Introducing QR Barcodes and Funnel Charts with Ultimate UI for Xamarin and Continuous Delivery

More and more developers and organizations are using continuous integration and continuous delivery with their development process. So, why wouldn't we do the same for you with our controls?

Now, we’re excited to announce two new controls through our continuous delivery of the Ultimate UI Controls for Xamarin: QR Barcodes and Funnel Charts. A QR Barcode can be used to create a barcode matrix, while a Funnel Chart lets you visualize diminishing values.

Our goal is to continue with our Write Fast, Run Fast promise, while making it easier for you to create cross-platform mobile apps. No other vendor can promise you a steady stream of new controls without even having to update your local packages.

By using continuous delivery, you no longer have to wait for an installation update or download the latest version from our website. Now, the latest controls will be available on our private NuGet feed. Haven't set that up? We've published a help file to get you started!

QR Barcode

A Quick Response (QR) barcode lets you encode data in a barcode matrix, or two-dimensional code. This code is then readable by QR scanners and smartphones to let you embed data into an app. Users can then display text, open URLs, send a message, and more; simply by using a barcode. A QR barcode contains an array of black squares that arrange to form a larger square pattern. This includes a unique finder pattern that is located at three corners of the barcode. The dimensions of the barcode are user-specified. This helps with symbol production with a wide variety of techniques.

There are multiple versions of QR barcodes, ranging from Version1 to Version40. The higher the version number, the more modules are located within the barcode. For example, Version1 uses a square module that is 21x21. Version40 increases that size and density to 177x177. The bigger the barcode, the more data that it can represent. You can also use an undefined size, and the control will automatically calculate the smallest barcode to use that will contain the data.

QR barcodes support using a variety of different compaction modes, depending on the type and amount of the data that is being stored. You can encode alphanumeric, numeric, or bytes within the QR code. If you set the encoding mode to Kanji, you can encode JIS Kanji within the QR code. The QR code control also has FNC1 mode to specify the format of the encoded data. You can select GS1 for data that is formatted in the GS1 General Specifications, or Industry mode for data formatted in accordance with industry application identifiers.QR barcodes also have the ability to use built-in error correction. This is useful if the barcode becomes damaged or dirty. When you create a code, you can select between four different levels of error correction:

• Low
• Medium
• Quartil
• High

Funnel Chart

The Funnel Chart controls lets you easily visualize descending values. The Funnel Chart control is a single-series chart that displays these values in a funnel shape in a variable number of sections, or slices. Each slice represents different portions of data. You can easily display multi-step process, customers with recurring purchases, and more. A funnel chart displays the quantities as percentages of a whole, similar to a pie chart. Funnel charts are commonly used to display quantitative data in relation to a stage. For example, you can display the expense of a product from sourcing materials and manufacturing, all the way to the final sale of that product. Funnel charts also support slice selection, just like the pie chart in Ultimate UI for Xamarin. With this ability, you can select individual slices of the funnel. This gives you different ways to highlight data, or provide an interaction with a user by performing another function when a slice is selected.

Of course, it wouldn’t be an advanced control without the ability to easily customize how it looks. You can opt to invert or arc the funnel chart in different ways to creatively visualize the data. Make it look like a pyramid, or curve in and out on a Bezier curve.

Most charts also have a legend that indicates which section represents a certain type of data, and the funnel chart is no different. You can enable a legend that will correspond with each slice in the funnel. The legend can be docked to any of the chart’s corners or borders for optimal placement.

Now with continuous delivery of Ultimate UI for Xamarin with our private NuGet feed, you get more capabilities and controls faster than ever.

Download a trial today to get started, and then check out the Write Fast, Run Fast lessons that will have you creating cross-platform Xamarin.Forms mobile apps in no time.