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Trouble with converting a VB6 program to VB2008 - gives error in FileOpen statement. Help?

I am converting a piece of code (a whole working program) from Visual Basic 6 to Visual Basic Express 2008. I am almost finished but cannot get my print module to work. It seems to hang on the section where I am trying to Open a Port to print with and gives Error # 5. Can anyone assist me here. I know this has to be simple. Everything else is working up to this.
Here's my code:

Option Strict Off
Option Explicit On
Imports VB = Microsoft.VisualBasic
Friend Class Print_Form
	Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form
	Private Structure LabelRecord ' Create user-defined type.
		<VBFixedString(50),System.Runtime.InteropServices.MarshalAs(System.Runtime.InteropServices.UnmanagedType.ByValArray,SizeConst:=50)> Public Id() As Char ' Name of tag
		<VBFixedString(50),System.Runtime.InteropServices.MarshalAs(System.Runtime.InteropServices.UnmanagedType.ByValArray,SizeConst:=50)> Public Value() As Char 'Value of Tag
	End Structure
	
	Private Sub Command1_Click(ByVal eventSender As System.Object, ByVal eventArgs As System.EventArgs) Handles Command1.Click
		Me.Hide()
		Main_Screen_V3.Show()
	End Sub
	
	Private Sub Print_Form_FormClosed(ByVal eventSender As System.Object, ByVal eventArgs As System.Windows.Forms.FormClosedEventArgs) Handles Me.FormClosed
		Main_Screen_V3.Show()
	End Sub
	
	Private Sub Printit_Click(ByVal eventSender As System.Object, ByVal eventArgs As System.EventArgs) Handles Printit.Click
        Dim TextLine As String = ""
        Dim TheDate As Date
        Dim TheTime As Date
        Dim I As Integer
        Dim Description As String = ""
        Dim Part_Number As String = ""
        Dim ALC_Code As String = ""
        Dim Barcode_Data As String = ""
        Dim Job_Code As String = ""
		
		'
		' Setup to Handle Errors
		'
		ErrorLabel.Text = ""
		On Error GoTo ErrorHandler ' Enable error-handling routine.
		
		'
		' Build the Text Label
		'
		TheDate = VB6.Format(Now, "mm/dd/yyyy") ' Assign current system date and time.
		TheTime = VB6.Format(Now, "hh:mm AMPM")
		
        FileOpen(3, "LPT1", OpenMode.Output) ' Open Printer Port
		
		'
		' Read Label Tags
        '
 
        TextLine = "^XA"
        PrintLine(3, TextLine) ' Send to printer
        TextLine = "^JM8"
        PrintLine(3, TextLine) ' Send to printer
        TextLine = "^MD16"
        PrintLine(3, TextLine) ' Send to printer
        TextLine = "^LH15,15"
        PrintLine(3, TextLine) ' Send to printer
        TextLine = "^FO40,20^ADN,35,15^FD"
        TextLine += Main_Screen_V3.m_dtLabelInfo.Rows(Main_Screen_V3.m_rowPosition)("Description").ToString()
        TextLine += "^FS"
        PrintLine(3, TextLine) ' Send to printer
        TextLine = "^FO100,100^ADN,35,15^FD"
        TextLine += Main_Screen_V3.m_dtLabelInfo.Rows(Main_Screen_V3.m_rowPosition)("Job_Code").ToString()
        TextLine += "^FS"
        PrintLine(3, TextLine) ' Send to printer
        TextLine = "^FO250,100^ADN,35,15^FD"
        TextLine += Main_Screen_V3.m_dtLabelInfo.Rows(Main_Screen_V3.m_rowPosition)("ALC_Code").ToString()
        TextLine += "^FS"
        PrintLine(3, TextLine) ' Send to printer
        TextLine = "^FO450,100^ADN,35,15^FD"
        TextLine += Main_Screen_V3.m_dtLabelInfo.Rows(Main_Screen_V3.m_rowPosition)("Part_Number").ToString()
        TextLine += "^FS"
        PrintLine(3, TextLine) ' Send to printer
        TextLine = "^FO315,150^BC,125,Y,N,N,N^FD"
        TextLine += Main_Screen_V3.m_dtLabelInfo.Rows(Main_Screen_V3.m_rowPosition)("Barcode_Data").ToString()
        TextLine += "^FS"
        PrintLine(3, TextLine) ' Send to printer
        TextLine = "^FO100,325^ADN,35,15^FD"
        TextLine += TheDate
        TextLine += "^FS"
        PrintLine(3, TextLine) ' Send to printer
        TextLine = "^FO450,325^ADN,35,15^FD"
        TextLine += TheTime
        TextLine += "^FS"
        PrintLine(3, TextLine) ' Send to printer
        TextLine = "^XZ"
        PrintLine(3, TextLine) ' Send to printer
        FileClose(3) ' Close Printer Port.
        Exit Sub ' Exit to avoid handler.
 
ErrorHandler:  ' Error-handling routine.
        Select Case Err.Number ' Evaluate error number.
            Case 53 ' "File Not found" error.
                ErrorLabel.Text = "Label Definition File Not Found"
            Case 57
                ErrorLabel.Text = "Error writing to printer port"
            Case Else
                ' Handle other situations here...
                ErrorLabel.Text = Err.Number
        End Select
        Exit Sub ' Let user try again
	End Sub
End Class

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SOLUTION

patricka_0377

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Daniel Wilson

Printing in .Net is usually not so close to the hardware as it sometimes was in VB6.

The usual method is to instantiate a PrintDocument and "draw" text or objects on it.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.drawing.printing.printdocument.aspx

jwr-isitech

ASKER

Isn't StreamWriter used for file creation only? I need to embed some data from a datatable into my text stream and send it to my printer. Is "LPT1" valid for the filename?

jwr-isitech

ASKER

I am not grasping something. I cannot get the information out of this program and onto paper. What do I need to do to get a line of text onto paper? I don't get the StreamWriter command yet. Can someone explain a way to setup and use it for my case?

The more I try to code this, the more things that seem to need to be declared. It is driving me 'batty.'

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Daniel Wilson

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jwr-isitech

ASKER

I used the information from both of your inputs. I have been able to get the project going and actually got the output. I have also discovered the areas of my weakness in OOP. Many thanks for your directions.