[RESOLVED] Text File Column Alignment While Printing

[toecutter]

I have got my text file sorted into 5 columns and it looks good



using this code

            Dim sw As New IO.StreamWriter("C:\StickFrameExpress\Jobs\" & Me.lblJobNumber.Text & ".txt", False)
            'write blanks lines
            sw.WriteLine("")
            sw.WriteLine("")
            'write job number and date
            sw.WriteLine(ControlChars.Tab & "Job Number:" & "  " & Me.lblJobNumber.Text & "                                     " & Now)
            sw.WriteLine("")
            sw.WriteLine("")
            sw.WriteLine("")
            'header
            sw.WriteLine(ControlChars.Tab & "Name".PadRight(20, " "c) & _
                              ControlChars.Tab & "Material".PadRight(50, " "c) & _
                              ControlChars.Tab & "Length".PadRight(15, " "c) & _
                              ControlChars.Tab & "Qty".PadRight(8, " "c) & _
                              ControlChars.Tab & "Units".PadRight(8, " "c)) 
               sw.WriteLine("")
            Dim i As Int16
            With Me.ListView1
                For i = 0 To CShort(.Items.Count - 1)
                    If .Items(i).Text <> "" Then
                        sw.WriteLine(ControlChars.Tab & .Items(i).Text.PadRight(20, " "c) & _
                                          ControlChars.Tab & .Items(i).SubItems(1).Text.PadRight(50, " "c) & _
                                          ControlChars.Tab & .Items(i).SubItems(2).Text.PadRight(15, " "c) & _
                                          ControlChars.Tab & .Items(i).SubItems(3).Text.PadRight(8, " "c) & _
                                          ControlChars.Tab & .Items(i).SubItems(4).Text.PadRight(8, " "c)) 
                      sw.writeLine("")

When i print the file using the file > print from the notepad program the columns do not appear as they do on the screen..

They no longer line up.
How can i overcome this?

regards
toe

[dbasnett]

I should have said this in the other thread. Don't mix tabs and padding.

I'd switch the font to mono-spaced (Courier) with padding or figure out the correct tab stops, which won't be the same in a textbox and printer.

Courier is pretty common in printers.

[toecutter]

Am i correct in saying PadRight will move the next string so many spaces to the right?

If so i dont think think this method will work due to when the string increases in chartacters the columns do not line up which seems to be happing no matter how i try to implment it.

            sw.WriteLine("".PadRight(20, " "c) & "Name".PadRight(20, " "c) & _
                        "Material".PadRight(120, " "c) & _
                        "Length".PadRight(15, " "c) & _
                        "Qty".PadRight(8, " "c) & _
                        "Units".PadRight(8, " "c)) ' & _
         
            sw.WriteLine("")
            Dim i As Int16
            With Me.ListView1
                For i = 0 To CShort(.Items.Count - 1)
                    If .Items(i).Text <> "" Then
                        sw.WriteLine("".PadRight(20, " "c) & .Items(i).Text.PadRight(20, " "c) & _
                        .Items(i).SubItems(1).Text.PadRight(120, " "c) & _
                        .Items(i).SubItems(2).Text.PadRight(15, " "c) & _
                        .Items(i).SubItems(3).Text.PadRight(8, " "c) & _
                        .Items(i).SubItems(4).Text.PadRight(8, " "c)) ' & _
                         sw.WriteLine("")
                    End If
                Next
            End With

[ttensabd]

        Dim aString As String = "1234", eString As String = "END"
        Debug.WriteLine("Debug Output Follows")
        For padCtr As Integer = 1 To 10
            Debug.WriteLine(aString.PadRight(aString.Length + padCtr, "*") & eString)
        Next

Debug Output Follows
1234*END
1234**END
1234***END
1234****END
1234*****END
1234******END
1234*******END
1234********END
1234*********END
1234**********END

[stanav]

This is the description for String.PadRight(Int32) method from MSDN: Left-aligns the characters in this string, padding with spaces on the right, for a specified total length.

So if you want your data written to a text file to line up in columns, you'd define the size of each column (in term of character count) then use String.PadRight() on each and every field (it does looks like you're already doing this). The next step is to use a fix-width font. Since this is a text file, you simply open it in notepad and change the font to Courrier or Courrier New. You'll see that you columns are lined up nice and neat. Now you're ready to print. However, if the length of your lines are longer than the width of the printable area, some wrapping will occur.

[toecutter]

I tried what you have said and it still wont line up



As you can see, as the text string increase in characters the columns are moved out of alignment

[stanav]

I tried what you have said and it still wont line up



As you can see, as the text string increase in characters the columns are moved out of alignment

You are NOT using fixed width fonts, are you?

[ttensabd]

Lucida
Courier New

Test > < ? / (:987654321 Courier

[ionut_y]

I have got my text file sorted into 5 columns and it looks good
When i print the file using the file > print from the notepad program the columns do not appear as they do on the screen..

