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QR Code

Owner: Nuwan Danushka

Introduction

The QrCode class builds the text for common QR code types (URL, text, email, phone, SMS, contact) and turns it into a PNG image. You can save the image to a file or send it straight to the browser.

The image is not generated locally. QRCODE() sends the data to Google's Image Charts endpoint, https://chart.apis.google.com/chart.

How to Create a QR Code​

Step 1: Get a QrCode object​

$qrcode = Util::QrCode();

Step 2: Set the data for the QR code​

Call one of the data methods. Each call replaces the data set by the previous one.

$qrcode->URL('https://example.com');                                  // URL
// OR
$qrcode->TEXT('Hello, World!');                                       // plain text
// OR
$qrcode->EMAIL('recipient@example.com', 'Subject', 'Message body');   // email

Step 3: Generate the QR code​

Call QRCODE(). Pass a file name and a directory to save the image. Leave them out to send the image to the browser.

// Save to a file (400 x 400 pixels)
$saved = $qrcode->QRCODE(400, 'qrcode.png', '/path/to/save/directory');

if ($saved === false) {
    // the request or the file write failed
}

// OR send the PNG to the browser
$qrcode->QRCODE();

Step 4: Check the result​

When saving, QRCODE() returns the full path of the written file. Check that the file exists and opens as an image.

QR Code Methods​

URL​

Description:

The URL method sets a URL as the QR code data.

Syntax:

$qr_code_object = Util::QrCode();
$qr_code_object->URL('example.com/page');   // stored as "http://example.com/page"

Parameters:

  • $url: The URL to encode. If it does not start with http:// or https://, http:// is added in front.

TEXT​

Description:

The TEXT method sets plain text as the QR code data.

Syntax:

$qr_code_object = Util::QrCode();
$qr_code_object->TEXT($text);

Parameters:

  • $text: The text to encode, stored unchanged.

EMAIL​

Description:

The EMAIL method sets an email message as the QR code data, in the MATMSG format that phone scanners open as a new email.

Syntax:

$qr_code_object = Util::QrCode();
$qr_code_object->EMAIL('recipient@example.com', 'Subject', 'Message body');
// MATMSG:TO:recipient@example.com;SUB:Subject;BODY:Message body;;

Parameters:

  • $email: The recipient address. (Optional)
  • $subject: The subject. (Optional)
  • $message: The message body. (Optional)

The values are inserted as they are. A ; or : inside a value can break the format.

PHONE​

Description:

The PHONE method sets a phone number as the QR code data, as TEL: followed by the number.

Syntax:

$qr_code_object = Util::QrCode();
$qr_code_object->PHONE('+94771234567');

Parameters:

  • $phone: The phone number.

SMS​

Description:

The SMS method sets a text message as the QR code data, in the SMSTO: format.

Syntax:

$qr_code_object = Util::QrCode();
$qr_code_object->SMS('+94771234567', 'Hello');
// SMSTO:+94771234567:Hello

Parameters:

  • $phone: The phone number. (Optional)
  • $msg: The message body. (Optional)

CONTACT​

Description:

The CONTACT method sets a contact card as the QR code data, in the MECARD format.

Syntax:

$qr_code_object = Util::QrCode();
$qr_code_object->CONTACT('Jane Perera', '1 Main Street, Colombo', '+94771234567', 'jane@example.com');
// MECARD:N:Jane Perera;ADR:1 Main Street, Colombo;TEL:+94771234567;EMAIL:jane@example.com;;

Parameters:

  • $name: The contact's name. (Optional)
  • $address: The contact's address. (Optional)
  • $phone: The contact's phone number. (Optional)
  • $email: The contact's email address. (Optional)

CONTENT​

Description:

The CONTENT method sets the QR code data to a string in the form CNTS:TYPE:<type>;LNG:<size>;BODY:<content>;;. This is not a widely supported QR format, so most scanners show it as plain text.

Syntax:

$qr_code_object = Util::QrCode();
$qr_code_object->CONTENT($type, $size, $content);

Parameters:

  • $type: The value for the TYPE field. (Optional)
  • $size: The value for the LNG field. (Optional)
  • $content: The value for the BODY field. (Optional)

QRCODE​

Description:

The QRCODE method posts the data to the Image Charts endpoint and either saves the returned PNG or sends it to the browser. The request times out after 30 seconds.

Syntax:

$qr_code_object = Util::QrCode();
$qr_code_object->QRCODE($size = 400, $file_name = null, $file_path = null);

Parameters:

  • $size: The width and height of the image, in pixels. Default: 400.
  • $file_name: The file name to save the image as. (Optional)
  • $file_path: The directory to save the image in. A trailing / is optional. (Optional)

Return Value:

  • String: With both $file_name and $file_path, the full path of the saved file.
  • String: Without them, the raw PNG bytes. The method has already sent a Content-type: image/png header and echoed the bytes.
  • false: The endpoint did not answer with HTTP 200, or the file could not be written.

If you pass only one of $file_name and $file_path, nothing is saved and the image is sent to the browser. Because direct output sends a header and writes to the response, use it only in a handler that writes nothing else.