Quickly Generate QR Codes in PHP Using phpqrcode

During PHP development you may need to generate QR codes, a popular encoding method for mobile devices. This article shows how to quickly create QR codes using the open‑source phpqrcode library.

First, download the library and copy it into your project folder. The key file is qrlib.php, which must be included in your script.

Below is a simple example that generates a QR code displaying the text "I love PHP":

<?php
// Include the qrlib file
include 'phpqrcode/qrlib.php';

$text = "I love PHP";
// Generate QR code and output as PNG
QRcode::png($text);

The QRcode::png() method outputs a QR code image directly to the browser. The generated image can be scanned to reveal the original text.

The full syntax of the png() function is:

QRcode::png($text, $file, $ecc, $pixel_Size, $frame_Size);

It accepts five parameters: $text: The message to encode (required). $file: Path to save the generated QR code image. $ecc: Error correction level (L, M, Q, H). $pixel_Size: Size of each QR code pixel. $frame_Size: Margin size around the QR code (1‑10).

Including qrlib.php is essential because it defines the QRcode class and its png() method. You can also generate the QR code into a file instead of outputting it directly.

After running the script, the QR code image appears (as shown in the article), and scanning it with a mobile device displays the text "I love PHP", demonstrating a simple and fast way to generate QR codes in PHP.