Problem Printing from a Text Box

[hbin]

Private Sub cmdPrint_Click()
    'Print the Description
    Printer.Font.Name = "Times New Roman"
    Printer.Font.Size = 11
    Printer.Print  Text1.Text
    Printer.EndDoc

I wrote these code to print the description in the text box and the output is like it can't print the text as what it shown in the text box or text file (The descriptions were stored in a text file). Certain lines in a paragraph were skipped until a suppose to be long document (description) printed as short/uncompleted. Seems like the printer can't "wrap" the paragraph to make the text fit to the page.

Thanks in advance!

[szlamany]

My initial reaction would be that you would want to SPLIT the string in the text box using vbCr or VbCrLf - not sure what you have for a line-break in the text...

Once you SPLIT the string into the ARRAY, then print one line at a time.

[hbin]

Hi szlamany,
I have a list box where the user select an item from the list box, and the description of the item will be display in a text box. Different item will display different description in the same text box. Refer http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.p...xtbox+Resolved

These are the code I use to separate the description:

Dim desc() As String
 
Private Sub Form_Load()
Dim FF As Long
Dim myStr As String
FF = FreeFile()
Open "C:\test.txt" For Input As #FF
myStr = Input(LOF(FF), FF)
desc = Split(myStr, "{")
Close #FF
End Sub
 
 
Private Sub List1_Click()
Text1.Text = desc(List1.ListIndex)
End Sub

[szlamany]

Ok - I think I understand your question.

You have a string that is too big for the printer to print on one line.

So you need to cut it up.

I ripped this from a program we have here - I had to make edits in NOTEPAD to remove a whole lot of other stuff it was doing - hopefully it will work for you as is. x, y and z are dim'd long and strPara is the string to print.

Do While Len(strPara)
 
    y = Printer.Width   ' Width in twips of printer
    
    If Printer.TextWidth(strPara) > y Then  ' Size of what we want to print is too big
        
        z = Len(strPara)    ' Length of it in characters
        
        Do While Printer.TextWidth(Left(strPara, z)) > y
            z = z - 1       ' Backup until it will fit
        Loop
        
        y = z           ' Position that fits
        
        z = Asc(Mid(strPara, y + 1, 1)) ' ASC value of next character
    
        If z <> 32 Then     ' That next character is not a space
            z = Asc(Mid(strPara, y, 1))
            Do While z <> 32    ' Start backing up till we find the space
                y = y - 1
                z = Asc(Mid(strPara, y, 1))
            Loop
        End If
        Printer.Print Trim(Left(strPara, y))
        strPara = Mid(strPara, y + 1)
    Else
        Printer.Print Trim(strPara)
        Exit Do
    End If
Loop

[hbin]

Hi szlamany,

Thanks for taking your time to modified those code for me, I tried them but it seems like can't work.

I paste the code into the "Print" button and it has no reaction when I clicked "Print", so I add

Printer.Print  Text1.Text

The printer takes a long time before it prints, but it still can't print the text correctly.

I tried to replace strPara with Text1.Text but it still can't works.

[szlamany]

strPara is the string that you want to print.

"str" is a standard prefix for a string variable - lots of people use it.

Here's more clear code for you:

Dim x as Long, y as Long, z as Long
Dim strPara as String
 
strPara = Text1.Text   '  <<<< Add this line of code - move the Text1.Text box data into the strPara string variable
 
Do While Len(strPara)
 
    y = Printer.Width   ' Width in twips of printer
    
    If Printer.TextWidth(strPara) > y Then  ' Size of what we want to print is too big
        
        z = Len(strPara)    ' Length of it in characters
        
        Do While Printer.TextWidth(Left(strPara, z)) > y
            z = z - 1       ' Backup until it will fit
        Loop
        
        y = z           ' Position that fits
        
        z = Asc(Mid(strPara, y + 1, 1)) ' ASC value of next character
    
        If z <> 32 Then     ' That next character is not a space
            z = Asc(Mid(strPara, y, 1))
            Do While z <> 32    ' Start backing up till we find the space
                y = y - 1
                z = Asc(Mid(strPara, y, 1))
            Loop
        End If
        Printer.Print Trim(Left(strPara, y))
        strPara = Mid(strPara, y + 1)
    Else
        Printer.Print Trim(strPara)
        Exit Do
    End If
Loop

[hbin]

Yup, the printer now can wrap the text to next line for printing, but the printing is too near to the edge of paper and there's some words that near to the edge missing. I used an A4 paper for printing.

