How to access the printer from a console?

35183 · #1 10-Sep-2006, 05:00

I found the following code and used it to access the printer and nothing happens, I tryed it on Windows XP and Windows 98 and still nothing happens.
I've compiled the program using and Microsoft Visuall C++ 6.0 and DEV - C++. I want it to print to a usb printer.

I found the code on this page, http://personal.stevens.edu/~ckintala/CPE-360/UsingVC.doc. And when reading the what it says again I think I know what the problem is, although I don't know what I should do! eg "It assumes that the printer is capable of accepting plain text. For example, a PostScript printer will not print unless the data comes through a PostScript printer driver. The code above does not make use of any drivers."

CPP / C++ / C Code:

      
 #include <fstream.h>

       int main()

    { 
       ofstream print; // stream variable declaration 
       print.open("LPT1"); // open stream

       // Print Text (the character ‘\f’ will produce a form feed) 
       print << "This text will print on the printer.\f"; 
       print.close(); // close stream 
       return 0; 
    }

MichaelS-R · #2 10-Sep-2006, 13:50

I don't play with Microsoft stuff at all but there must be a library to handle printing... Have you had a Google for it?

35183 · #3 11-Sep-2006, 10:46

I found the following code, it does exactly what I want it to do, it even accesses usb printers! Although there is one thing I want it to do, so my program is finished completely. As you can see it is a demo program, and it prints out the same message repeateadly. Although when I try to modify, it want print what i want, I get no output.

CPP / C++ / C Code:

#include <iostream.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <windows.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

static HDC     Prn_hDC;
static long    Prn_FontMetrix;
static long    Prn_LineCtr;
static long    Prn_PrinterOn;
static HFONT   Prn_hFont;
static HFONT   Prn_hFontOld;
static DOCINFO Prn_di;
static LOGFONT Prn_Lf;
static TEXTMETRIC Prn_tm;
static char    Prn_Text[2048];
static char    Prn_Buffer[2048];

// prototypes
char *BCX_TmpStr(size_t);
char *mid (char*, int, int=-1);
char *left (char*, int);
char *extract (char*, char*);
char *str (double);
int  PrinterOpen  (void);
void PrinterWrite (char*);
void EjectPage    (void);
void PrinterClose (void);


//using namespace std;

int main()
{
        int k;

        cout << "Make sure your printer is connected and on!\n";

        PrinterOpen();

        // use five lines as top margin
        for(k = 0; k < 5; k++)
        PrinterWrite(" ");

        // print next 50 lines of goofy text
        for(k = 1; k <= 50; k++)
        {
					 sprintf(Prn_Buffer,"%s %2d %s","Printing line number", k,"    Zzzzzz ...");
					 PrinterWrite(Prn_Buffer);
        }
        //EjectPage();  // optional to clear out the printer

        PrinterClose();

        cin.get();  // wait
        return 0;
}


// circular storage to minimize memory leaks
char *BCX_TmpStr (size_t Bites)
{
        static int StrCnt;
        static char *StrFunc[2048];
        StrCnt = (StrCnt + 1) & 2047;
        if (StrFunc[StrCnt]) free (StrFunc[StrCnt]);
        return StrFunc[StrCnt] = (char*)calloc(Bites+128,sizeof(char));
}


// needed for word wrap feature
char *left (char *S, int length)
{
        register int tmplen = strlen(S);
        char *strtmp = BCX_TmpStr(tmplen);
        strcpy (strtmp,S);
        if (length > tmplen)
        strtmp[tmplen] = 0;
        else
        strtmp[length] = 0;
        return strtmp;
}


// needed for word wrap feature
char *mid (char *S, int start, int length)
{
        register int tmplen = strlen(S);
        char *strtmp;
        if (start > tmplen || start < 1) return BCX_TmpStr(1);
        if (length < 0) length = tmplen - start + 1;
        strtmp = BCX_TmpStr(length);
        strncpy(strtmp,&S[start-1],length);
        strtmp[length] = 0;
        return strtmp;
}


char *extract (char *mane, char *match)
{
        register char *a;
        register char *strtmp = BCX_TmpStr(strlen(mane));
        strcpy(strtmp,mane);
        a = strstr(mane,match);
		  if (a) strtmp[a-mane] = 0;
        return strtmp;
}


char *str (double d)
{
        register char *strtmp = BCX_TmpStr(16);
        sprintf(strtmp,"% .15G",d);
        return strtmp;
}