They no longer line up.
How can i overcome this?

regards
toe

Just an idea : why don' you use RichTextBox control to display your text file,set RTB font to "Courier" and a button to print ... use .NET for that too :

Dim printFont As New Font("Courier New", 9)
.....
e.Graphics.DrawString(mytextString, printFont, Brushes.Black, leftMargin, yPos,  _ 
  New StringFormat())

[toecutter]

You are NOT using fixed width fonts, are you?

I have set the font of the listview to courier, but it seems thats not what you mean?
When i open the textfile it is set to couier as well...

What are monospaced fonts you ask? From Xerox:
> Monospace fonts (Such as Courier or LetterGothic), or "fixed pitch" fonts, contain characters that all have the same character width

@ ionut_y, thanks for the idea but ill try and get this to work first and then ill give a RTB a go.

[ttensabd]

You are writing the data to a text file?

if yes, Have you opened it, did a select all, set font to Courier? Then printed?

[toecutter]

You are writing the data to a text file?

if yes, Have you opened it, did a select all, set font to Courier? Then printed?

Yes, i only had to set the font to courier once now all the text is automatically set to courier even when creating a new txt file.

[ttensabd]

The screenshots you have posted aren't courier.

Are the fields lined up in the text file? They should be if it is courier.

[stanav]

Yes, i only had to set the font to courier once now all the text is automatically set to courier even when creating a new txt file.

That's right. Text files do not contains any format information so there's no way you can tell a text file to use a specific font family. The font setting you set in notepad is for the notepad application itself and that's why when you change the font, every other subsequence text files open in notepad will be displayed with that font.

[toecutter]

Thanks all for the help on this but i have found it to difficult and decided to print from a richtextbox with a excellent Link Hack provided in this thread

Option Explicit On
Option Strict On
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Drawing.Printing

Public Class Form1
    Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form
    Dim sw As IO.StreamWriter
    Dim sr As IO.StreamReader

    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        'read a text file into richtextbox
        Dim myOutput As StreamReader
        Dim sValues As String
        myOutput = New StreamReader("C:\StickFrameExpress\Jobs\adadad.txt")
        sValues = myOutput.ReadToEnd
        Me.RichTextBox2.Text = sValues
        myOutput.Close()
    End Sub

    Private Sub PrintPreviewToolStripMenuItem_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles PrintPreviewToolStripMenuItem.Click
        Me.PrintDocument1.DefaultPageSettings.Landscape = True
        If PrintDialog1.ShowDialog = DialogResult.OK Then
            'showDialog method makes the dialog box visible at run time
            With Me.PrintDocument1
                .PrinterSettings.DefaultPageSettings.Landscape = True
                .Print()
            End With
        End If
    End Sub

    Private Sub PrintDocument1_PrintPage(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Drawing.Printing.PrintPageEventArgs) Handles PrintDocument1.PrintPage
        'PrintPage is the foundational printing event. This event gets fired for every
        ' page that will be printed
        Static intCurrentChar As Int32
        ' declaring a static variable to hold the position of the last printed char
        Dim font As New Font("Courier New", 8)
        ' initializing the font to be used for printing
        Dim PrintAreaHeight, PrintAreaWidth, marginLeft, marginTop As Int32
        With PrintDocument1.DefaultPageSettings
            .Landscape = True
            ' initializing local variables that contain the bounds of the printing area rectangle
            PrintAreaHeight = .PaperSize.Height - .Margins.Top - .Margins.Bottom
            PrintAreaWidth = .PaperSize.Width - .Margins.Left - .Margins.Right
            ' initializing local variables to hold margin values that will serve
            ' as the X and Y coordinates for the upper left corner of the printing
            ' area rectangle.
            marginLeft = 20
            marginTop = 10
            ' X and Y coordinate
        End With
        Me.PrintDocument1.DefaultPageSettings.Landscape = True
        If PrintDocument1.DefaultPageSettings.Landscape Then
            Dim intTemp As Int32
            intTemp = PrintAreaHeight
            PrintAreaHeight = PrintAreaWidth
            PrintAreaWidth = intTemp
            ' if the user selects landscape mode, swap the printing area height and width
        End If
        Dim intLineCount As Int32 = CInt(PrintAreaHeight / font.Height)
        ' calculating the total number of lines in the document based on the height of
        ' the printing area and the height of the font
        Dim rectPrintingArea As New RectangleF(marginLeft, marginTop, PrintAreaWidth, PrintAreaHeight)
        ' initializing the rectangle structure that defines the printing area
        Dim fmt As New StringFormat(StringFormatFlags.LineLimit)
        'instantiating the StringFormat class, which encapsulates text layout information
        Dim intLinesFilled, intCharsFitted As Int32
        e.Graphics.MeasureString(Mid(RichTextBox2.Text, intCurrentChar + 1), font, New SizeF(PrintAreaWidth, PrintAreaHeight), fmt, intCharsFitted, intLinesFilled)
        ' calling MeasureString to determine the number of characters that will fit in
        ' the printing area rectangle
        e.Graphics.DrawString(Mid(RichTextBox2.Text, intCurrentChar + 1), font, Brushes.Black, rectPrintingArea, fmt)
        ' print the text to the page
        intCurrentChar += intCharsFitted
        Me.Close()
    End Sub
End Class

Hope it can help someone else