asked on

Printing question

Hi,

I have a method that prints out a picture, and I am using the Printers collection in the code, along with the Printer object, like so:

frmMain.CommonDialog1.ShowPrinter
frmMain.CommonDialog1.Flags = cdlPDReturnDC

Dim Y As Printer
For Each Y In Printers
If Y.hdc = frmMain.CommonDialog1.hdc Then
' Set printer as system default.
Set Printer = Y
' Stop looking for a printer.
Exit For
End If
Next

The above works fine. Through this code, I aquire the printer that the user selected from the CommonDialog object. My problem is that now "Printer", which used to point to the default printer, now points to another printer, which has now become the default printer. Is there a way to set the default printer back to what it was before I changed it?

I have already tried the following:

"Dim DefaultPrinter as Printer
Set DefaultPrinter = Printer

'lines of code to do all my printing stuff
Set Printer = DefaultPrinter"

This doesn't seem to work, DefaultPrinter never receives a value. Also tried this at the very begining of the method:

Dim X As Printer
For Each X In Printers
If X.hdc = Printer.hdc Then
Set DefaultPrinter = X
Exit For
End If
Next
This never finds a match either. I am stumped now. Any help would be appreciated.

Richie_Simonetti

http://www.mvps.org/vbnet/code/system/defprinternt.htm
http://www.mvps.org/vbnet/code/enums/enumprinters.htm
http://www.mvps.org/vbnet/code/network/netconnect.htm

inthedark

Just store the device name.

Then use code a bit like this:

StorePrinter = Printer.DeviceName

' Do your printing

CAll SetPrinter(StorePrinter)

' Etc....

Sub SetPrinter(DeviceName as string)

Dim Pr as Printer
For Each Printer in Printers
If Ucase(Pr.DeviceName) = Ucase(DeviceName) Then
Set Printer = Pr
Exit Sub
End If
Next

End Sub

inthedark

I expect in your form load/Sub Main you have:

Printer.TrackDefault = True

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inthedark

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jhamlett

ASKER

Both good answers. I tried intherdark's method, since it was the simplest, and I do get back the default device name. I seem like I am setting the printer i want back to default, until I re-enter the function and re-open the common dialog. at that point, it still shows the last printer selected as being default? Since I am getting the selected printer via the .hDc prop of the common dialog, is it likely that the common dialog is setting the default based on its own .hDc?

inthedark

jhamlett, just an after thought. When I develop an App. I get the op. to select the printers they want to use for invoices and also for reports. So I always select the right printer for the job, then return it to the default after the report is complete.

The documentation covering the use is the common dialog in respect of printers is very poor. The documentation expected you to be using the RTF control.....but why would I want to use that when most be use Word for WP?

Tim Turner

I tried implementing this and it does not selet the current printer...

Anyone have an updated version of this type of code all in one place????