Barcode & SKU Management

Overview

The Barcode module gives each product and variation a stored barcode value, generates missing ones in the background, looks a product up from a scanned code, and builds a label payload for printing.

It is for stores that pick and pack their own stock and want a code they can scan back to a product. The module stores and resolves barcode values; drawing the bars and printing the sheet is left to the client that consumes the print payload.

Availability

Item	Value
Module key	barcode
Tier	Premium
Entitlement key	barcode
Admin tab	barcode, under Operations
Enabled option	aiowc_module_enabled_barcode (off until turned on)
REST namespace	aiowc/v1

Enabling the module creates its table, seeds the defaults and schedules the generate-missing job; disabling it unschedules the job.

Supported symbologies

Value	Symbology
code128	Code 128. Generated as a prefix, a numeric seed and a random alphanumeric suffix.
ean13	EAN-13, built with a pseudo-random 200–299 prefix (the internal-use range) and a check digit.
upc-a	UPC-A, built from the seed with a check digit.
code39	Code 39, seed plus a random alphanumeric suffix.

Generated EAN-13 and UPC-A values are internal codes: they are well formed and carry a valid check digit, but they are not registered with GS1 and are not usable as retail identifiers outside the store.

Generation is idempotent. If the product or variation already has a row, its existing value is returned unchanged. A newly built value that collides with an existing row is rebuilt, up to five attempts.

Settings

Stored in the bundled option row aiowc_bc_settings; legacy per-key options aiowc_bc_<key> are migrated on first read.

Stored key	Default	Meaning
enable_barcodes	true	Read and written by the settings routes and shown in the admin form.
barcode_type	code128	Symbology used when a barcode is generated from the product page, in bulk, or by the job.
auto_generate	true	Whether the background job fills in missing barcodes.
include_variations	true	Whether the job also generates codes for the variations of a variable product.

enable_barcodes is stored and returned, but no code path reads it: the product field, the REST routes and the job all run regardless of its value. Turning it off currently disables nothing.

Admin screen

The Barcode tab carries three cards:

• Settings — a form over the four settings above, validated in the browser and saved through the settings route.
• Generate for a product — generates and stores a barcode for a product or variation.
• Look up a code — resolves a code back to its product.

Product edit screen

On the WooCommerce product data panel, the module adds a barcode type select and a barcode value input to the Inventory tab, with a Generate button beside the field. The value is limited to 64 characters, and the save path verifies its own nonce.

Hook	What the module does
woocommerce_product_options_inventory_product_data	Renders the barcode type and value fields.
woocommerce_process_product_meta	Saves the submitted barcode.

REST API endpoints

All routes are on aiowc/v1 and require manage_woocommerce, plus a REST nonce on cookie-authenticated requests. The module has no public route: a scan is an authenticated staff action, not a shopper one.

Method	Path	Purpose	Required args
POST	/barcodes/generate	Generate and store a barcode; accepts variation_id and type.	product_id
GET	/barcodes/lookup	Find a barcode by sku or by value.	–
POST	/barcodes/scan	Resolve a scanned code to its product, variation, SKU, name and stock state.	value
POST	/barcodes/print	Build a label payload; layout is one of 4x6, 2x1, 3x2, a4-sheet, defaulting to 4x6.	ids
GET	/barcodes/settings	Read the settings above.	–
PUT / PATCH / POST	/barcodes/settings	Update the settings above.	–

POST /barcodes/print returns the chosen layout and, for each requested id, the barcode value, its type, the product name and the SKU. It returns no image and no PDF.

Database schema

Table	Holds
{prefix}aiowc_barcodes	One row per product or variation: the barcode value, its type and the owning ids.

Background jobs

Hook	Schedule	Work
aiowc_barcodes_generate_missing	Daily	Returns immediately when auto_generate is off. Otherwise generates codes for up to 200 products without one, and — when include_variations is on — up to 200 variations per variable product. Failures are logged, not raised.

Entitlement limits

barcode is an on/off grant with no per-code quota. The only bound is the job's batch size of 200 per run.

Health check

The module reports a warning when its table is missing or WooCommerce is inactive, and otherwise reports that it is functioning normally.