BTW, after I clicked “Print”, the printer takes about 1 minute to process before it started to print, is this normal?

[szlamany]

Printer.EndDoc will close the printer and print immediately.

Add it just under the bottom of the loop.

If things print too close, then change this line:

y = Printer.Width   ' Width in twips of printer

to something like:

y = Printer.Width - 1440 ' Width in twips of printer - minus one inch

1440 twips represents an inch. Use half that value for 1/2 inch.

Or post your code so I can look at it...

[hbin]

Private Sub cmdPrint_Click()
    'Print the Description
 
    Printer.Print Tab(10)     
    Printer.Font.Size = 10
   
    Dim x As Long, y As Long, z As Long
    Dim strPara As String
 
strPara = Text1.Text   '  <<<< Add this line of code - move the Text1.Text box data into the strPara string variable
 
Do While Len(strPara)
 
    y = Printer.Width - 720   ' Width in twips of printer
    
    If Printer.TextWidth(strPara) > y Then  ' Size of what we want to print is too big
        
        z = Len(strPara)    ' Length of it in characters
        
        Do While Printer.TextWidth(Left(strPara, z)) > y
            z = z - 1       ' Backup until it will fit
        Loop
        
        y = z           ' Position that fits
        
        z = Asc(Mid(strPara, y + 1, 1)) ' ASC value of next character
    
        If z <> 32 Then     ' That next character is not a space
            z = Asc(Mid(strPara, y, 1))
            Do While z <> 32    ' Start backing up till we find the space
                y = y - 1
                z = Asc(Mid(strPara, y, 1))
            Loop
        End If
        Printer.Print Trim(Left(strPara, y))
        strPara = Mid(strPara, y + 1)
    Else
 
        Printer.Print Trim(strPara)
        Exit Do
    End If
Loop
 
Printer.EndDoc
 
End Sub

After adding the Printer.EndDoc it still takes about 1 minute to process. Yup, this code works

y = Printer.Width - 720

but how can I indent/tab the line to make it not too close to the edge of left?

Printer.Print Tab (10)

seems like can't work.

[szlamany]

If you are going to use TEXTWIDTH - which is a twip-level length function, then you should not use TAB().

Instead set .CURRENTX to a twip value that represents the position form the left side that you want to indent.

This position that you use - this value - would most likely also be the number to subtract from the PRINTER.WIDTH - since that is the "offset" from the left-side that you are using.

The one-minute thing makes no sense - try adding a PRINTER.NEWPAGE before the .ENDDOC to see if it prints/ejects the page immediately - just for a test. Don't leave the .NEWPAGE in there, unless you really want to print a second page.

[hbin]

I added Printer.CurrentX = 720 before Printer.Font.Size = 10 and it only indent the first line of the description. If I put Printer.CurrentX = 720 before y = Printer.Width - 720, then the left indention goes some kind like randomly. Since what I use in the left-side will be "offset" from the PRINTER.WIDTH, it's pretty hard to balance both side's indention.

I added .NEWPAGE before the .ENDDOC, but it still takes about 1 minute to process, this is weird.

[szlamany]

CurrentX must be prior to printing each line. The PRINTER.PRINT method, without a ";" trailing the string, will increment the CURRENTY to the next print line and set CURRENTX to zero.

Since you are setting CURRENTX before printing EACH line, do not use TAB() - do a direct PRINTER.PRINT xxx where xxx represents the line (string) you want to print.

[hbin]

So where should I put the PRINTER.CURRENTX = 720 ?

do a direct PRINTER.PRINT xxx where xxx represents the line (string) you want to print.

I can't do a direct printing because the String is too big. BTW, I didn't use any TAB()

[hbin]

Hi there,

I'm still having problem with the left indention and it takes a long time for the printer to process before it print. I guess maybe the String is too big, because I had tried to print a description with less text and the printer print immediately; but when I tried to print a description with lots of text, it takes about 1~2 minutes to process before the printer start to print.

Thanks in advance!