Editing PDF417 (section)

{{short description|Type of barcode}}
{{pp-semi-indef|small=yes}}

{{distinguish|Portable Document Format}}

[[File:Wikipedia PDF417.png|alt=|right|thumb|Sample of a PDF417 symbol]]

'''PDF417''' is a stacked linear [[barcode]] format used in a variety of applications such as transport, identification cards, and inventory management. "PDF" stands for ''Portable Data File'', while "417" signifies that each pattern in the code consists of 4 bars and spaces in a pattern that is 17 units (modules) long.

The PDF417 symbology was invented by Dr. Ynjiun P. Wang at [[Symbol Technologies]] in 1991.<ref>{{cite patent | inventor1-last= Wang | inventor1-first= Ynjiun P. | title= System for Encoding and Decoding Data in Machine Readable Graphic Form | fdate= 1992-03-16 | pubdate= 1993-09-07 | country= US | number= 5243655}}</ref> It is defined in ISO 15438.