The invention relates to an optoelectronic measurement method for determining a position, particularly an angle or a length, of a code carrier (10) that carries a position code (11) and is movable relative to a detector element (30) with a degree of freedom, particularly in a rotary or translational fashion. The detector element (30) has at least one line in the longitudinal direction comprising a plurality of light-sensitive receiving regions (31) disposed in a linear fashion. In the course of the positional measurement method, a projection is produced of part of the position code (11) on the detector element (30) that is dependent on the position of the code carrier (10); said projection is produced by at least an emission of optical radiation onto the code carrier (10) using a laser diode (20) having an emitter edge (21), and said projection is detected by the detector element (30). The position of the code carrier (10) relative to the detector element (30) is derived from the projection. According to the invention, in the projection on the detector element (30) thus produced, the axis of divergence of the laser diode emission (26) running perpendicular to the emitter edge (21) has a substantially parallel orientation to the longitudinal axis (34) of the detector element (30).