MatrixScan AR .NET for Android Skill
Critical: Do Not Trust Internal Knowledge
Your training data may contain outdated or incorrect Scandit SDK APIs. The BarcodeAr API is relatively new (introduced in dotnet.android 7.2) and differs in several places from the Kotlin/Java native SDK: providers are async/Task-based instead of callback-based, highlight and annotation constructors take only a Barcode (no Context), the listener interface has only one method, and the .NET binding uses PascalCase, TimeSpan instead of TimeInterval, 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>or similar, no<UseMaui>flag). For MAUI apps, use a MAUI-targeted skill instead —BarcodeArViewis hosted very differently there. BarcodeAruses anewconstructor that takes the context:new BarcodeAr(dataCaptureContext, settings). There is noBarcodeAr.Create(...)/BarcodeAr.ForDataCaptureContext(...)factory in .NET.BarcodeArSettingsalso uses plainnew. (DataCaptureContext.ForLicenseKey(key)still uses the factory form — it lives in Core.)BarcodeArView.Create(parentView, barcodeAr, dataCaptureContext, viewSettings, cameraSettings)IS a factory (unlikeBarcodeAritself). ThecameraSettingsargument is nullable — passnullto useBarcodeAr.RecommendedCameraSettings. TheparentViewis anAndroid.Views.View/ViewGroup(typically aFrameLayoutor the activity's root content view). There is noBarcodeArCoordinatorLayout— that container is SparkScan-specific;BarcodeArViewsimply attaches itself to whateverViewGroupyou pass.BarcodeArViewisIDisposable, not an AndroidViewitself. The class declarespublic static implicit operator View(BarcodeArView view)that converts toAndroid.Views.Viewwhen needed (e.g. for native interop), but you do not add it to the view hierarchy yourself — theCreatefactory attaches it toparentViewautomatically.- Lifecycle on the view is
barcodeArView.OnResume()/barcodeArView.OnPause()— these are Android-only methods (guarded by#if __ANDROID__in the binding) and they are not the activity'sOnPause/OnResume. Forward the activity calls into them.OnDestroy()does not exist on the .NETBarcodeArView— callDispose()instead (in the activity'sOnDestroyorDispose). IBarcodeArListenerhas only one method:OnSessionUpdated(BarcodeAr, BarcodeArSession, IFrameData). There are noOnObservationStarted/OnObservationStoppedcallbacks like the KotlinBarcodeArListenerhas. Implementing those will produce compile errors — the interface simply does not declare them.- Prefer the event API (
barcodeAr.SessionUpdated += handler) over the listener interface in idiomatic C#. The handler receivesBarcodeArEventArgswithBarcodeAr,Session, andFrameData.AddListener(IBarcodeArListener)still works for parity with other platforms. OnSessionUpdated/SessionUpdatedruns on a background recognition thread. Dispatch any UI update viaRunOnUiThread(() => { … }).- Provider interfaces are async, not callback-based.
