I need some help here

[Guest]

Hi,
I found this code that can solve a problem I have. It sends print direct to
printer.

Imports System
Imports System.Text
Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices

<StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)> _
Public Structure DOCINFO<MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPWStr)>
Public pDocName As String<MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPWStr)>
Public pOutputFile As String<MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPWStr)>
Public pDataType As String
End Structure 'DOCINFO

Public Class PrintDirect

<DllImport("winspool.drv", CharSet := CharSet.Unicode, ExactSpelling :=
False, CallingConvention := CallingConvention.StdCall)> _
Public Shared Function OpenPrinter(pPrinterName As String, ByRef phPrinter
As IntPtr, pDefault As Integer) As Long

<DllImport("winspool.drv", CharSet := CharSet.Unicode, ExactSpelling :=
False, CallingConvention := CallingConvention.StdCall)> _
Public Shared Function StartDocPrinter(hPrinter As IntPtr, Level As Integer,
ByRef pDocInfo As DOCINFO) As Long


<DllImport("winspool.drv", CharSet := CharSet.Unicode, ExactSpelling :=
True, CallingConvention := CallingConvention.StdCall)> _
Public Shared Function StartPagePrinter(hPrinter As IntPtr) As Long

<DllImport("winspool.drv", CharSet := CharSet.Ansi, ExactSpelling := True,
CallingConvention := CallingConvention.StdCall)> _
Public Shared Function WritePrinter(hPrinter As IntPtr, data As String, buf
As Integer, ByRef pcWritten As Integer) As Long

<DllImport("winspool.drv", CharSet := CharSet.Unicode, ExactSpelling :=
True, CallingConvention := CallingConvention.StdCall)> _
Public Shared Function EndPagePrinter(hPrinter As IntPtr) As Long

<DllImport("winspool.drv", CharSet := CharSet.Unicode, ExactSpelling :=
True, CallingConvention := CallingConvention.StdCall)> _
Public Shared Function EndDocPrinter(hPrinter As IntPtr) As Long

<DllImport("winspool.drv", CharSet := CharSet.Unicode, ExactSpelling :=
True, CallingConvention := CallingConvention.StdCall)> _
Public Shared Function ClosePrinter(hPrinter As IntPtr) As Long
End Class 'PrintDirect

Public Class App

Public Shared Sub Main()
Dim lhPrinter As New System.IntPtr()

Dim di As New DOCINFO()
Dim pcWritten As Integer = 0
Dim st1 As String
' text to print with a form feed character
st1 = "This is an example of printing directly to a printer" +
ControlChars.FormFeed
di.pDocName = "my test document"
di.pDataType = "RAW"
' the \x1b means an ascii escape character
st1 = ChrW(27) + "*c600a6b0P" + ControlChars.FormFeed
'lhPrinter contains the handle for the printer opened
'If lhPrinter is 0 then an error has occured
PrintDirect.OpenPrinter("\\192.168.1.101\hpl", lhPrinter, 0)
PrintDirect.StartDocPrinter(lhPrinter, 1, di)
PrintDirect.StartPagePrinter(lhPrinter)
Try
' Moves the cursor 900 dots (3 inches at 300 dpi) in from the left margin, and
' 600 dots (2 inches at 300 dpi) down from the top margin.
st1 = ChrW(27) + "*p900x600Y"
PrintDirect.WritePrinter(lhPrinter, st1, st1.Length, pcWritten)
' Using the print model commands for rectangle dimensions, "600a" specifies
a rectangle
' with a horizontal size or width of 600 dots, and "6b" specifies a vertical
' size or height of 6 dots. The 0P selects the solid black rectangular area
fill.
st1 = ChrW(27) + "*c600a6b0P"
PrintDirect.WritePrinter(lhPrinter, st1, st1.Length, pcWritten)
' Specifies a rectangle with width of 6 dots, height of 600 dots, and a
' fill pattern of solid black.
st1 = ChrW(27) + "*c6a600b0P"
PrintDirect.WritePrinter(lhPrinter, st1, st1.Length, pcWritten)
' Moves the current cursor position to 900 dots, from the left margin and
' 1200 dots down from the top margin.
st1 = ChrW(27) + "*p900x1200Y"
PrintDirect.WritePrinter(lhPrinter, st1, st1.Length, pcWritten)
' Specifies a rectangle with a width of 606 dots, a height of 6 dots and a
// fill pattern of solid black.
st1 = ChrW(27) + "*c606a6b0P"
PrintDirect.WritePrinter(lhPrinter, st1, st1.Length, pcWritten)
' Moves the current cursor position to 1500 dots from the left margin and
' 600 dots down from the top margin.
st1 = ChrW(27) + "*p1500x600Y"
PrintDirect.WritePrinter(lhPrinter, st1, st1.Length, pcWritten)
' Specifies a rectangle with a width of 6 dots, a height of 600 dots and a
' fill pattern of solid black.
st1 = ChrW(27) + "*c6a600b0P"
PrintDirect.WritePrinter(lhPrinter, st1, st1.Length, pcWritten) ' Send a
form feed character to the printer
st1 = ControlChars.FormFeed
PrintDirect.WritePrinter(lhPrinter, st1, st1.Length, pcWritten)
Catch e As Exception
Console.WriteLine(e.Message)
End Try
PrintDirect.EndPagePrinter(lhPrinter)
PrintDirect.EndDocPrinter(lhPrinter)
PrintDirect.ClosePrinter(lhPrinter)
End Sub 'Main
End Class 'App


