^BB - Codablock Bar Code

Stacked Code 128 variant that holds more data than one linear row, superseded by PDF417.

^BB prints a CODABLOCK symbol: up to 44 stacked rows, each a short linear bar code with its own start and stop pattern. CODABLOCK carried large amounts of data before the true 2D symbologies. ^B7 PDF417 and ^BX Data Matrix hold more data in less space, so there is no reason to choose CODABLOCK for new work.

Syntax

^BBo,h,s,c,r,m

Support

Not implementedparsed: none · state: none · rendered: none

Recognised as valid ZPL and not implemented, with no plan to.

Labelary does not implement ^BB either. There is no compatibility target to match, and there is no plan to add one. Use ^B7 PDF417 or ^BX Data Matrix. Both hold more data in less space. — pinned by test_unparsed_barcode_commands_do_not_print_their_data_as_text

Labelary does not implement it either, so there is no parity reference.

Parameters

oBar code orientationoptional · one of a set

Rotation of the symbol and interpretation line.

Default: the orientation set by ^FW, which itself defaults to N
Invalid value: discarded, and the default applies. The renderer reports an unrecognized character as invalid, and uses the default.
Test coverage: No documented value is exercised by a test (N, R, I, B). The invalid-value rule is not pinned by a test.

N: No rotation (default)
R: Rotated 90° clockwise
I: Rotated 180°. The symbol reads upside down
B: Rotated 270° clockwise

hRow heightoptional · dots

Height of one row of the symbol.

Default: 8
Accepted range: 2 to 32000 dots
Invalid value: not documented, and we have not measured it. Labelary does not implement ^BB, so no measurement target exists.
Test coverage: No test at the minimum, maximum or one step outside the range.

sCalculate check digitsoptional · Y or N

Whether the renderer computes check digits. Only Codablock A can turn this off.

Default: Y
Invalid value: discarded, and the default applies. The renderer does not implement this command, and computes nothing.
Test coverage: No documented value is exercised by a test (Y, N). The invalid-value rule is not pinned by a test.

Y: Compute check digits (default)
N: No check digits (Codablock A only)

cColumns per rowoptional · integer

Characters per row. This number controls the symbol width.

Default: sized to fit the data
Accepted range: 2 to 62 characters
Invalid value: not documented, and we have not measured it. The renderer does not implement or measure this command.
Test coverage: No test at the minimum, maximum or one step outside the range.

rRowsoptional · integer

Number of rows. Codablock A accepts 1-22. Codablock E and F accept 2-4.

Default: sized to fit the data
Accepted range: 1 to 22
Invalid value: not documented, and we have not measured it. The renderer does not implement or measure this command.
Test coverage: No test at the minimum, maximum or one step outside the range.

mCodablock variantoptional · one of a set

Which Codablock variant to encode.

Default: F
Invalid value: discarded, and the default applies. The renderer does not implement this command. The argument has no effect.
Test coverage: No documented value is exercised by a test (A, E, F). The invalid-value rule is not pinned by a test.

A: Codablock A
E: Codablock E
F: Codablock F (default)

Behavior

The variant argument decides which character set the field data must use, so settle that argument first. CODABLOCK A uses the Code 39 character set, and a character outside that set prints no symbol, or an error when ^CV is active.

CODABLOCK F uses the full Code 128 set except the characters that ZPL reserves. CODABLOCK E is the same set with an automatic FNC1, and that FNC1 makes an E symbol a GS1 symbol. ^FH inserts function codes and the Code 128 subset A null character as 80 to 84 hex, and a value above 84 hex prints no symbol.

The printer computes check sums by default. Only CODABLOCK A can turn them off, and a single-row symbol never carries them.

Rows and columns interact, and most of the failure modes are silent. Know these rules before a run:

neither given — a single row;
columns given but too large, and no row count — one row as long as the field data;
rows given but no columns — the characters per row are the field data divided by the row count;
both given — the field data must be shorter than their product. A longer field data prints no symbol, or an error when ^CV is active.

The row count is a request and not a promise, even with both arguments given. Mostly numeric data can need fewer rows than the argument asks, and data with many shift characters and code-switch characters can need more.

The height argument is the height of one row, multiplied by the module width. The ^BY module width applies to CODABLOCK A only, and the ^BY ratio has no effect on E or F.

Use ^B7 PDF417 or ^BX Data Matrix instead. Both render today.

Tested behavior

Differences from the specification

Labelary against the ZPL II guide

Where Labelary — our compatibility target — behaves differently from the printed specification.

The guide gives ^BB a fixed orientation default of N rather than the usual ^FW value. Labelary documents the ^FW default. Neither engine implements the command, so no measurement exists. — not pinned by a test

zpl.tools against Labelary

Where our output differs from Labelary for the same input. These are the differences that break a migration.

Labelary does not draw a symbol either, but prints the field data on the label as an ordinary text run with no warning (measured 2026-07-30). The renderer draws nothing and reports a diagnostic, so a label that looks plausible on Labelary comes back empty. — not pinned by a test

Example

A CODABLOCK F symbol, two rows of sixteen characters:

^XA
^FO50,50^BY3
^BBN,10,Y,16,2,F
^FDCODABLOCK DATA^FS
^XZ

Open in viewer

^B7 PDF417 Bar CodeStacked two-dimensional symbology that holds several hundred bytes, used on driving licenses and shipping documents.
^BX Data Matrix Bar CodeCompact two-dimensional symbology used for small-part marking and GS1 DataMatrix.
^BC Code 128 Bar CodeThe most common symbology for shipping and GS1 application identifiers, with four data-encoding modes.
^B4 Code 49 Bar CodeStacked alphanumeric symbology from the 1980s, superseded by PDF417 and Data Matrix.

^BB - Codablock Bar Code

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