.

Generation of QR codes is free of charge, and most mobile devices come with a camera which can easily serve as the QR code scanner with the installation of an appropriate app.  The following information can be encoded in the code:

1. URL
2. Text
3. Email
4. Phone
5. SMS
6. vCard
7. MeCard
8. Location
9. Facebook
10. Twitter
11. YouTube
12. WiFi
13. Event
14. BitCoin

Generation of QR codes with these encoded information can be found at QR Code Monkey, which is one of the excellent online QR code generation resources.  Of course, there are many others available on the web too.

In Drupal, there are some modules available for QR code applications:

1. Google QR Code Generator [both Drupal 7 & 8] - Generate QR code for the current URL that is being viewed.
2. Page URL QR Code Block - Display a block with QR code of current page URL
3. Barcode [Drupal 7 only] - Provides a text field to generate barcode images, both linear barcodes and QR codes
4. QR Code Field Formatter [Drupal 8 only, under beta]- Encodes a specified field as a QR code.

Ref:

1. Zyxware technologies: [Drupal 7[ How to generate QR code from text in a Drupal site
2. QRCode Monkey - the 100% Free QR Code Generator