asked on

How to print individual jQuery tabs?

I have some jquery tabs, but I would like to be able to print specific tabs. Can someone explain a solution where I would be able to print each specific tab separately? Here is the current code:

<div class="tab">
    <ul>
        <li><a href="#tabs-1">My Content 1</a></li>
        <li><a href="#tabs-2">My Content 2</a></li>
        <li><a href="#tabs-3">My Content 3</a></li>
    </ul>

    <div id="tabs-1">
	    <?php include "content1.php" ?>
     </div>
     <div id="tabs-2">
	    <?php include "content2.php" ?>
    </div>
    <div id="tabs-3">
	    <?php include "content3.php" ?>
    </div>

</div>

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What would you suggest? Thanks. I would like something capable of printing individual tabs.

designatedinitializer

I suggest you make css style for print media which does not print at all, like this:

@media print {
  body, .tab {
    display:none;
  }
}

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and then style only the specific tab which is selected.
Like this:

$('.tab').bind('tabsselect', function(event, ui) {
    ui.panel.css("@media print {display:block;}");
});

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DanielAttard

ASKER

hmmm, i like it. let me play with that and see how i make out . . . .

DanielAttard

ASKER

Hey designatedinitializer, what about if I want to be able to print different tabs at different times? Should each tab be styled in the same way?

designatedinitializer

what do you mean by "different times"?...

DanielAttard

ASKER

I am trying to figure out where to use the second part of the code you posted. Where would it go?

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Lalit Chandra

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DanielAttard

ASKER

Hi Lalit-Chandra - I have implemented the various parts of your solution, but when I hit the print link, nothing happens. It does not trigger the function. Do i need to customize it?

DanielAttard

ASKER

Hi Lalit-Chandra - Now what is happening is that the new window opens up to print, but it hangs and continues to say "Transferring data from www. . ." There is an error in firebug that says:

printContent is null
[Break On This Error]

printWindow.document.write(printContent.innerHTML);

What could I be doing wrong?

Lalit Chandra

simply replace this line with

printWindow.document.write($("#ElementID").html());

Here, ElementID should be the Tab id like "tab-1" or "tab-2".

Make sure the element id passed to the function is valid in firebug.

DanielAttard

ASKER

Hi Lalit-Chandra, sorry to say but the line you have quotes is not within your original code. Do you mean to replace this line:

printWindow.document.write(printContent.innerHTML);

with:

printWindow.document.write($("#tab-1").html());

??

Lalit Chandra

there is a method in my previous post

printPartOfPage(elementId) {

....
}

just put a alert in the body

printPartOfPage(elementId) {
alert(elementId);
....
}

Now run the page. Then go to your tab and click the link..is any alert comes or not, if it does then is the element id matches with your tabid or not ???

Lalit Chandra

check the above and see.
can you post your whole page??

DanielAttard

ASKER

i think i understand you now. thanks. i just need to work with it for a bit. will post back once i have it figured out. many thanks.

DanielAttard

ASKER

The alert comes back and says "undefined" ???

Lalit Chandra

ok thats the problem..

replace the script
$(".divPrint").click(function() {
printPartOfPage($(this).attr("id"));
});

with the following lines

$(".divPrint").click(function() {
printPartOfPage($(this).parent().attr("id"));
});

Now tell me ,wht does the alert shows ??

DanielAttard

ASKER

Perfect (almost). That was the problem. Now the alert correctly gives the tab name. Everything seems to be working fine, except that I've lost all that good CSS from my screen. Probably what I will need to do is replace this line:

printWindow.document.write('<link rel="stylesheet" href="../../app_themes/stylesheet.css" type="text/css"></head><body>');

with a reference to the correct CSS? Does this make sense to you?

Lalit Chandra

yes do it.

DanielAttard

ASKER

Should something like this work? :

printWindow.document.write('<?php include "header.php" ?></head><body>');

I have a lot of stuff in my header.php file.

Lalit Chandra

DanielAttard,
i think your this post's question