//
// set all the printer options including font
//
int PrinterOpen (void)
{
        int  PointSize = 12;
        char zPrinter[2048];

        GetProfileString("WINDOWS","DEVICE","",zPrinter,127);
        // extract up to the comma
        strcpy(zPrinter, (char*)extract(zPrinter,","));
        strcpy(Prn_Text,"Printing ...");
        Prn_hDC = CreateDC("",zPrinter,"",0);
        if (!Prn_hDC) return 0;
        Prn_di.cbSize = sizeof(Prn_di);
        Prn_di.lpszDocName = Prn_Text;
        StartDoc(Prn_hDC,&Prn_di);
        StartPage(Prn_hDC);
        SetTextAlign(Prn_hDC,TA_BASELINE | TA_NOUPDATECP | TA_LEFT);
        SetBkMode(Prn_hDC,TRANSPARENT);
        //
        // Prn_Lf deals with the font, got to play with this, if you
        // want a smaller or larger font size!  Don't forget to change
        // max lines and max char/line in PrinterWrite() accordingly
        //
        Prn_Lf.lfHeight = PointSize*GetDeviceCaps(Prn_hDC,LOGPIXELSY)/72;
        Prn_Lf.lfWidth = 0;
        Prn_Lf.lfEscapement = 0;
        Prn_Lf.lfOrientation = 0;
        Prn_Lf.lfWeight = FW_NORMAL;
        Prn_Lf.lfItalic = 0;
        Prn_Lf.lfUnderline = 0;
        Prn_Lf.lfStrikeOut = 0;
        Prn_Lf.lfCharSet = ANSI_CHARSET;
        Prn_Lf.lfOutPrecision = OUT_DEFAULT_PRECIS;
        Prn_Lf.lfClipPrecision = CLIP_DEFAULT_PRECIS;
        Prn_Lf.lfQuality = PROOF_QUALITY;
        Prn_Lf.lfPitchAndFamily = VARIABLE_PITCH | FF_ROMAN;
		  strcpy(Prn_Lf.lfFaceName,/*TEXT*/("Courier New"));
        Prn_hFont = CreateFontIndirect(&Prn_Lf);
        Prn_hFontOld = (HFONT)SelectObject(Prn_hDC,Prn_hFont);
        GetTextMetrics(Prn_hDC,&Prn_tm);
        Prn_FontMetrix = Prn_Lf.lfHeight;
        Prn_PrinterOn = 1;
        return 1;
}


void PrinterWrite (char *TextIn)
{
        int LPP = 60;  // max line numbers depending on font size
        int CPL = 80;  // max char/line depending on font size
        char sTemp[2048] = {0};
        if (!Prn_PrinterOn)
        {
                MessageBox (GetActiveWindow(),"Printer Problem!","",0);
                return;
        }
        strcpy(sTemp,TextIn);
        while(1)
        {
                // split text if it exceeds max line characters
                if (strlen(sTemp) > CPL)
                {
                        strcpy(Prn_Text, (char*)left(sTemp,CPL));
                        strcpy(sTemp, (char*)mid(sTemp,CPL+1));
                }
                else
                {
                        strcpy(Prn_Text,sTemp);
                        *sTemp = 0;
                }
                Prn_LineCtr++;
                if (Prn_LineCtr >= LPP)
                {
                        // max lines exceeded, eject this page for next page
                        EndPage(Prn_hDC);
                        Prn_LineCtr = 0;
                        StartPage(Prn_hDC);
                }
                TextOut(Prn_hDC,20,Prn_FontMetrix*Prn_LineCtr,Prn_Text,strlen(Prn_Text));
                if(sTemp[0] == 0) break;
        }
}


void PrinterClose (void)
{
        if (!Prn_PrinterOn) return;
        SelectObject(Prn_hDC,Prn_hFontOld);
        DeleteObject(Prn_hFont);
        EndPage(Prn_hDC);
        EndDoc(Prn_hDC);
        DeleteDC(Prn_hDC);
        Prn_LineCtr = 0;
        Prn_PrinterOn = 0;
}


void EjectPage(void)
{
        EndPage(Prn_hDC);
        Prn_LineCtr = 0;
        StartPage(Prn_hDC);
}

