Using IE COM to print HTML on paper

Anon

Hello,

I'm trying to find out a [simple] way to send static HTML pages to a printer.

The pages are stored in a specified directory on the server (Win 2K / IIS 5.0 / PHP 4.03pl1) and the server has access to a network printer through it's IP address.

I'd like PHP to scan the directory and send all the HTML files --through IE-- to the printer.

I thought about using IE's COM objects, but does anyone know how to handle the object responsible for printing on IE (if there is any, because I didn't find it on msdn.microsoft.com).

It's quite urgent, I'm on 2 days from my deadline...

Thanks in advance,

Steven

Anon

I suspect that there isn't any [simple] way to do what you're asking. What you could do is use a combination of JavaScript and PHP to iterate through each page in your directory automatically. There is a JavaScript command to send the page to the printer (window.print()😉 but it won't do it automatically - it opens the Print dialogue and waits for confirmation. If you do any C++ or Java programming (which I don't, so I'm not sure about this), you might be able to write a Windows program to emulate mouse clicks on the 'OK' button in the Print window.

-Keegan

Anon

I come a little late, but did you try something like that :

exec("rundll32.exe C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\MSHTML.DLL,PrintHTML \"$file\"");

It's what is launched when you do a right-click on a HTML file in the explorer and choose the "print" option. You find this in the "File types" dialog box of the explorer at the "Microsoft HTML Document 4.0" entry.
Actually, this will prompt the print dialog box. But there's also a "printto" command, for which you add 3 parameters after the filename. I don't know them, but I suppose one is to specify the name of the printer.
So it may do what you want...

Anon

Although some time has passed since the posting of theis message, I wonder if anyone already has a clue on how to resolve this problem, for I still bump into it myself, Ben Eggermont

Anon

Been trying to print without seeing the confirm dialog box.

Found this which may be of use using netscape navigator

"C:\Program Files\Netscape\Communicator\Program\netscape.exe" /print("C:\MeasurementStudio\cvi\samples\activex\ie\iedemo.html")

would be interested to know if anyone knows how to use the printto option mentioned.

beegg

According to the Microsoft documentation the printto command has 4 variables the file to be printed, the printername, the printerdriver type and the printerport. However I never succeedded to get rid of the acknowledgement window. I also recently received an negative answer from the one who initiated this issue. So it looks like it that there is no solution yet.

Anon

For direct printing, the new printer dll is usable. I can't figure out how to use HTML docs yet. but it can print directly.

Anon

Has anyone come up with a solution yet?
This "Choose Printer" window gets annoying, even when using Printto..

Thanks,
Stefan

Anon

Hi,

U can try using a winword as a print server by opening the HTML document in an instance of winword that would automatically print the document to a given printer and close itself. I have done this in a slightly different context but for a similar purpose. I had to print HTML attachments that arrive in my mailbox to a specific printer. The way i achieved this is by setting up a MSOutlook rule to save the attachment in a given folder and open it with a new instance of winword for printing the document to the specified printer and close the winword instance. It actually uses a winword macro to do the job. If you are interested in kinda solution i can provide the details of the macro.

Cheers
sathish

Anon

Would be nice if you could send me the macro details, Regards Ben

Anon

As mentioned before by several, the simplest way to print HTML pages directly to the printer (any printer that is available) is to use the rundll32.exe mshtml.dll,PrintHTML "filename" "printer name". But this again prompts that damn print dialog box. There are two additional parameter that can be passed to the PrintHTML and I'm thinking one of the parameters suppresses the dialog box so if anyone knows the parameter, please post. I've been able to get around the dialog box by using a simple script to listen for the print dialog box and send the "enter" key. Thanks in advance.

Anon

I'm affraid there is no solution to this problem.(not in conventional way)
In fact Microsoft says it's secuirty issue.

"Printing from script is supported in Internet Explorer 5 and later by calling Window.Print. However, this always displays the Print dialog box, which can't be suppressed. Printing is considered a security issue; a Web page should not have the ability to start a print job without confirmation from the user."

(http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/dnie55/html/wb_print.asp)
Anyway, Jun Lee's script seems to be a nice solution.