cwandrews
asked on
Printing dynamic content without usual Web formatting. (DREAMWEAVER 8)
Hi Experts -
I have a table on an .asp page that contains dynamic content (a simple employee phone list pulled from an Access database) on a corporate intranet. I'd like a simple way to allow users to print out the phone list in a more attractive format (minus web address headings, etc.). BTW, I'm using Dreamweaver 8 to author.
I'm pretty new to this, so please be complete with any responses. Thanks in advance...
I have a table on an .asp page that contains dynamic content (a simple employee phone list pulled from an Access database) on a corporate intranet. I'd like a simple way to allow users to print out the phone list in a more attractive format (minus web address headings, etc.). BTW, I'm using Dreamweaver 8 to author.
I'm pretty new to this, so please be complete with any responses. Thanks in advance...
If you're talking look & feel, then a print CSS would suffice, however, as an author of a web page, you have no control over the document headers and footers applied by the browser (CSS may provide over time, but not currently).
For complete control, the most ubiquitous option is PDF downloads.
For complete control, the most ubiquitous option is PDF downloads.
ASKER
LeeKowalkowski -
I like your idea about using .pdf downloads to display the data. I'm not sure how this works with dynamic data, however. Is there a way to create a .pdf form that has fields containing this data? If so, I'll create a different question for that issue, and award points for this one.
I like your idea about using .pdf downloads to display the data. I'm not sure how this works with dynamic data, however. Is there a way to create a .pdf form that has fields containing this data? If so, I'll create a different question for that issue, and award points for this one.
cwandrews,
Yes, there is a variety of ways to convert an ASP page to PDF on the server or output dynamic results straight to PDF.
Yes, there is a variety of ways to convert an ASP page to PDF on the server or output dynamic results straight to PDF.
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Rouchie: Go to your File menu and choose Print Preview. You see the title and page n of n in the header and the address and date in the footer? CSS cannot be used to control these. I think that is what the question means by "minus web address headings, etc.".
Hi LeeKowalkowski. Yes sorry, might have misunderstood the question there...
For the browser-added headers, I once created a 'print' button that popped up a javascript alert telling users how they can remove those headers in the browser, before using the print(); command.
I know some experts on this site have even crafted ActiveX printing controls that remove the headers, but it's obviously IE-only and is a huge leap in complexity.
So yes I agree with you, PDF's are the decent alternative.
For the browser-added headers, I once created a 'print' button that popped up a javascript alert telling users how they can remove those headers in the browser, before using the print(); command.
I know some experts on this site have even crafted ActiveX printing controls that remove the headers, but it's obviously IE-only and is a huge leap in complexity.
So yes I agree with you, PDF's are the decent alternative.
The ActiveX solution was probably MeadCo's ScriptX (http://www.meadroid.com/scriptx/index.asp), which as you say is IE only, and also not free if you want a web-based distribution.
ASKER
Thanks for pointing me in the right direction -
CWA
CWA
The simplest way is to create a "click here for printable version" link on the first page.
That link would load a simpler version of your page that contains just the elements you want to print and the dynamic table.
The "better" way is to use CSS to create an alternate version of your pages for the printer, but if you are "new to this" you may want to hold off on that.