addprinter api

[Milind]

how to use addprinter api.

Public Declare Function AddPrinter Lib "winspool.drv" Alias "AddPrinterA" (ByVal pName As String, ByVal Level As Long, pPrinter As Any) As Long


what are the pName ,Level , pPrinter arguments.

[Babbalouie]

Not sure how it work, but I have some code that does it. This stuff's about as fubbed duck as a football bat:

Routine Code:

Const ERROR_PRINTER_ALREADY_EXISTS = 1802
Const PRINTER_NAME = "Generic / Text Only"
Const PORT_NAME = "FILE:"
Const DRIVER_NAME = "Generic / Text Only"
Const PRINT_PROCESSOR = "winprint"
Const DATA_TYPE = "TEXT"
Const DATA_FILE = "Txtonly.dll"
Const DRIVER_FILE = "Rasdd.dll"
Const CONFIG_FILE = "Rasddui.dll"
Const HELP_FILE = "Rasddui.hlp"
Const ENVIRONMENT = "Windows NT x86"
Dim hpHandle As Long
Dim lError As Long
Dim lResult As Long
Dim sDriverBuf As String * Max_Path
Dim sDriverPath As String
Dim lPathSize As Long

  On Error GoTo AddPrinterError
  
  ' First we get the folder for the printer driver files
  lResult = GetPrinterDriverDirectory(vbNullString, vbNullString, 1&, _
                                      sDriverBuf, Max_Path, lPathSize)
  If (lResult = 0) Then
    ErrorHandler "Unable to retrieve the printer driver folder.", Err.LastDllError
  End If
  
  lResult = InStr(sDriverBuf, Chr$(0))
  sDriverPath = Left$(sDriverBuf, lResult - 1)
  
  If (Right$(sDriverPath, 1) <> "\") Then sDriverPath = sDriverPath & "\"
  
  ' Next we copy the required printer files to that folder
  If (CopyFile(App.Path & "\" & DATA_FILE, sDriverPath & DATA_FILE, False) = 0) Then
    ErrorHandler "Unable to copy the required printer driver files (Data).", Err.LastDllError
  End If
  If (Dir(sDriverPath & DATA_FILE, vbReadOnly) <> "") Then
    SetAttr sDriverPath & DATA_FILE, vbNormal
  End If
  
  If (CopyFile(App.Path & "\" & DRIVER_FILE, sDriverPath & DRIVER_FILE, False) = 0) Then
    ErrorHandler "Unable to copy the required printer driver files (Driver).", Err.LastDllError
  End If
  If (Dir(sDriverPath & DRIVER_FILE, vbReadOnly) <> "") Then
    SetAttr sDriverPath & DRIVER_FILE, vbNormal
  End If
  
  If (CopyFile(App.Path & "\" & CONFIG_FILE, sDriverPath & CONFIG_FILE, False) = 0) Then
    ErrorHandler "Unable to copy the required printer driver files (Config).", Err.LastDllError
  End If
  If (Dir(sDriverPath & CONFIG_FILE, vbReadOnly) <> "") Then
    SetAttr sDriverPath & CONFIG_FILE, vbNormal
  End If
  
  If (CopyFile(App.Path & "\" & HELP_FILE, sDriverPath & HELP_FILE, False) = 0) Then
    ErrorHandler "Unable to copy the required printer driver files (Help).", Err.LastDllError
  End If
  If (Dir(sDriverPath & HELP_FILE, vbReadOnly) <> "") Then
    SetAttr sDriverPath & HELP_FILE, vbNormal
  End If
  