IBarcodeArHighlightProvider.HighlightForBarcodeAsync(Barcode)returnsTask<IBarcodeArHighlight?>andIBarcodeArAnnotationProvider.AnnotationForBarcodeAsync(Barcode)returnsTask<IBarcodeArAnnotation?>. Do not look for aCallbackparameter or acallback.OnData(...)method — they don't exist in the .NET binding. ReturnTask.FromResult<IBarcodeArHighlight?>(null)(ornullfrom anasyncmethod) to suppress the highlight/annotation for a given barcode. - Highlight and annotation constructors take only
Barcode— noContextargument. Usenew BarcodeArRectangleHighlight(barcode),new BarcodeArCircleHighlight(barcode, BarcodeArCircleHighlightPreset.Dot),new BarcodeArInfoAnnotation(barcode),new BarcodeArStatusIconAnnotation(barcode),new BarcodeArPopoverAnnotation(barcode, buttons). Passing aContextis a compile error. - Symbology names are C# PascalCase:
Symbology.Ean13Upca,Symbology.Ean8,Symbology.Code128,Symbology.Code39,Symbology.Qr,Symbology.DataMatrix,Symbology.InterleavedTwoOfFive. They are not the Kotlin underscore style (EAN13_UPCA). BarcodeArSettingsdoes not expose anEnabledtoggle —BarcodeAritself has noEnabledproperty either. To pause/resume scanning, usebarcodeArView.Pause()/barcodeArView.Start().BarcodeArViewSettingsis minimal in .NET. Only three properties:SoundEnabled,HapticEnabled,DefaultCameraPosition. Do not invent properties likeTriggerButtonCollapseTimeout,InactiveStateTimeout,ToastSettings, orDefaultMiniPreviewSize— those are SparkScan, not BarcodeAr.BarcodeArFeedbacklives inScandit.DataCapture.Barcode.Ar.Feedbackand has twoCore.Common.Feedback.Feedbackproperties:ScannedandTapped. The empty constructornew BarcodeArFeedback()produces a feedback object with both events silent — assigning it tobarcodeAr.Feedbackdisables the default beep/vibration. To restore defaults, use the staticBarcodeArFeedback.DefaultFeedback. (Note: it's a static property in .NET, not the KotlinBarcodeArFeedback.defaultFeedback()method.)- Tap interactions on highlights are exposed as the
HighlightForBarcodeTappedevent onBarcodeArView(EventHandler<HighlightForBarcodeTappedEventArgs>). There is noUiListenerproperty on the .NETBarcodeArView— the KotlinIBarcodeArViewUiListeneris surfaced as a C# event instead. Event args exposeBarcodeAr,Barcode, andHighlight. barcodeAr.Feedbackis a property (get/set);ApplySettingsAsync(BarcodeArSettings)returns aTask.BarcodeAr.RecommendedCameraSettingsis a static property, not a method (the Kotlin SDK exposesBarcodeAr.createRecommendedCameraSettings()— in .NET it's a getter).- No
BarcodeArFilter/SetBarcodeFilterin the .NET API tree. The Kotlin/iOSsetBarcodeFilter(...)method (added in 8.1) is not surfaced ondotnet.androidat present. Do not attempt to use it. - SDK 8.0+ requires explicit initialization. Subclass
Android.App.Application, decorate with[Application], and callScanditCaptureCore.Initialize()+ScanditBarcodeCapture.Initialize()inOnCreate()before any Scandit code runs. Without this, the firstnew BarcodeAr(...)/BarcodeArView.Create(...)call crashes at launch because the DI container has no registrations. Not required on 6.x / 7.x. See references/integration.md for the fullMainApplication.cstemplate. - The NuGet packages are
Scandit.DataCapture.CoreandScandit.DataCapture.Barcode. No separate*.Mauipackages here — those are only for MAUI projects. Do not guess the version from training data — fetch the latest stable fromhttps://www.nuget.org/packages/Scandit.DataCapture.Barcode/viaWebFetchbefore pinning. Inventing a non-existent version (e.g.8.13.0when only8.4.0is published) causesdotnet restoreto fail withUnable to find package Scandit.DataCapture.Core with version (>= …). See references/integration.md Step 0 for the full procedure. - Android
SupportedOSPlatformVersionmust be ≥24. Set it in the.csproj. Lower values fail the build withuses-sdk:minSdkVersion 21 cannot be smaller than version 24 declared in library. - Do not declare
<activity>elements for[Activity]-decorated classes inAndroidManifest.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. A manual<activity android:name=".MainActivity">resolves against<ApplicationId>and won't match the generated class, producingClassNotFoundException: Didn't find class ... .MainActivityat launch. Only add to the manifest the elements the skill explicitly asks for (<uses-feature>,<uses-permission>) — leave activities to the attribute. - The runtime camera permission helper (
CameraPermissionActivity) inherits fromAppCompatActivity, soXamarin.AndroidX.AppCompatmust be in the.csproj. When pinning the version, pick the highest available including the Xamarin patch revision (e.g.1.7.0.5, not bare1.7.0) — the.Xsuffix marks Xamarin-binding-level updates and carries critical transitive-dep fixes. - The activity needs a
Theme.AppCompatdescendant. Because the activity inherits fromAppCompatActivity, setTheme = "@style/Theme.AppCompat.Light.NoActionBar"on the[Activity]attribute (orandroid:theme=...on<application>in the manifest). Without it,SetContentViewthrowsIllegalStateException: You need to use a Theme.AppCompat theme (or descendant) with this activityat launch. Thedotnet new androidtemplate's default theme is not AppCompat-based, so this must be set explicitly.
