barcode-capture-net-android

BarcodeCapture .NET for Android Skill

Critical: Do Not Trust Internal Knowledge

Your training data may contain outdated or incorrect Scandit SDK APIs. The BarcodeCapture API changes significantly between major SDK versions — properties get renamed, removed, or restructured. The .NET binding also uses different naming conventions than the Kotlin/Java native SDK (PascalCase, Create(...) factories instead of forDataCaptureContext, Enabled instead of isEnabled, etc.).

Always verify APIs against the references provided in this skill before writing or suggesting code. Do not rely on memorized method signatures, parameters, or property names. If you cannot find an API in the provided references, fetch the relevant documentation page before responding.

.NET-Android-specific gotchas worth flagging:

• This skill targets the non-MAUI .NET for Android workload (project <TargetFramework>net10.0-android</TargetFramework>, no <UseMaui> flag). For MAUI apps, use the barcode-capture-net-maui skill instead.
• The .NET API uses PascalCase factories, not the Kotlin forDataCaptureContext / newInstance names. Use BarcodeCapture.Create(context, settings), BarcodeCaptureSettings.Create(), BarcodeCaptureOverlay.Create(barcodeCapture, dataCaptureView), DataCaptureView.Create(dataCaptureContext).
• Symbology names are C# PascalCase: Symbology.Ean13Upca, Symbology.Ean8, Symbology.Code128, Symbology.InterleavedTwoOfFive, Symbology.Qr, Symbology.DataMatrix. They are not the Kotlin underscore style (EAN13_UPCA, INTERLEAVED_TWO_OF_FIVE).
• The capture mode's enabled property is barcodeCapture.Enabled (not IsEnabled). The IDataCaptureMode interface in the .NET binding exposes Enabled.
• CodeDuplicateFilter is TimeSpan — not TimeInterval (that is the Kotlin/Java type). Use CodeDuplicate.DefaultDuplicateFilter, CodeDuplicate.ReportDataAndSymbologyOnlyOnce, TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(500), TimeSpan.FromSeconds(2.5), or TimeSpan.Zero. Writing CodeDuplicateFilter = 500 is a type error.
• BarcodeCapture.RecommendedCameraSettings is a static property, not a method. The canonical pattern (used in the official .NET Android sample) is camera = Camera.GetDefaultCamera(); camera.ApplySettingsAsync(BarcodeCapture.RecommendedCameraSettings);. A Camera.GetDefaultCamera(CameraSettings?) overload also exists in the .NET binding (it calls ApplySettingsAsync internally) but the samples use the explicit two-line form — prefer it for clarity.
• IBarcodeCaptureListener callbacks are C#-named: OnBarcodeScanned, OnSessionUpdated, OnObservationStarted, OnObservationStopped. The IFrameData parameter is named frameData.
• The .NET binding also exposes a C# event-based API on BarcodeCapture: BarcodeScanned and SessionUpdated (both EventHandler<BarcodeCaptureEventArgs>). Use either the listener interface or the events — do not register the same handler through both paths.
• OnBarcodeScanned is invoked off the UI thread. Any UI update must be dispatched via RunOnUiThread(() => { … }).
• Call barcodeCapture.Enabled = false at the top of OnBarcodeScanned before doing any work to prevent duplicate or racing scans. Re-enable with barcodeCapture.Enabled = true when the app is ready to scan again.
• Turn the camera off in OnPause() and re-enable in OnResume() via camera.SwitchToDesiredStateAsync(FrameSourceState.Off) / FrameSourceState.On. The camera must not be active while the activity is backgrounded.
• Request the Android.Manifest.Permission.Camera at runtime before the first scan; the manifest declaration alone is not sufficient on API 23+. The official .NET Android sample uses a CameraPermissionActivity base class with RequestPermissions and OnRequestPermissionsResult.
