Given that QR codes have become popular and widely used in Arab countries and around the world, some may wonder what these codes are, how mysterious codes work in them, and what is the difference between them and the barcode used when buying products in the market?
First: What are QR codes?
A QR code, or "Quick Respond" in English, is a black and white two-dimensional square barcode that can be read by smartphones.
Information that can be used to make a call, send a message/e-mail, open a website, or even redirect to a specific location is stored by reading those codes through the cameras of smartphones.
A QR code can store up to 4,296 characters or 7,089 numbers in a single code, or one square of codes, making it capable of holding large amounts of content and making it easy to access quickly.
QR codes were first invented in 1994, by the Japanese company Denso Waves, for the purpose of tracking vehicles during the manufacturing of a Toyota vehicle.
Since then, codes have become used in all disciplines, but with the ease of manufacture and preparation in recent years, coinciding with the occupation of the Internet in all services and fields, it has become a more practical and easy option and is widely used.
How do QR codes work?
A QR code or QR code works in a similar way to the barcode that is known in stores and stores around the world.
It is an image that can be scanned automatically and can be read by smartphones, either via the original camera or other external applications.
Each QR code contains a packet of small data that comes in the form of dots that contain a specific piece of information.
And when the smartphone is pointed at the QR code, it displays user information that can be easily understood and quickly addressed via the phone.
What are dynamic QR codes?
Static QR codes are free, while dynamic or static QR codes on use are not. Usually, you cannot distinguish between dynamic QR codes and static QR codes in terms of appearance.
However, the functionality between them differs greatly.
In order for the QR code to act as a dynamic code, a short URL is assigned to the code, and separate landing pages are created based on the time, location, and device to be used.
These codes redirect the user to different landing pages based on the protocol the user selected in the dynamic QR code generator control panel.
Practical and many uses
You can get a lot of information easily by photographing a single square, so these are the most prominent and most important uses of QR codes.
You can also design your personal card and put your information on it via QR Code, so the person does not have to carry the information on cards all the time, but all he has to do is shine the smartphone camera on the card so that he keeps all your data on the device.
There are also some magazines and sites that have started to put the QR code on some of their pages, even in stores, universities and schools, and if you read it on your device, it will give you the site of an article, video, or any media that you want to direct you to quickly.
Codes are also used in advertising, or to find out certain places on the map through QR code-based programs.
Can QR Codes Expire?
In the case of dynamic QR codes, there is no limited scanning life and they do not expire. However, fixed QR codes will expire, making them ineffective later.
When a static QR code expires, it will not redirect the user to a destination web page or a specific feature, eliminating the whole purpose of the QR code.
Dynamic QR codes also expire. However it can be configured to point to another destination once its specified function is finished.
They are therefore editable and retrievable, and can be used for multiple purposes without expiration.