Print Report on printer local to server from remote location

[cptutrecht]

Re: Print Report on printer local to server from remote location

Would a solution with http://www.printershare.com/ acceptable?

[GGandhi]

Re: Print Report on printer local to server from remote location

Thanks for the suggestions Govindan.

Actually, the logmein option on the Ipad is not a bad one, as I believe they have an IPad app for their product...

Looks as if we may have to choose that method, as I am not finding anything on having a report print directly from the A5 server...

glad to be of some help.
word of caution, however..
with logmein you are using that computer, that means your movements will be seen also on that computer's screen since you are working on that computer while you may be on the train or plane. so it is important that no body is there at that location to interfere or if they are there then they should be informed that you will be working on that computer. but an advantage you can maintain that computer and all the programs. even turn it on as if you were sitting in front of it.

[gkpurcey]

Re: Print Report on printer local to server from remote location

Good points...

[Clipper87]

Re: Print Report on printer local to server from remote location

Some postscript3 printers allow direct PDF printing via FTP (you simply PUT the PDF file). Another thing you may want to check out is printing via IPP, many printers support it. I have no experience with it though.

[gkpurcey]

Re: Print Report on printer local to server from remote location

Many thanks to all of you for your suggestions on this.

I was able to get this to work, primarily due to the contribution of another developer, Jim Coltz of A5CustomSolutions.com .

I print from two places in my application: One is a Web dialog component, the other is from a grid detail view. The expression to retrieve the key of the desired record differed slightly in the two locations.

First, I created an x basic function that would print a report from the A5 Server. Mine uses the server's default printer, although you could get fancier and probably generate a list of printers to choose from.

My function ended up very simple:

FUNCTION PrintToOffice AS C (e as p)

'DESCRIPTION: Prints a service request to the A5server default printer.
'Used in the add new SR dialog, and ServiceRequest Detail Veiw grid onclick -  both using "print to network office printer"  button event.

dim args as sql::arguments
args.set("Sel_SR",e._currentRowDataOld.REQ_ID)  'Note: This is the function in the detail grid.  The function in my dialog used "e._currentRowDataNew.REQ_ID" to get the primary key of the desired record.
 
on error goto error
report.Print("rsql_SRequest_Office@d:\A5Webroot\CCWeb\contacts.alb","","",args)

PrintToOffice = "alert('Report Sent to Office Nework Printer');"

end 

error:
PrintToOffice = "alert('Error in Print Routine');"

resume next

END FUNCTION

Then I created an action button (actually two action buttons, one in the grid, one in the dialog), and both did an AJAX callback to the "PrintToOffice" function.
I ended up hardcoding the path to the contacts.alb file (this is where the SQL report definitions are located). There is probably a better way there, but this works for my situation.

The only other thing I did was to change the properties of my SQL report so that the "Show the Printer Properties Box" was unchecked.

The first couple of times, this code crashed the A5 server when executed. I discovered that when the A5 server runs outside of "Always UP" the report would print correctly. I ended up changing the properties of the startup function of the A5Server within Always Up so that it starts in an Administrator account, rather than the System Account. This made the report work properly.

Unless I am missing something, this seems to do exactly what I had set out to do, and I don't believe there is any huge security risk in doing so. If anyone sees something I don't see along those lines, please let me know.

Thanks again to Jim for the code he sent me.

[frankbicknell]

Re: Print Report on printer local to server from remote location

Very nice. I think you have enlightened a lot of people. I can't see any problems with this if it is a secured private application.

[slamdunk]

Re: Print Report on printer local to server from remote location

Fantastic piece of code. I was looking do achieve similar result but only from local network. Shall try to generate list of available printers on server and print to selected printer. Not sure if its possible to generate printers available on server.

I suppose if installed printers are IP printers (assuming installed on all pcs) we should be able redirect report to selected printer. Please share if anyone has manage to do it.

[slamdunk]

Re: Print Report on printer local to server from remote location

Hi gkpurcey,

Where did you change the properties of "Show the Printer Properties Box" ?

Thanks!

[slamdunk]

Re: Print Report on printer local to server from remote location

Found it.

Hi gkpurcey,

Where did you change the properties of "Show the Printer Properties Box" ?

Thanks!

[Steve Wood]

Re: Print Report on printer local to server from remote location

You might reach out to Nick Wieland here on this forum; he perfected this for one of his clients. However, I think Nick is right in the path of hurricane Sandy, so he might not be available until the coast dries out.

[kiwibruce]

Re: Print Report on printer local to server from remote location

Has anyone else for this to work??? I am using V12 and I can not for the life of me get the solution as detailed in post #20 to work.

Thanks in advance


Bruce

[Steve Wood]

Re: Print Report on printer local to server from remote location

See this post which seems to be running parallel: http://msgboard.alphasoftware.com/al...light=printing


An interesting side note about Google Cloud Print: what if the question was, "how do I print to a printer NOT attached to my WAS server and not where I am located?" For example I am sitting in coffee shop on WiFi with my browser open to my favorite Alpha Five web app, and what if I wanted to print something to the printer sitting in my home office. I tested out the Google Cloud Print solution enough to know that would work -- I did print to my home office printer from the coffee shop, even though the Alpha WAS is in a ZebraHost data center.

[kiwibruce]

Re: Print Report on printer local to server from remote location

See this post which seems to be running parallel: http://msgboard.alphasoftware.com/al...light=printing


An interesting side note about Google Cloud Print: what if the question was, "how do I print to a printer NOT attached to my WAS server and not where I am located?" For example I am sitting in coffee shop on WiFi with my browser open to my favorite Alpha Five web app, and what if I wanted to print something to the printer sitting in my home office. I tested out the Google Cloud Print solution enough to know that would work -- I did print to my home office printer from the coffee shop, even though the Alpha WAS is in a ZebraHost data center.

Hi Steve,
yes I was playing with Google Cloud Print as well and I got it working well enough from my laptop but didn't get it working from the android tablet, but I didn't spend too long on it. My concern is with relying on print jobs floating around the cloud and eventually getting to the printer.

The client that we need a printing solution for is a Major Logistics company and we need the guys in the loading bay scanning pallets coming in and printing labels for them, then and there the process needs to be fast and solid. So what I found with my short play with Google Cloud Print was it was a bit a lag (not at all surprising!! considering what is happening. it is cool) But for a corporate client I think they would be more comfortable with a in-house and really more solid solution.
As you have suggested the save to a folder and then poll and print will be the best solution so far ... though I still hold out hope that there is a way to print from the WAS to a network printer.

Bruce