use php to send file to print driver - Windows

savvas

I have a print driver that can print/convert a file to postscript. Is there a way to programmatically access the printer? I was hoping the printer extensions would be of some help but I was surprised to see that it is not possible to send a file to them. Am I correct?

Norman_Graham

Hi Savvas

You can't do this with PHP because it's server-side. Javascript probably has a solution, but I don't know what it is. Here's some JS that prints a page. You just have to define the event handler:

<script language="JavaScript">
<!--
function printMe() {
  if( window.print ) {
    window.print();
  }
return( true );
}
//-->
</script>

You can probably expand this into something much more sophisticated. I know little about Javascript.

HTH

Norm

squison

Here's code I used in the past to automatically print on window open. This skips the 'Print' dialogue and just prints to the default printer.

Be warned though IE rejects this unless you have your security settings set very low or your site is in the 'Trusted Sites' list in IE. I've used this in intranet sites but for outside sites use Norman's code.

<html><head>
<script>
function ieExecWB( intOLEcmd, intOLEparam )
{
	// Create OLE Object
	var WebBrowser = '<OBJECT ID="WebBrowser1" WIDTH=0 HEIGHT=0 CLASSID="CLSID:8856F961-340A-11D0-A96B-00C04FD705A2"></OBJECT>';

// Place Object on page
document.body.insertAdjacentHTML('beforeEnd', WebBrowser);

// if intOLEparam is not defined, set it
if ( ( ! intOLEparam ) || ( intOLEparam < -1 )  || ( intOLEparam > 1 ) )
	intOLEparam = 1;

// Execute Object
WebBrowser1.ExecWB( intOLEcmd, intOLEparam );

// Destroy Object
WebBrowser1.outerHTML = "";

}

// eof
</script>
<script language=JavaScript><!-- //
//--></script>
</head><body onLoad="ieExecWB(6,-1);">

Weedpacket

Unless you mean the printer is on the server; in which case I think you're wanting to send the contents of the file to printer_write. Failing that you could I guess use a system call to pipe the data to the printer device ("cat filename > lpt1:" or something like that).