Printing using Web Control Print button.

[Partydude4]

Can anyone tell me how or what's the code for the following:
1. I have two frames on my web page. (Top and Bottom)
2. Top Frame is data
3. Bottom Frame are some Controls. (Print button, Back Button, Close Button.)
4. I do not want to use Java.
5. I'm using VB.Net creating aspx pages.

Question: I would like to do an Audit of who Prints out my Page of the Top Frame. I have the audit code figured out but I would like to know if there's a way to Press the print button and Print the Page. If the page was successful printed I would update my sql database and create an audit that It was printed. I have been looking for this type of code for one week already. Please Help... Thanks

[tgreer]

You mean, you don't want to use "JavaScript". Java and JavaScript are not related to each other and have nothing in common.

You cannot know if a user actually printed. Printing is firmly in the hands of the user - a web developer cannot write code to force a user to print.

You can, however, create a "Print" button, and USING JAVASCRIPT, invoke the "window.print()" method when they press it. Again, USING JAVASCRIPT, you can author a hidden form variable, then submit the form. Your code-behind page would read the hidden form variable to know that the user clicked your "Print" button.

I know you said you didn't want "to use Java (sic)", but there is no way to do it otherwise. Web development involves both server-side and client-side scripting. If you ignore client-side scripting, you're only doing half the job!

If you need help with the JavaScript portions, post a question in the JavaScript/DHTML forum.

[Partydude4]

Well as you can tell I'm VERY new to this... Okay So I need to learn Java... Would you happen to know how the code might look like regarding your last statement? "You can author a hidden form variable, then submit the form. Your code-behind page would read the hidden form variable to know that the user clicked your "Print" button."

[Partydude4]

Or is there a way to print without using Java? Just by clicking the Button and using the web control button to excute the Printing. Is this possible? Do I have to use Java? I'm a VB6 Programmer and I have been able to do this in VB6. I thought that when you create a WebControl Button it will come back to the server when you press the button. Is this not true? Help... I'm going crazy..

[tgreer]

Any ASP.NET code executes on the server. So yes, you can print something, but it will print to your web server's default printer, if there is one. I assume you want to let the user print something from their browser. You need client-side code to that.

Once more, it's "JavaScript" - Java is a completely different animal. If you ask questions about "Java", you'll get answers about "Java", which won't be relevant.

I'd be happy to help you more, but we're off-topic. You should post a new question in the JavaScript/DHTML forum.

[tgreer]

Regarding ASP.NET Web Server Controls. They GENERATE html code.

So, an ASP.NET Web Server Button Control, creates an <input type="button"> element.

What is different about the Web Server Button Control, is that it has server-side events, properties, and methods.

So in Visual Studio.NET, you drag a button control over onto your form. Double-click it, and a code window appears. Any code you enter there will run ON THE SERVER.

What happens is, the user browses to the page, and IIS/ASP.NET renders a page for the user. The user sees a button, and clicks it. That particular click is a client-side event, and unless you code some JavaScript, nothing in particular happens. The form does submit, however, and that's where ASP.NET does a lot of house-keeping to remember that is has a "BUTTON", and that the BUTTON was clicked, and it must run the code you authored.

But none of that helps you with your problem, because printing is a client-side affair.

Really, in your scenario, you don't NEED a WebServer Button Control. A normal html button element, will work just fine:

<input type="button" onclick="window.print();" />

That is the basis of your solution.

[Partydude4]

Thank you... I'll post in the correct forum... Thanks again.