Hello everyone, I’m Cayden. Today I’ll share a QR code generator tool I just launched: QrCay. There are actually many QR code tools on the market. After using them, I found that although everyone does a good job with QR code generation functionality, every time I generate a QR code, when I come back next time, I find that my previously generated QR code is gone, and I need to regenerate it, which is very troublesome.
Many tools don’t provide QR code generation record saving functionality. The main issue is that in my daily work, I need to switch between multiple QR codes, and I have to regenerate them every time, which is very troublesome. And these QR codes are actually quite commonly used, but I don’t want to download them. I hope there’s a place where I can maintain my QR codes and access them anytime, anywhere.
So I developed this tool that can generate QR codes and save QR code generation records, and can be accessed anytime, anywhere.
The website saves QR code records, but because there’s no login system currently, QR code records are saved in the browser’s local storage, so if the browser clears cache, the QR code records will disappear. Records support deletion and QR code download.
Website Name#
The website is called QrCay because my name is Cayden, Qr is the abbreviation for QR code, so the website name is QrCay. Cayden means “small island,” so the寓意 is “QR code island.”
Features#
1. QR Code Generation#
- Multiple formats - Text, URL, email, phone, SMS
- Customizable design - Colors, size, error correction level
- High quality - Vector-based generation
- Instant preview - Real-time QR code generation
2. Record Management#
- Local storage - Save QR codes in browser
- History tracking - View all generated QR codes
- Quick access - Easy retrieval of saved codes
- Delete functionality - Remove unwanted records
3. Download Options#
- Multiple formats - PNG, SVG, PDF
- High resolution - Suitable for printing
- Batch download - Download multiple codes at once
- Custom naming - Organize downloaded files
Technical Implementation#
1. Frontend Technology#
// QR Code generation using qrcode library
import QRCode from 'qrcode';
const generateQRCode = async (text, options) => {
try {
const qrCodeDataURL = await QRCode.toDataURL(text, {
width: 300,
margin: 2,
color: {
dark: '#000000',
light: '#FFFFFF'
},
errorCorrectionLevel: 'M'
});
return qrCodeDataURL;
} catch (error) {
console.error('QR Code generation failed:', error);
throw error;
}
};
2. Local Storage Management#
// Save QR code to local storage
const saveQRCode = (qrData) => {
const existingCodes = JSON.parse(localStorage.getItem('qrCodes') || '[]');
const newCode = {
id: Date.now(),
text: qrData.text,
type: qrData.type,
dataURL: qrData.dataURL,
createdAt: new Date().toISOString()
};
existingCodes.unshift(newCode);
localStorage.setItem('qrCodes', JSON.stringify(existingCodes));
return newCode;
};
// Retrieve QR codes from local storage
const getQRCodes = () => {
return JSON.parse(localStorage.getItem('qrCodes') || '[]');
};
// Delete QR code from local storage
const deleteQRCode = (id) => {
const existingCodes = getQRCodes();
const filteredCodes = existingCodes.filter(code => code.id !== id);
localStorage.setItem('qrCodes', JSON.stringify(filteredCodes));
};
3. Download Functionality#
// Download QR code as image
const downloadQRCode = (dataURL, filename) => {
const link = document.createElement('a');
link.download = filename;
link.href = dataURL;
document.body.appendChild(link);
link.click();
document.body.removeChild(link);
};
// Download QR code as SVG
const downloadQRCodeSVG = (text, filename) => {
const svg = generateQRCodeSVG(text);
const blob = new Blob([svg], { type: 'image/svg+xml' });
const url = URL.createObjectURL(blob);
const link = document.createElement('a');
link.download = filename;
link.href = url;
document.body.appendChild(link);
link.click();
document.body.removeChild(link);
URL.revokeObjectURL(url);
};
User Experience Features#
1. Intuitive Interface#
- Clean design - Simple and easy to use
- Responsive layout - Works on all devices
- Fast generation - Instant QR code creation
- Visual feedback - Clear success/error states
2. QR Code Types#
- Text - Plain text content
- URL - Website links
- Email - Email addresses with subject/body
- Phone - Phone numbers
- SMS - Text messages with phone numbers
- WiFi - Network credentials
- Contact - vCard information
3. Customization Options#
- Size - Adjustable QR code dimensions
- Colors - Custom foreground and background colors
- Error correction - Different error correction levels
- Logo - Add company logos to QR codes
Use Cases#
1. Business Applications#
- Marketing materials - Add QR codes to flyers and brochures
- Product packaging - Link to product information
- Event management - Quick access to event details
- Contact sharing - Easy business card exchange
2. Personal Use#
- Social media - Share profiles and content
- WiFi sharing - Share network credentials
- Contact information - Quick contact sharing
- Website promotion - Drive traffic to websites
3. Educational#
- Classroom activities - Interactive learning materials
- Resource sharing - Quick access to educational content
- Student projects - Creative QR code applications
- Research - Data collection and sharing
Future Enhancements#
1. User Accounts#
- Cloud storage - Save QR codes in the cloud
- Cross-device sync - Access codes from any device
- Collaboration - Share codes with team members
- Backup - Automatic backup of QR codes
2. Advanced Features#
- Bulk generation - Create multiple codes at once
- Templates - Pre-designed QR code styles
- Analytics - Track QR code usage
- API access - Programmatic QR code generation
3. Integration#
- Social media - Direct sharing to platforms
- Email - Send QR codes via email
- Print services - Order printed QR codes
- Mobile app - Native mobile application
Technical Challenges#
1. Browser Compatibility#
- Local storage limits - Managing storage space
- Cross-browser support - Ensuring compatibility
- Mobile optimization - Touch-friendly interface
- Performance - Fast generation and rendering
2. Data Management#
- Storage optimization - Efficient data storage
- Data migration - Handling storage changes
- Backup strategies - Data protection
- Privacy - User data security
3. User Experience#
- Loading states - Smooth user interactions
- Error handling - Graceful error management
- Accessibility - Inclusive design
- Performance - Fast and responsive
Best Practices#
1. QR Code Design#
- High contrast - Ensure readability
- Adequate size - Minimum 2cm x 2cm
- Error correction - Use appropriate levels
- Testing - Verify with multiple devices
2. Content Optimization#
- Short URLs - Use URL shorteners
- Clear purpose - Make content obvious
- Mobile-friendly - Ensure mobile compatibility
- Fallback - Provide alternative access methods
3. User Experience#
- Clear instructions - Guide users through the process
- Visual feedback - Show generation progress
- Error messages - Helpful error descriptions
- Help documentation - Provide usage guidance
Conclusion#
QrCay is a QR code generator tool designed to solve the common problem of losing generated QR codes. Key features include:
Core Benefits:#
- Persistent storage - Save QR codes locally
- Easy access - Retrieve codes anytime
- Multiple formats - Support various QR code types
- Download options - Export in different formats
- User-friendly - Simple and intuitive interface
Technical Highlights:#
- Modern web technologies - React, JavaScript, CSS
- Local storage - Browser-based data persistence
- Responsive design - Works on all devices
- Fast generation - Instant QR code creation
- Customizable - Various design options
Future Vision:#
- Cloud integration - Cross-device synchronization
- Advanced features - Analytics and collaboration
- Mobile app - Native mobile experience
- API access - Programmatic integration
- Enterprise features - Team and organization support
The tool addresses a real need in the QR code generation space by providing persistent storage and easy access to generated codes. While many tools focus on generation, QrCay emphasizes the importance of maintaining and accessing QR codes over time.
For anyone who frequently uses QR codes and needs to maintain a collection of them, QrCay provides a simple, effective solution that keeps your codes organized and accessible.