Print Dialog Pointer without Opening? HELP!!!
I'm working with another app's API and I need to provide a pointer to the Print Dialog Box.
It's easy to do once I open it and then a User closes it.
The problem is that I'd like to provide the pointer without having User interaction.
I would prefer to never open the PrintDialog window at all, however, if I can open it and then immediately close it (with 'Print') that might work.
Here's the details -
1) I'm creating an automated app.
2) I set all the printing parameters using DEVMODE and a PrintDialog object.
3) Then, I need to hand over the pointer which apparently doesn't exist until the PrintDialog is opened, then closed (with 'Print').
Here's some of the code (just for example, may be incomplete):
Code:
Private Declare Function PrtDialog Lib "comdlg32.dll" Alias "PrintDlgA" (pPrintdlg As PRINTDLG) As Long
Dim pd As PRINTDLG
Dim ptrpd As Long 'Pointer to a printDlg structure
Dim whDevMode As DEVMODE
Dim whDevNames As DEVNAMES
Dim lpDevMode As Long, lpDevName As Long
Dim tmpPrinter As Printer
Dim selectedPrinterName As String
selectedPrinterName = "Adobe PDF"
For Each tmpPrinter In Printers
If tmpPrinter.DeviceName = selectedPrinterName Then
Exit For
End If
Next tmpPrinter
With whDevMode
.dmSize = Len(whDevMode)
.dmFields = DM_ORIENTATION Or DM_DUPLEX Or DM_PAPERSIZE Or DM_COLOR Or DM_SCALE
.dmDeviceName = tmpPrinter.DeviceName
.dmOrientation = DMORIENT_LANDSCAPE
.dmCopies = 1
.dmPaperSize = DMPAPER_TABLOID
End With
'Allocate memory for the initialization hDevMode structure
'and copy the settings gathered above into this memory
pd.hDevMode = GlobalAlloc(GMEM_MOVEABLE Or GMEM_ZEROINIT, Len(whDevMode))
lpDevMode = GlobalLock(pd.hDevMode)
If lpDevMode > 0 Then
CopyMemory ByVal lpDevMode, whDevMode, Len(whDevMode)
bReturn = GlobalUnlock(pd.hDevMode)
End If
'Set the current driver, device, and port name strings
With whDevNames
.wDriverOffset = 8
.wDeviceOffset = .wDriverOffset + 1 + Len(tmpPrinter.DriverName)
.wOutputOffset = .wDeviceOffset + 1 + Len(tmpPrinter.Port)
.wDefault = 0
.Extra = tmpPrinter.DriverName & Chr(0) & tmpPrinter.DeviceName & Chr(0) & tmpPrinter.Port & Chr(0)
End With
'Allocate memory for the initial hDevName structure
'and copy the settings gathered above into this memory
pd.hDevNames = GlobalAlloc(GMEM_MOVEABLE Or GMEM_ZEROINIT, Len(whDevNames))
lpDevName = GlobalLock(pd.hDevNames)
If lpDevName > 0 Then
CopyMemory ByVal lpDevName, whDevNames, Len(whDevNames)
bReturn = GlobalUnlock(lpDevName)
End If
With pd
.lStructSize = 66
.hwndOwner = Me.hWnd
.hDC = 0
.Flags = PD_RETURNDC Or PD_RETURNIC Or PD_PAGENUMS Or PD_USEDEVMODECOPIES
.nFromPage = chunks(j)
.nToPage = chunks(j)
.nMinPage = 1
.nMaxPage = 999
.nCopies = 1
.hInstance = 0
.lCustData = 0
.lpfnPrintHook = 0
.lpfnSetupHook = 0
.lpPrintTemplateName = 0
.lpSetupTemplateName = 0
.hPrintTemplate = 0
.hSetupTemplate = 0
End With
'**************************************************
' Here's the problem.
' I need the pointer to the PrintDialog, which doesn't exist until after the print
' dialog is shown and a user clicks 'print'.
' I need to be able to print without any user intervention.
' So, how can you get the pointer without opening the Printdialog window?
'
'This opens the Dialog
If (PrtDialog(pd) = 0) Then
MsgBox "Error... Unable to initialize printer "
Exit Sub
End If
'grab the pointer
ptrpd = AnyPtr(pd)
'***************
'From here the pointer is passed of to the other app's API...
Thanks.
