Set default printer help

[Mark Williams]

We have been using the following to change the default printer in our desktop app to 'Adobe PDF'.

We now use 1 of 3 different pdf printer drivers depending on the machine and version of Windows that it runs. They can be either 'Adobe PDF', 'Microsoft Print to PDF' or 'Bullzip PDF Printer'.

How can I edit the following to change to the first of the three above printer drivers it finds, otherwise generate an error?

Thanks

'Set printer override to 'Adobe PDF'.
DIM SHARED a5_previous_printer_name as C
'set the printer override, and capture the current override printer name to a variable
a5_previous_printer_name = :report.Printer_override("Adobe PDF")

'Displays a message box (style:'OK Button', image: 'Information symbol', id: 'pdf').
DIM SHARED  pdf_result as N
DIM SHARED  pdf_OK_Button as L 
pdf_OK_Button = .F.

title_var = "Printer Override"
message_text_var = <<%text%
Default Printer has been changed to PDF.
%text%
pdf_result=ui_msg_box(title_var,message_text_var,UI_OK+ UI_FIRST_BUTTON_DEFAULT+ UI_INFORMATION_SYMBOL)
'Test to see which button on the message box was pressed....
SELECT
	CASE pdf_result = UI_OK_SELECTED
		pdf_OK_Button= .t.
END SELECT

[Stan Mathews]

Re: Set default printer help

This should work.

lst =  UI_PRINTERS_GET()
pdf_list = ""
for each prtr in lst
pdf_list = pdf_list+if(occurs("PDF",prtr.value)>0,prtr.value+crlf(),"")
next
first_pdf = word(pdf_list,1,crlf())

if isblank("var->first_pdf")
msgbox("No pdf driver found.")
end 
end if


'Set printer override to 'Adobe PDF'.
DIM SHARED a5_previous_printer_name as C
'set the printer override, and capture the current override printer name to a variable
a5_previous_printer_name = :report.Printer_override(first_pdf)
'script continues

[Al Buchholz]

Re: Set default printer help

I have found that the printer name returned from the UI_PRINTERS_GET() isn't exactly the name that is shown else where.

Hence Stan's great idea to look for PDF in the string works well.

You may want to show the names that are returned by using the interactive window.

?UI_PRINTERS_GET()

[Mark Williams]

Re: Set default printer help

This method appears to work except it automatically selects the first printer it finds. In my case it found a printer named Quicken PDF on Nul which locks up the computer when attempting to print to it outside of Quicken.

I need to either look for the three names listed in the original message or allow the user to make a selection from the list of printers found in a search.

Appreciate the help.

[Stan Mathews]

Re: Set default printer help

lst =  UI_PRINTERS_GET()
pdf_list = ""
for each prtr in lst
pdf_list = pdf_list+if(occurs("PDF",prtr.value)>0,prtr.value+crlf(),"")
next
rslt = ui_get_radio2("Choose printer","",pdf_list)

if isblank("var->rslt")
msgbox("No pdf driver found/selected.")
end 
end if


'Set printer override to 'Adobe PDF'.
DIM SHARED a5_previous_printer_name as C
'set the printer override, and capture the current override printer name to a variable
a5_previous_printer_name = :report.Printer_override(rslt)
'script continues

[Mark Williams]

Re: Set default printer help

lst =  UI_PRINTERS_GET()
pdf_list = ""
for each prtr in lst
pdf_list = pdf_list+if(occurs("PDF",prtr.value)>0,prtr.value+crlf(),"")
next
rslt = ui_get_radio2("Choose printer","",pdf_list)

if isblank("var->rslt")
msgbox("No pdf driver found/selected.")
end 
end if


'Set printer override to 'Adobe PDF'.
DIM SHARED a5_previous_printer_name as C
'set the printer override, and capture the current override printer name to a variable
a5_previous_printer_name = :report.Printer_override(rslt)
'script continues

This works great, Stan - thanks!

Now hopefully not getting greedy, but is it possible to have the list not show the port? For example: Microsoft Print to PDF instead of Microsoft Print to PDF on PORTPROMPT:?

[Stan Mathews]

Re: Set default printer help

Yes, that is greedy, but easily doable.

Change
pdf_list = pdf_list+if(occurs("PDF",prtr.value)>0,prtr.value+crlf(),"")

to

pdf_list = pdf_list+if(occurs("PDF",prtr.value)>0,words(prtr.value,1,w_count(prtr.value," ")-2)+crlf(),"")

Just realized that doing that means the correct value is not passed to the .printer_override() command. Will look again.

[Stan Mathews]

Re: Set default printer help

See if this works to display only the printer name but pass the complete string to the .printer_override(). I only have one pdf driver installed so I can't be sure.

lst =  UI_PRINTERS_GET()
pdf_list = ""
port_list = ""
for each prtr in lst
pdf_list = pdf_list+if(occurs("PDF",prtr.value)>0,words(prtr.value,1,w_count(prtr.value," ")-2)+crlf(),"")
port_list = port_list+if(occurs("PDF",prtr.value)>0,words(prtr.value,w_count(prtr.value," ")-1,2)+crlf(),"")
next
rslt = ui_get_radio2("Choose printer","",pdf_list)

if isblank("var->rslt")
msgbox("No pdf driver found/selected.")
end 
end if
pdf_chsn_num = word_number_get(pdf_list,rslt,crlf())
port_chsn = word(port_list,pdf_chsn_num,crlf())
pdf_compl = rslt+" "+port_chsn

'Set printer override to 'Adobe PDF'.
DIM SHARED a5_previous_printer_name as C
'set the printer override, and capture the current override printer name to a variable
a5_previous_printer_name = :report.Printer_override(pdf_compl)
'script continues