• 000-000000 is outside UPCE's range.
• change $oGdBar->{barcode} to $oGdBar->barcode()
• change $oGdBar->{text} to $oGdBar->{$text} (as already suggested)
• maybe use GD::Barcode::UPCE->new($customer{id}) rather than parent
• maybe use $GD::Barcode::UPCE::errStr rather than parent

Thanks for pointing out that limitation with UPCE, as the hyphen is needed in I am trying to do I have switched to the Code 39 code, as it supports symbols and does not require a checksum. I guess I should have done some research on the different kinds of barcodes.

As for strict and warnings, yes I am already using them I guess I should have said that, the code I posted is just a small portion of the whole script. Only pasted the code that is giving me trouble

#!/usr/bin/perl

use strict;
use warnings;
use GD::Barcode::UPCE;

my $oGdBar;
print "=======================\nUPCE: 1234568";
$oGdBar = GD::Barcode->new( 'UPCE', '1234568' );
print "PTN:", $oGdBar->{text}, ':', $oGdBar->barcode(), "\n";
open OUT, '>', 'UPCE.png';
binmode OUT;
print OUT $oGdBar->plot->png;
close OUT;
undef $oGdBar;
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Please always include the actual error message with this type of question.

One problem would appear to be a missing $ in $oGdBar->{text}. I think that should be $oGdBar->{$text}.

Also, adding use strict; and use warnings; to the top of your code will highlight many problems.

Ok so I have switched to Code39 barcodes and made the suggested changes to the code, which changes the error that now gets produced. I now get this:

PTN:000-000000:1010001110111010101000111011101010100011101110101000101
+011101110101000111011101010100011101110101010001110111010101000111011
+101010100011101110101010001110111010
Can't locate object method "Small" via package "GD::Font" (perhaps you
+ forgot to load "GD::Font"?) at /usr/local/share/perl5/GD/Barcode/Cod
+e39.pm line 111, <> line 19.
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Here is my new code:

  my $oGdBar = GD::Barcode::Code39->new("$customer{id}");
  if ( !$oGdBar ) {
   display_menu_error("ERROR: $GD::Barcode::Code39::errStr \n");
  }
  print "PTN:", $oGdBar->{text}, ":", $oGdBar->barcode(), "\n";
  my $output = '/tmp/Code39.png';
  open my $OUTFILE, '>', $output;
  binmode $OUTFILE;
  print {$OUTFILE} $oGdBar->plot->png;
  close {$OUTFILE};
  undef $oGdBar;
  undef $OUTFILE;
  undef $output;
  system "lpr -r $output";
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As for the suggestions of changing $oGdBar->{text} to $oGdBar->{$text} does not seem to work. Does the error mean I should use GD::Font in my code or is it reffering to the module?

The documentation for these modules is misleading. GD::Barcode::UPCE has $text $oGdBar->{$text} while GD::Barcode::Code39 has $text $oGdBar->{text}. Checking the source, $oGdBar->{text} would be correct for both modules.

The message "Can't locate object method "some_method" via package "Some::Module" (perhaps you forgot to load "Some::Module"?) at ..." generally indicates someone wrote:

$some_object->some_method(); # where $some_object is an instance of So
+me::Module
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but should have written:

use Some::Module;
...
$some_object->some_method();
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I can't see a reference to the method Small() in your code but I can see two in the source code for GD::Barcode::Code39 in the plot() method.

If I were you, I'd raise a bug report at this point. In case you don't know, just go to GD::Barcode::Code39 and follow the Report a bug link in the CPAN RT box (near the top right-hand corner in my browser).

-- Ken

Thanks, that is all I needed to know I have already opened a ticket in CPAN RT.

I couldn't replicate your error. As for $oGdBar->{text}, that is the correct way to do it. Try this and see if it helps:

#!/usr/bin/perl

use strict;
use warnings;
use GD::Barcode::Code39;

my $oGdBar = GD::Barcode->new( 
              'Code39', '*123-456789*' );
print "PTN:", $oGdBar->{text}, ':', 
              $oGdBar->barcode(), "\n";
open OUT, '>', '/tmp/Code39.png';
binmode OUT;
print OUT $oGdBar->plot->png;
close OUT;
undef $oGdBar;
[download]

Even after changing my $oGdBar = GD::Barcode::Code39->new() to my $oGdBar = GD::Barcode->new() I still get the same error. I checked to make sure my GD::Barcode module is current and CPAN says I have version 1.15 installed