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Selecting A Printer Using The Printer Dialog Control

I am having real problems assigning a printer to an object. I can show the print dialog box but it doesn;t matter which printer is then selected by the user the default is always used. I know I must be missing something obvious....but what?

cerik

do you do something like this

'Set flags to return hDC
'CommonDialog1.Flags = CommonDialog1.Flags + &H100
'this will cause a hDC to be returned
-------------
CommonDialog1.ShowPrinter
Debug.Print Printer.DeviceName
Printer.Print ""
Printer.EndDoc

the name of your selected printer should print in the debug window and a blank page
print out?

If this helps I will resubmit as an Answer

WHITER

ASKER

Cerek,

It hasn't solved my problem, however I am struggling to come to terms with exactly whats going on here. I have read the Microsoft literature and am still none the wiser as to what hDC actually does and how I use it.

Your solution certainly caused an hDC to be returned but didn;t change my printer.devicename to the one selected. Maybe I've missed the point somewhere?

swilt

Cerik, does that change the default windows printer globally ?

WHITER

ASKER

Swilt/Cerik,

I do not have the printerdefault set to true, therefore any changes I make would be temporary.

swilt

You could create your on printer selection form

Code for test form

Option Explicit

Private Sub Command1_Click()
frmPrintSel.Show vbModal
If Not frmPrintSel.bCancel Then
Printer.Print Printer.DeviceName
Printer.EndDoc
End If
End Sub

Code for frmPrintSel
List1 - Listbox to display printers
cmdOK - button to select a printer
cmdCancel to cancel the operation

Option Explicit

Public bCancel As Boolean

Private Sub Form_Load()
Dim i As Integer

bCancel = True
If Printers.Count = 0 Then
List1.AddItem "No printers installed"
CmdOk.Enabled = False
Else
For i = 0 To Printers.Count - 1
List1.AddItem Printers(i).DeviceName
Next i
End If
End Sub

Private Sub cmdCancel_Click()
Unload Me
End Sub

Private Sub CmdOk_Click()
Dim i As Integer

For i = 0 To List1.ListCount - 1
If List1.Selected(i) Then
Set Printer = Printers(i)
bCancel = False
Exit For
End If
Next i
If bCancel Then
MsgBox "You have not selected a printer", vbCritical, "Printer Selection"
Else
Unload Me
End If
End Sub

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web_crusher

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WHITER

ASKER

Not bad Web_Crusher, However have you ever done this using the default printer dialog box provided with VB5?