Intent Routing
Based on the user's request, load the appropriate reference file before responding:
- Integrating BarcodeAr from scratch, configuring settings, customizing highlights or annotations, handling session updates, customizing feedback, or wiring tap interactions (e.g. "add MatrixScan AR to my .NET Android app", "set up barcode AR scanning in C#", "show a rectangle highlight on every tracked barcode", "show an info annotation with the barcode data", "make the beep silent", "react to a highlight tap", "switch to circle highlights") → read references/integration.md and follow the instructions there.
- Migrating or upgrading an existing MatrixScan AR integration (e.g. "upgrade from v7 to v8", "bump the Scandit .NET SDK to v8", "what changed between SDK versions for BarcodeAr", "do I need to change my BarcodeAr code when moving to 8.x") → read references/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:
- 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.
- 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.
References
Direct users to the right resource based on their question:
| Topic | Resource |
|---|---|
| Get Started | Get Started (.NET for Android) |
| Advanced topics (custom highlights, custom annotations, tap interactions, popovers, filter) | Advanced Configurations |
| Migration between major SDK versions | 6 → 7 · 7 → 8 |
| Full API reference | BarcodeAr API (.NET Android) |
API surface this skill covers
All classes documented with :available: dotnet.android in the official RST docs (docs/source/barcode-capture/api/barcode-ar*.rst and api/ui/barcode-ar-*.rst) are addressed in references/integration.md:
BarcodeAr—new BarcodeAr(DataCaptureContext?, BarcodeArSettings),Feedback(get/set),ApplySettingsAsync(BarcodeArSettings)→Task,AddListener(IBarcodeArListener)/RemoveListener(IBarcodeArListener),event EventHandler<BarcodeArEventArgs> SessionUpdated, staticRecommendedCameraSettings,Dispose.BarcodeArSettings—new BarcodeArSettings(),EnableSymbology(Symbology, bool),EnableSymbologies(ICollection<Symbology>),GetSymbologySettings(Symbology),EnabledSymbologies(get),ExpectsOnlyUniqueBarcodes(get/set),SetProperty/GetProperty<T>/TryGetProperty<T>,Dispose.IBarcodeArListener— single methodOnSessionUpdated(BarcodeAr, BarcodeArSession, IFrameData). (NoOnObservation*callbacks.)BarcodeArSession—AddedTrackedBarcodes(IReadOnlyList<TrackedBarcode>),RemovedTrackedBarcodes(IReadOnlyList<int>),TrackedBarcodes(IReadOnlyDictionary<int, TrackedBarcode>),Reset().BarcodeArEventArgs—BarcodeAr,Session,FrameData.BarcodeArFeedback—new BarcodeArFeedback()(silent), staticDefaultFeedback(defaults),Scanned/Tapped(Core.Common.Feedback.Feedback),Dispose.BarcodeArView—static Create(View