Although there is one thing I want it to do, so my program is finished completely. As you can see it is a demo program, and it prints out the same message repeateadly. Although when I try to modify, it want print what i want. The only thing I whant it to do print this. If anyone can help to print out the following, it would be much appreciated!

printf(" \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t DATE: %.2d/%.2d/%.4d",gtm->tm_mday,1+gtm->tm_mon,1900+gtm->tm_year);
printf(" TIME: %2d:%02d\n", gtm->tm_hour, gtm->tm_min);

cout<<******************************************** "<< endl;
cout << "\n\t\t ::: MY SYSTEM :::\n";
cout << "\n***************************************";
cout << "\n\n\n" << endl;

cout << " \t\t\t\t\t ***********************************"<< endl;
cout << " \t\t\t\t\t * PRINT RECORD *"<< endl;
cout << " \t\t\t\t\t ***********************************"<< endl;

cout << "\n";
cout << "\n \t\t\t\t\t First Name: "<< firstName;
cout << "\n\n \t\t\t\t\t Surname: " << lastName ;
cout << "\n\n \t\t\t\t\t Parents: "<< parents ;
cout << "\n\n \t\t\t\t\t Address: " << address;
cout << "\n\n \t\t\t\t\t Telephone: "<< telephone;
cout << "\n\n \t\t\t\t\t Mobile: "<< mobile << endl;

The following firstName,lastName,parents,address,telephone and Mobile are all chars!

35183 · #4 12-Sep-2006, 08:14

I've managed to print out the output I want, although there is one simple thimg I cannot figure out, hout to print in a new line with sprintf

CPP / C++ / C Code:

sprintf(Prn_Buffer,"%s%s%s%s%s%s%s", firstName, lastName, dob, parents, address, telephone, mobile);

I get the output that I want although i get in one continous line!

CPP / C++ / C Code:

			PrinterOpen();

			PrinterWrite("**********************************************************************************************");
			PrinterWrite(" ");
			PrinterWrite("              ::: MY SYSTEM :::");
			PrinterWrite(" ");
			PrinterWrite("**********************************************************************************************");
			PrinterWrite(" ");
      
			PrinterWrite("   **********************************************");
     		PrinterWrite("   *                 PRINT RECORD               *");
			PrinterWrite("   **********************************************");   

			PrinterWrite(" ");
			PrinterWrite("        First Name: ");
			PrinterWrite("        Surname: ") ; 
			PrinterWrite("        D.O.B.: ") ; 
			PrinterWrite("        Parent / Guardian: ") ; 
			PrinterWrite("        Address: ");                            
			PrinterWrite("        Telephone:"); 
			PrinterWrite("        Mobile:");		        
			
			sprintf(Prn_Buffer,"%s%s%s%s%s%s%s", firstName, lastName, dob, parents, address, telephone, mobile);
			PrinterWrite(Prn_Buffer);

			PrinterClose();

			cin.get();  // wait

davekw7x · #5 12-Sep-2006, 08:48

[quote=35183] to print in a new line with sprintf

CPP / C++ / C Code:

sprintf(Prn_Buffer,"%s%s%s%s%s%s%s", firstName, lastName, dob, parents, address, telephone, mobile);

You could try the same way as you would with printf to a console:

CPP / C++ / C Code:

sprintf(Prn_Buffer,"%s%s%s%s%s%s%s\n", firstName, lastName, dob, parents, address, telephone, mobile);

Some output devices may require an explicit '\r', so if the above doesn't work, you could try:

CPP / C++ / C Code:

sprintf(Prn_Buffer,"%s%s%s%s%s%s%s\r\n", firstName, lastName, dob, parents, address, telephone, mobile);

Regards,

Dave

35183 · #6 12-Sep-2006, 09:04

I've tried them both, instead of moving to a new lineI just get 'sqaures', when I print it out in hardcopy!

35183 · #7 12-Sep-2006, 09:10

I figured it out, I just declared another PRN_buffer, and it prints them out perfectly!

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How to access the printer from a console?

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