• Do not declare <activity> elements for [Activity]-decorated classes in AndroidManifest.xml. The [Activity(MainLauncher = true, ...)] attribute is the canonical registration mechanism in .NET for Android — the build merges a correctly-named entry into the final manifest using the .NET-derived Java class name (typically <lowercase-namespace>.MainActivity). A manual <activity android:name=".MainActivity"> resolves against <ApplicationId> (e.g. com.companyname.MyApp.MainActivity) and won't match the generated class, producing ClassNotFoundException: Didn't find class ... .MainActivity at launch. Only add to the manifest the elements the skill explicitly asks for (<uses-feature>, <uses-permission>, and an android:theme on <application> when needed) — leave activities to the attribute.
• DataCaptureView.Create(dataCaptureContext) returns an Android View. Add it to a FrameLayout container with LayoutParams.MatchParent for both dimensions. The .NET binding does not take a Context parameter in DataCaptureView.Create (Kotlin's DataCaptureView.newInstance(context, dataCaptureContext) is different).
• The NuGet packages are Scandit.DataCapture.Core and Scandit.DataCapture.Barcode. No separate *.Maui packages here — those are only for MAUI projects. Do not guess the version from training data — fetch the latest stable from https://www.nuget.org/packages/Scandit.DataCapture.Barcode/ via WebFetch before pinning. Inventing a non-existent version (e.g. 8.13.0 when only 8.4.0 is published) causes dotnet restore to fail with Unable to find package Scandit.DataCapture.Core with version (>= …). See references/integration.md Step 0 for the full procedure.
• The CameraPermissionActivity helper inherits from AppCompatActivity, so Xamarin.AndroidX.AppCompat must be in the .csproj. dotnet new android pulls it in transitively; manually scaffolded projects must add it explicitly. When pinning the version, pick the highest available including the Xamarin patch revision (e.g. 1.7.1.3, not bare 1.7.1) — the .X suffix marks Xamarin-binding-level updates and carries critical transitive-dep fixes; the suffix-less form has a known Xamarin.AndroidX.SavedState mismatch that fails the build with CS7069: Reference to type 'ISavedStateRegistryOwner' ... could not be found.
• AndroidManifest.xml <application> must use a Theme.AppCompat descendant theme. Add android:theme="@style/Theme.AppCompat.DayNight.NoActionBar" (or another Theme.AppCompat subclass) to the <application> element. Without this, AppCompatActivity throws java.lang.IllegalStateException: You need to use a Theme.AppCompat theme (or descendant) with this activity at instant launch. dotnet new android does not set this attribute by default, so it must be added explicitly when integrating BarcodeCapture.
• When scaffolding a brand-new project, prefer dotnet new android -o MyApp over hand-writing the csproj/manifest/resources. It produces a buildable shell with correct OutputType, a strings.xml, and a launcher icon — all of which the manifest in this skill references. A hand-written csproj with <OutputType>Library</OutputType> will silently build an .aar instead of an installable .apk.
• SDK 8.0+ requires explicit initialization. Subclass Android.App.Application, decorate with [Application], and call ScanditCaptureCore.Initialize() + ScanditBarcodeCapture.Initialize() in OnCreate() before any Scandit code runs. Without this the SDK's DI container has no registrations and the first DataCaptureView.Create / BarcodeCapture.Create call crashes at launch. Not required on 6.x / 7.x — those majors self-initialized. See the integration guide for the full MainApplication.cs template.