It works fine. I now wanted to include a barcode so I added the foll code
between the "TRY" "CATCH"



Dim pbox As New PictureBox
Dim NewBarcode As IDAutomation.Windows.Forms.LinearBarCode.Barcode =
New Barcode
NewBarcode.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(148, 64)
NewBarcode.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(176, 7)
NewBarcode.Name = "NewBarcode"
NewBarcode.DataToEncode = "999928829"
NewBarcode.RefreshImage()
pbox.Image = NewBarcode.Picture

st1 = pbox.ToString
PrintDirect.WritePrinter(lhPrinter, st1, st1.Length, pcWritten)

st1 = ChrW(27) + "*p50x400Y"
PrintDirect.WritePrinter(lhPrinter, st1, st1.Length, pcWritten)

but that didn't work. The barcode dll was downloaded from
http://www.idautomation.com/formscontrols/LinearControlManual.html

I get the license prompt when I run my program but where the barcode should
be on the page have "System.Windows.Forms.PictureBox, SizeMode: Normal"

I guess there is a problem converting the barcode o string. How can I fix
this?

Thanks

 

[Nick Malik [Microsoft]]

The code that you are using goes around the driver. The driver is what
converts bitmaps to printer codes. Therefore, if you go around the driver,
you cannot send a bitmap to the printer.

Some printers have native support for barcodes and you use a printer code to
get it to print a barcode. I'm pretty sure this is the case with Zebra
printers.

--
--- Nick Malik [Microsoft]
MCSD, CFPS, Certified Scrummaster
http://blogs.msdn.com/nickmalik

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in this forum are my own, and not
representative of my employer.
I do not answer questions on behalf of my employer. I'm just a
programmer helping programmers.
--

 

[Guest]

Hi,
Where can I find code on using the driver instead? I want to print invoices
with a barcode on them. The invoice data will be pulled from database and
sent to printer.

Thanks

 

[Nick Malik [Microsoft]]

You need to use the System.Drawing.Printing class in order to print your
document using the print driver

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...-us/cpref/html/frlrfSystemDrawingPrinting.asp

On the bottom of that page, there is a long set of "related links". Three
of them are to code examples, in VB, for printing.

--
--- Nick Malik [Microsoft]
MCSD, CFPS, Certified Scrummaster
http://blogs.msdn.com/nickmalik

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in this forum are my own, and not
representative of my employer.
I do not answer questions on behalf of my employer. I'm just a
programmer helping programmers.

 

[Jeff Louie]

PictureBox.ToString() returns "System.Windows.Forms.PictureBox,
SizeMode: Normal"

You can extend PictureBox so that it draws itself:

[Serializable]
public class PictureBox : System.Windows.Forms.PictureBox,
IPrintElement
{
...

public bool Draw(IPrintEngine pe,
float xPos,
float yPos,
Graphics g,
RectangleF pageRect)
{
Bitmap myBitmap = new Bitmap(this.Image);

RectangleF destRectangle = new RectangleF(new
PointF(xPos+this.horizontalMargin,
yPos+this.verticalMargin),
this.Size);

g.DrawImage(myBitmap,destRectangle);

return false;
}


Regards,
Jeff