  'Add the Printer Driver. This will configure the printer driver.
  udtDriverInfo.cVersion = 2&
  udtDriverInfo.pName = PRINTER_NAME
  udtDriverInfo.pEnvironment = ENVIRONMENT
  udtDriverInfo.pDriverPath = sDriverPath & DRIVER_FILE
  udtDriverInfo.pDataFile = sDriverPath & DATA_FILE
  udtDriverInfo.pConfigFile = sDriverPath & CONFIG_FILE
  udtDriverInfo.pHelpFile = sDriverPath & HELP_FILE
  udtDriverInfo.pDependentFiles = DATA_FILE & Chr$(0) & _
                                  DRIVER_FILE & Chr$(0) & _
                                  CONFIG_FILE & Chr$(0) & _
                                  HELP_FILE & Chr$(0) & Chr$(0)
  udtDriverInfo.pMonitorName = vbNullString
  udtDriverInfo.pDefaultDataType = DATA_TYPE
  
  lResult = AddPrinterDriver(vbNullString, 3&, udtDriverInfo)
  If (lResult = 0) Then
    ErrorHandler "Unable to configure Generic printer driver.", Err.LastDllError
  End If
  
  ' Now we can add the printer
  udtPrinterInfo.pServerName = vbNullString
  udtPrinterInfo.pPrinterName = PRINTER_NAME
  udtPrinterInfo.pPortName = PORT_NAME
  udtPrinterInfo.pDriverName = DRIVER_NAME
  udtPrinterInfo.pPrintProcessor = PRINT_PROCESSOR
  udtPrinterInfo.pDatatype = DATA_TYPE
  hpHandle = AddPrinter(vbNullString, 2&, udtPrinterInfo)
  If (hpHandle) Then
    ClosePrinter (hpHandle)
  Else
    lError = Err.LastDllError
    If (lError <> ERROR_PRINTER_ALREADY_EXISTS) Then
      ErrorHandler "Unable to install Generic printer.", lError
    End If
  End If

Module Code:

Private Type PRINTER_INFO_2
    pServerName As String
    pPrinterName As String
    pShareName As Long
    pPortName As String
    pDriverName As String
    pComment As Long
    pLocation As Long
    pDevMode As Long  ' Pointer to DEVMODE
    pSepFile As Long
    pPrintProcessor As String
    pDatatype As String
    pParameters As Long
    pSecurityDescriptor As Long ' Pointer to SECURITY_DESCRIPTOR
    Attributes As Long
    Priority As Long
    DefaultPriority As Long
    StartTime As Long
    UntilTime As Long
    Status As Long
    cJobs As Long
    AveragePPM As Long
End Type
Private udtPrinterInfo As PRINTER_INFO_2

Maybe one of the gurus can explain how this works...

[Babbalouie]

Oh yeah...add this on too!

Private Type DRIVER_INFO_3
    cVersion As Long                   '  2 (Driver for Windows NT 4.0)
    pName As String                    '  QMS 810
    pEnvironment As String             '  Win32 x86
    pDriverPath As String              '  c:\drivers\pscript.dll
    pDataFile As String                '  c:\drivers\QMS810.PPD
    pConfigFile As String              '  c:\drivers\PSCRPTUI.DLL
    pHelpFile As String                '  c:\drivers\PSCRPTUI.HLP
    pDependentFiles As String          '
    pMonitorName As String             '  "PJL monitor"
    pDefaultDataType As String         '  "EMF"
End Type
Private udtDriverInfo As DRIVER_INFO_3

[Milind]

Hi Babbalouie,


Thanks for the code.I am total newbie to VB,i gave a try.

I copied the module code to module,made declaration for the addprinter, copyfile, closeprinter, getprinterdriverdirectory, addprinterdriver.

Created one function errorhandler with 2 arguments.created errorhandler addprintererror: to the code.


when I ruin the prog it gave me the error

Constant expresiion required on line where the code goes...

Dim sDriverBuf As String * Max_Path

also
There is code statement
--
If (Dir(sDriverPath & DRIVER_FILE, vbReadOnly) <> "") Then
--
do I need to create function Dir.


Babbalouie, will these code help me to get printers on the network ,will it help me in some way to add network printer.

Could U please guide me,how to achieve it.

Thanks for the help.


Milind.