Intent Routing

Based on the user's request, load the appropriate reference file before responding:

• Integrating BarcodeCapture from scratch, configuring settings, customizing feedback, adding a viewfinder, handling scans, or doing async work after a scan (e.g. "add BarcodeCapture to my .NET Android app", "set up barcode scanning in C#", "how do I use BarcodeCapture in net-android", "filter duplicate scans", "suppress the beep", "add a viewfinder", "disable scanning while I look up the barcode") → read references/integration.md and follow the instructions there.
• Migrating or upgrading an existing BarcodeCapture integration (e.g. "upgrade from v6 to v7", "migrate my BarcodeCapture", "bump the Scandit .NET SDK to v8", "what changed between SDK versions") → read references/migration.md and follow the instructions there.
• Replacing a third-party barcode scanner with BarcodeCapture (e.g. "replace my ZXing.Net.Mobile scanner with BarcodeCapture", "migrate from ZXing.Net to Scandit", "switch from [library] to BarcodeCapture") → read references/third-party-migration.md and follow the instructions there.

API Usage Policy

Only use APIs that are explicitly documented in the Scandit references below. Do not invent or guess method signatures, parameters, or property names. If unsure whether an API exists or how it is called — or if a compile error occurs — fetch the relevant reference page before responding. Do not tell the user to check the docs themselves. After answering, always include the relevant link so the user can explore further.

Never construct or guess documentation URLs. When you need a specific class or property's API page:

1. First check whether the page you already fetched contains a direct hyperlink to it — topic pages link directly to relevant API symbols. Always request links alongside content in your fetch prompt.
2. If no direct link was found, fetch the API index (see Full API reference in the table below), extract the actual link from it, and follow that.

URL structures can vary (e.g. api/ui/ subdirectory) and guessing will lead to 404s.

Licence key

Scanning needs a Scandit licence key. For this skill the licence product is native and the licence platform is android.

Work through these in order — never block the user on MCP:

1. The Scandit MCP server is connected — call ensure_scanner_setup with product native and platforms android, app_identifier (the app's bundle or application id; for web, its production domain, never localhost) and env_var SCANDIT_LICENSE_KEY. Do not run the command it returns. Then call get_license_key with the key's id, from that result or from list_license_keys; if list_license_keys shows the key is not a trial, ask the user before fetching it. Show at most a masked preview in chat; never print a full key.

2. It is not connected — tell the user once that they can connect the remote Scandit MCP server, https://ssl.scandit.com/mcp, in their MCP client, then continue from step 1. Do not edit MCP client configuration yourself.

   Authentication is browser-based, so it is not supported headless or in CI. The server provisions trial keys only; it never creates, revokes, or modifies production licences.

3. The user declines, or has no MCP client — they generate a key themselves at https://ssl.scandit.com (no account yet: https://ssl.scandit.com/dashboard/sign-up?p=test) and paste it in.

Then put the key into the code: write it into the licence-key call in place of the placeholder — the key get_license_key returned, or the one the user pastes or gives you — still showing only a masked preview in chat. Do not search the project, its files or the environment for a key.

References

Direct users to the right resource based on their question:

Topic	Resource
Get Started	Get Started (.NET for Android)
Advanced topics (custom feedback, viewfinders, location selection, scan intention, composite codes)	Advanced Configurations
Migration between major SDK versions	6 → 7 · 7 → 8
Full API reference	BarcodeCapture API (.NET Android)

API surface this skill covers

All classes with :available: dotnet.android in the official RST docs are addressed in references/integration.md:

• BarcodeCapture — Create(context, settings), Create(settings), Enabled, PointOfInterest, Feedback, BarcodeCaptureLicenseInfo, Context, static RecommendedCameraSettings, ApplySettingsAsync, AddListener / RemoveListener, events BarcodeScanned / SessionUpdated.
• BarcodeCaptureSettings — Create(), EnableSymbology, EnableSymbologies(ICollection<Symbology>), EnableSymbologies(CompositeType), GetSymbologySettings, EnabledSymbologies, EnabledCompositeTypes, CodeDuplicateFilter, LocationSelection, BatterySaving, ScanIntention, SetProperty / GetProperty<T> / TryGetProperty<T>.
• BarcodeCaptureFeedback — static DefaultFeedback, Success.
• BarcodeCaptureSession — NewlyRecognizedBarcode, NewlyLocalizedBarcodes, FrameSequenceId, Reset().
• IBarcodeCaptureListener — OnObservationStarted, OnObservationStopped, OnBarcodeScanned, OnSessionUpdated.
• BarcodeCaptureEventArgs — BarcodeCapture, Session, FrameData.
• BarcodeCaptureLicenseInfo — LicensedSymbologies.
• BarcodeCaptureOverlay — Create(barcodeCapture, view), Create(barcodeCapture), Brush, static DefaultBrush, Viewfinder, ShouldShowScanAreaGuides, SetProperty.