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help with printing multiple lines print a txt file

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Join Date: Oct 2005

Posts: 93

Reputation: humbug is an unknown quantity at this point

Solved Threads: 13

humbug

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Junior Poster in Training

Re: help with printing multiple lines print a txt file

#11

Oct 30th, 2008

I guess that because your printing a receipt and you don't need an images, TEXT would probably be the best option (If it works just as well). Faster printing would indicate it's doing less work which can't be a bad thing.

You could use the function file_get_contents($filename) to get the contents of the file as a string. Try something like the following code:

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$text_to_print = file_get_contents('receipt.txt');
//Use this next line only if it doesn't work without it, 
//ie prints "Text \n\nTo print" instead of "Text \nTo print"
$text_to_print = str_replace('\n', '\r\n', $text_to_print);
 
//yada yada, printer stuff
printer_write($handle, $text_to_print);
//yada yada, more printer stuff
$text_to_print = file_get_contents('receipt.txt');
//Use this next line only if it doesn't work without it, 
//ie prints "Text \n\nTo print" instead of "Text \nTo print"
$text_to_print = str_replace('\n', '\r\n', $text_to_print);

//yada yada, printer stuff
printer_write($handle, $text_to_print);
//yada yada, more printer stuff

That should all work I reckon, I reckon.

BTW, when do you write the contents to the file receipt.txt ? If it's earlier on in the script and you don't need to keep receipt.txt then you may as well skip that process. For example:

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$text_to_print = '';
//load mysql info into an array using:
$data = mysql_fetch_array($result, MYSQL_ASSOC);
 
$text_to_print .= "Name: $data['name']\r\n";
$text_to_print .= "Date: $data['date']\r\n";
//etc.
$text_to_print = '';
//load mysql info into an array using:
$data = mysql_fetch_array($result, MYSQL_ASSOC);

$text_to_print .= "Name: $data['name']\r\n";
$text_to_print .= "Date: $data['date']\r\n";
//etc.

php.net is the best place to get help on any specific function in my humble opinion.

Last edited by humbug; Oct 30th, 2008 at 11:08 pm. Reason: One letter makes all the difference

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Join Date: Oct 2008

Posts: 23

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psycho007

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Newbie Poster

Re: help with printing multiple lines print a txt file

#12

Nov 2nd, 2008

hi all

having spent a large amount of time studing the ways to print using php I have finaly figured out the best solution. I have decided NOT to use the text file, but to print directly from a query to the mysql database. the function printer_draw_text is the way forward which can be used multiple times in one page.