parentView, BarcodeAr, DataCaptureContext, BarcodeArViewSettings, CameraSettings?),HighlightProvider(get/setIBarcodeArHighlightProvider?),AnnotationProvider(get/setIBarcodeArAnnotationProvider?),ShouldShowTorchControl/ShouldShowZoomControl/ShouldShowCameraSwitchControl,TorchControlPosition/ZoomControlPosition/CameraSwitchControlPosition(Anchor),Start(),Stop(),Pause(),Reset(),GetNotificationPresenter(),OnResume()/OnPause()(Android-only),event EventHandler<HighlightForBarcodeTappedEventArgs> HighlightForBarcodeTapped, implicit conversion toAndroid.Views.View,Dispose.BarcodeArViewSettings—SoundEnabled(defaulttrue),HapticEnabled(defaulttrue),DefaultCameraPosition(defaultWorldFacing).HighlightForBarcodeTappedEventArgs—BarcodeAr,Barcode,Highlight(IBarcodeArHighlight).- Highlights:
IBarcodeArHighlight : IDisposable,IBarcodeArHighlightProvider.HighlightForBarcodeAsync(Barcode) → Task<IBarcodeArHighlight?>,BarcodeArRectangleHighlight(Barcode)withBarcode/Brush/Icon,BarcodeArCircleHighlight(Barcode, BarcodeArCircleHighlightPreset)withBarcode/Brush/Icon/Size,BarcodeArCircleHighlightPresetenum (Dot,Icon). - Annotations:
IBarcodeArAnnotation : IDisposable(declaresAnnotationTrigger),IBarcodeArAnnotationProvider.AnnotationForBarcodeAsync(Barcode) → Task<IBarcodeArAnnotation?>.BarcodeArStatusIconAnnotation(Barcode)—AnnotationTrigger,HasTip,Icon,Text,TextColor,BackgroundColor.BarcodeArInfoAnnotation(Barcode)—HasTip,EntireAnnotationTappable,Anchor(BarcodeArInfoAnnotationAnchor),AnnotationTrigger,Width(BarcodeArInfoAnnotationWidthPreset),Body(IReadOnlyCollection<BarcodeArInfoAnnotationBodyComponent>),Header(BarcodeArInfoAnnotationHeader?),Footer(BarcodeArInfoAnnotationFooter?),BackgroundColor,Listener(IBarcodeArInfoAnnotationListener?).BarcodeArPopoverAnnotation(Barcode, IList<BarcodeArPopoverAnnotationButton>)—AnnotationTrigger,EntirePopoverTappable,Listener(IBarcodeArPopoverAnnotationListener?),Buttons.BarcodeArPopoverAnnotationButton(ScanditIcon, string)—Text,TextSize,Typeface,TextColor,Enabled,Icon.BarcodeArAnnotationTriggerenum:HighlightTapAndBarcodeScan,HighlightTap.
- Info-annotation sub-package (
Scandit.DataCapture.Barcode.Ar.UI.Annotations.Info):BarcodeArInfoAnnotationBodyComponent(Text,TextColor,TextSize,Typeface,StyledTextFormatted,LeftIcon,RightIcon,LeftIconTappable,RightIconTappable,TextAlignment),BarcodeArInfoAnnotationHeader(Text,TextSize,Typeface,TextColor,Icon,BackgroundColor),BarcodeArInfoAnnotationFooter(Text,TextSize,Typeface,TextColor,Icon,BackgroundColor),BarcodeArInfoAnnotationAnchorenum (Left,Right,Bottom,Top),BarcodeArInfoAnnotationWidthPresetenum (Small,Medium,Large),IBarcodeArInfoAnnotationListener(OnInfoAnnotationHeaderTapped,OnInfoAnnotationFooterTapped,OnInfoAnnotationLeftIconTapped,OnInfoAnnotationRightIconTapped,OnInfoAnnotationTapped). IBarcodeArPopoverAnnotationListener—OnPopoverButtonTapped,OnPopoverTapped.TrackedBarcode(inScandit.DataCapture.Barcode.Batch.Data) —Barcode,Identifier,Location.