How To Send a PCL or PostScript File Directly to a Printer with Visual Basic (298141)

MORE INFORMATION

Step-by-Step Example

1. Start a new Standard EXE project in Visual Basic. Form1 is created by default.
2. Place two Command Buttons, Command1 and Command2, onto Form1.
3. Add the following code to the code window of Form1:

   Option Explicit
     
   ' Modify FILE_NAME to point to a valid path and file name on your system.
   Const FILE_NAME = "C:\TEST.PRN"  
   
   Private Type DOCINFO
     pDocName As String
     pOutputFile As String
     pDatatype As String
   End Type
   
   Private Declare Function ClosePrinter Lib "winspool.drv" (ByVal _
     hPrinter As Long) As Long
     
   Private Declare Function EndDocPrinter Lib "winspool.drv" (ByVal _
     hPrinter As Long) As Long
     
   Private Declare Function EndPagePrinter Lib "winspool.drv" (ByVal _
     hPrinter As Long) As Long
     
   Private Declare Function OpenPrinter Lib "winspool.drv" Alias _
     "OpenPrinterA" (ByVal pPrinterName As String, phPrinter As Long, _
     ByVal pDefault As Long) As Long
     
   Private Declare Function StartDocPrinter Lib "winspool.drv" Alias _
     "StartDocPrinterA" (ByVal hPrinter As Long, ByVal Level As Long, _
     pDocInfo As DOCINFO) As Long
     
   Private Declare Function StartPagePrinter Lib "winspool.drv" (ByVal _
     hPrinter As Long) As Long
     
   Private Declare Function WritePrinter Lib "winspool.drv" (ByVal _
     hPrinter As Long, pBuf As Any, ByVal cdBuf As Long, _
     pcWritten As Long) As Long
   
   Private Sub Command1_Click()
     Dim lhPrinter As Long
     Dim lReturn As Long
     Dim lpcWritten As Long
     Dim lDoc As Long
     Dim sWrittenData As String
     Dim MyDocInfo As DOCINFO
     lReturn = OpenPrinter(Printer.DeviceName, lhPrinter, 0)
     If lReturn = 0 Then
         MsgBox "The Printer " & Printer.DeviceName & " could not be opened!"
         Exit Sub
     End If
     MyDocInfo.pDocName = "My Document"
     MyDocInfo.pOutputFile = vbNullString
     MyDocInfo.pDatatype = vbNullString
     lDoc = StartDocPrinter(lhPrinter, 1, MyDocInfo)
     Call StartPagePrinter(lhPrinter)
     sWrittenData = "How's that for Magic !!!!" & vbFormFeed
     lReturn = WritePrinter(lhPrinter, ByVal sWrittenData, _
        Len(sWrittenData), lpcWritten)
     lReturn = EndPagePrinter(lhPrinter)
     lReturn = EndDocPrinter(lhPrinter)
     lReturn = ClosePrinter(lhPrinter)
   End Sub
   
   Private Sub Command2_Click()
     Dim lhPrinter As Long
     Dim lReturn As Long
     Dim lpcWritten As Long
     Dim lDoc As Long
     Dim sWrittenData As String
     Dim MyDocInfo As DOCINFO
     
     Dim NumLoops As Long     ' number of 8k loops
     Dim LeftOver As Integer  ' amount of file left
     Dim i As Integer         ' counter for loops
     Const MaxSize = 8192     ' maximum buffer size
     
     lReturn = OpenPrinter(Printer.DeviceName, lhPrinter, 0)
     If lReturn = 0 Then
         MsgBox "The Printer Name you typed wasn't recognized."
         Exit Sub
     End If
     MyDocInfo.pDocName = "My Document"
     MyDocInfo.pOutputFile = vbNullString
     MyDocInfo.pDatatype = vbNullString
     lDoc = StartDocPrinter(lhPrinter, 1, MyDocInfo)
     ' Make sure that FILE_NAME points to a valid PCL or PostScript file on your system.
     Open FILE_NAME For Binary As #1
     
     ' Calculate size of file and amount left over.
     NumLoops = LOF(1) \ MaxSize
     LeftOver = LOF(1) Mod MaxSize
     
     For i = 1 To NumLoops
       sWrittenData = Input(MaxSize, #1)
       lReturn = WritePrinter(lhPrinter, ByVal sWrittenData, _
                     Len(sWrittenData), lpcWritten)
     Next
     
     ' Grab what is left over.
     If LeftOver <> 0 Then
       sWrittenData = Input(LeftOver, #1)
       lReturn = WritePrinter(lhPrinter, ByVal sWrittenData, _
                         Len(sWrittenData), lpcWritten)
     End If
     
     Close #1
     lReturn = EndDocPrinter(lhPrinter)
     lReturn = ClosePrinter(lhPrinter)
   End Sub
   
   Private Sub Form_Load()
     Command1.Caption = "Print a String"
     Command2.Caption = "Print a File"
   End Sub
   					

4. Assign the constant FILE_NAME in the code with your own PCL or PostScript path and file name.
5. Run the project. Click Print a String, which prints a string to the printer. Click Print a File to read and print a PCL or PostScript file directly to the printer.