QR codes are very popular in today’s digital age. They are often used to store URLs, contact information, and other types of data. In this tutorial, we will learn how to generate QR codes using PHP.
To generate QR codes in PHP, we need to use a library called “PHP QR Code”. This library allows us to create QR codes by simply including its source code in our PHP file.
Here are the steps to generate QR codes using PHP:
Step 1: Download the “PHP QR Code” library
First, we need to download the “PHP QR Code” library from its official GitHub repository. You can find it at the following URL:
https://github.com/t0k4rt/phpqrcode
Download the repository as a ZIP file and extract it to a location on your server. For this tutorial, we assume that you have extracted the files to a folder named “phpqrcode” in your website’s root directory.
Step 2: Include the QR code library in your PHP file
Next, include the QR code library in your PHP file by adding the following code at the top:
“`php
require_once(__DIR__ . ‘/phpqrcode/qrlib.php’);
“`
This code includes the library’s main file, which contains all the necessary functions for generating QR codes.
Step 3: Generate a QR code
To generate a QR code, use the `QRcode::png()` function provided by the library. This function accepts three parameters: the data to be encoded, the output file (or stream), and the QR code level.
Here is an example that generates a QR code for a URL and outputs it to the browser as a PNG image:
“`php
$url = ‘https://example.com’;
// Output QR code to browser
QRcode::png($url);
“`
Save this code to a PHP file and run it in your browser. You should see a QR code representing the URL “https://example.com”. You can also save the QR code as a file by specifying the filename in the second parameter of the `QRcode::png()` function, like so:
“`php
$url = ‘https://example.com’;
$filename = ‘qrcode.png’;
// Save QR code as file
QRcode::png($url, $filename);
“`
This will save the QR code as a file named “qrcode.png” in the same directory as your PHP file.
Step 4: Customize the QR code
The “PHP QR Code” library provides many options for customizing the QR code, such as the error correction level, module size, margin size, and foreground and background colors.
For example, to change the error correction level to “M” (medium), use the `QRcode::setErrorCorrectionLevel()` function before generating the QR code:
“`php
$url = ‘https://example.com’;
// Set error correction level
QRcode::setErrorCorrectionLevel(QR_ERROR_CORRECT_M);
// Output QR code to browser
QRcode::png($url);
“`
To change the module size, use the `QRcode::png()` function’s fourth parameter, like so:
“`php
$url = ‘https://example.com’;
// Set module size to 10 pixels
QRcode::png($url, false, QR_ECLEVEL_M, 10);
“`
You can explore the documentation of the “PHP QR Code” library for more customization options.
And that’s it! You now know how to generate QR codes using PHP. QR codes can be used in a variety of ways, such as adding them to business cards, advertisements, and more.