Printing on client using a web application, written in vb.net

[jochem23]

Hello,

I have a problem and i'm not sure if the solution i have is the only way to solve it.

I'm trying to developing a webapplication in vb.net which enables users to print documents on their own pc. It should do some more stuff on the client (provide ATM/PIN functionality) but printing has the focus for now.

Is there anybody out there who can tell me how to do this. I've heard that writing an activeX component is ONE solution but I want to know if there's another way. And, if not, maybe somebody can provide some usefull links regarding activeX printing capabilities.

Thanks in advance

[Tekmaven]

Well, you can just output printer friendly HTML pages, but this won't allow you to control 100% of the paper output (the brower will put the url, page number, title, etc on the header/footer).

Another interesting route other then ActiveX, is a Windows Forms application with ClickOnce deployment. The user would then click a link on a webpage which launches the ClickOnce deployment (which downloads the application and then runs it). I believe this can even run under a standard user (non-admin) account. Since this would be a standard VB.NET Windows Forms project, you have full printer output capabilities.

[jochem23]

Thanks for your reply! I'm pretty new at VB.net so do you perhaps have some links or codesamples to explain how i can do this? Coding needs to be done in VB.Net ...

[btech_Saurabh]

if u want to use the.....JavaScript in ur App.....then its very simple to.....Print ....

u can use Window.Print()
it definite works....
Enjoy....

[jochem23]

Duh, i'd figured that out allready... But using javascript print method means getting that ugly print dialog screen, which i don't want.

My application has to automatically print a receipt on the printer of the user logged in (CLIENT-SIDE), WITHOUT user intervention.

Using activex means that the user gets a securitymessage. This is acceptable if this only occurs once. Can anybody tell me if this is true or not.

[Fungus1487]

Duh, i'd figured that out allready... But using javascript print method means getting that ugly print dialog screen, which i don't want.

without this you are breaking standard conventions and may confuse users more.

[SheSaidImaPregy]

those are usually settings on the user's computer anyway. only way to bypass it is to have your own client-side program that they download first, then run the program which prints the document just how tekmaven said. The problem you face here is that most people won't run an unaccredited program especially designed by a user without a license. Otherwise, the only successful way of doing it is hacking the computer automatically, which you don't want to do.. ha.