I'm looking for some help on how to print in coldfusion... here's the scenerio:
The user will click a link to print information from a query. But want to give them the basic windows look and feel, i.e. the option to "preview" and/or "print" using a windows type dialog. Is there anyway to interface with the MS Windows print dialog (say for instance create an instance of the windows print dialog). Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Not looking to "reinvent the wheel" so if someone has done something like this already I'd love to hear how you when about it.
Thanx
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It's not "javascript:print()". It's "window.print()".
Further, it's not onload="return PrintOrder()" as the onload event handler isn't cancellable. Instead, it should be onload="PrintOrder()".
This doesn't really address the original question of how to interact with the print dialog. The truth is that you can't, at least not with conventional web/scripting techniques. The only way I know of is via some manner of ActiveX.
Jeff - you are a riot!
This works just fine.
If you prefer to use window.print(), why can't you say that "I prefer window.print() over javascript:print()' ?
The same for the body onload - what do you mean it isn't cancellable - do you mean you are then forced into printing?
of course you are not - it simply opens the dialog where you can choose options, one of which is cancel.
uksub: I wasn't sure if you were just looking for a print feature - I should have asked - I guess jeff has me there!
So if all you want is a print feature that works though, you can use the code I posted.
good luck ...
Well, the intent wasn't to be a riot, but to point out some common mistakes developers make when writing JS.
> If you prefer to use window.print(), why can't you say that "I prefer window.print() over javascript:print()' ?
While some browsers will "work" when they encounter "javascript:print()", it doesn't mean it's actually valid scripting. Since the print() method is a method of the window object, the proper way is to call it as "window.print()". Further, using "javascript:" within a scripting block is not only redundant, but likely to throw errors in some browsers that have super-strict script parsers.
> The same for the body onload - what do you mean it isn't cancellable - [...]
Some events are cancellable. By that, I mean if the scripting attached to the event returns a boolean value of "false", the event is canceled. A perfect example is the onkeypress event. Let's say it's attached to an input. If it's canceled, the character that would have been placed into the input isn't placed there. Another example is the onsubmit event handler. If it weren't cancelable, client-side form validation would be much more difficult. Many event handlers, onload included, are not cancellable. Using the return statement in non-cancellable event handlers is unnecessary and incorrect.
> [...] do you mean you are then forced into printing? of course you are not - it simply opens the dialog
> where you can choose options, one of which is cancel.
My statement had nothing to do with printing specifically. It was only with regard to the use of the return statement within the onload event handler.
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by: dgrafxPosted on 2006-09-15 at 20:27:12ID: 17533860
This is an example of one scenario
Lets say you want to print an order
So you provide a Print link
This link might be something like
<a href="" onclick="window.open('orde
Then on the page orderprint.cfm, you have a query that pulls all relevant data base on orderid you sent it.
you probably want to do a print stylesheet on this page thats different than your site stylesheet.
also remove links and "stuff" you don't want to print.
You can either remove them entirely or if you want to reuse files you can just do something like
<cfif Not isDefined("print")>
your links
</cfif>
You can then add a script (javascript) to open the windows print dialog
<script>
function PrintOrder() {
javascript:print();
window.close();
}
</script>
<body onload="return PrintOrder()">
When the window and print dialog is open, you'll be able to see what it looks like before printing.
I hope this helps ...