Print to / from file

Koger

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Jun 2, 2003, 5:55:51 AM6/2/03

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Hi

I'm looking for information how to print to a file and then print from the
file at a later point.

Printing to a file should not be a big issue, but how do I present the file
to the printer at a later moment ?

Any good links and comments will be much appreciated.

Eric Hill

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Jun 2, 2003, 9:26:57 AM6/2/03

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Since the printer could be a different type, save the information required
to *generate* the print, then render the print at a later time.

If this isn't an option, you can set a printer to print to a file, but I'm
not quite sure how to get it back to the printer later.

You could also look into the PDF format...

Just some ideas...

Eric

Ignacio Vazquez

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Jun 2, 2003, 9:27:27 AM6/2/03

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"Eric Hill" <er...@ijack.net> wrote in message
news:3edb4fcd$1...@newsgroups.borland.com...

> If this isn't an option, you can set a printer to print to a file, but I'm
> not quite sure how to get it back to the printer later.

Just copy it to the printer port.

> You could also look into the PDF format...

Always a good idea.

Cheers,
Ignacio

Peter Below (TeamB)

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Jun 2, 2003, 1:39:13 PM6/2/03

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In article <3edb...@newsgroups.borland.com>, Koger wrote:
>
> I'm looking for information how to print to a file and then print from the
> file at a later point.
>
> Printing to a file should not be a big issue, but how do I present the file
> to the printer at a later moment ?

You use the Winspool.WritePrinter function for that.

Printing a file directly to a printer in Win32, code by Joe Hecht.

Note that you have to include WinSpool in the uses clause.

procedure PrintFile(const sFileName: string);
const
BufSize = 16384;
type
TDoc_Info_1 = record
pDocName: pChar;
pOutputFile: pChar;
pDataType: pChar;
end;
var
Count, BytesWritten: cardinal;
hPrinter: THandle;
Device : array[0..255] of char;
Driver : array[0..255] of char;
Port : array[0..255] of char;
hDeviceMode: THandle;
DocInfo: TDoc_Info_1;
f: file;
Buffer: Pointer;
begin
Printer.PrinterIndex := -1;
Printer.GetPrinter(Device, Driver, Port, hDeviceMode);
if not WinSpool.OpenPrinter(@Device, hPrinter, nil) then exit;
DocInfo.pDocName := 'MyDocument';
DocInfo.pOutputFile := nil;
DocInfo.pDatatype := 'RAW';
if StartDocPrinter(hPrinter, 1, @DocInfo) = 0 then
begin
WinSpool.ClosePrinter(hPrinter);
exit;
end;
if not StartPagePrinter(hPrinter) then
begin
EndDocPrinter(hPrinter);
WinSpool.ClosePrinter(hPrinter);
exit;
end;
System.Assign(f, sFileName);
try
Reset(f, 1);
GetMem(Buffer, BufSize);
while not eof(f) do
begin
Blockread(f, Buffer^, BufSize, Count);
if Count > 0 then
begin
if not WritePrinter(hPrinter, Buffer, Count, BytesWritten) then
begin
EndPagePrinter(hPrinter);
EndDocPrinter(hPrinter);
WinSpool.ClosePrinter(hPrinter);
FreeMem(Buffer, BufSize);
exit;
end;
end;
end;
FreeMem(Buffer, BufSize);
EndDocPrinter(hPrinter);
WinSpool.ClosePrinter(hPrinter);
finally
System.Closefile( f );
end;
end;

</quote>

--
Peter Below (TeamB)
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