I have tested the new override options for printing layouts in the new beta for labels, reports, envelopes, etc., but it is not working. I needed to override the default tray option so that I can print my envelope to the envelope feeder, but it still prints to the default tray, tray 3. I then tried creating a new printer and chose that printer under options and the Envelope Feeder as the tray, but it still did not work. My platform is Windows XP and I do not know if this is a factor. Has anyone else setup a layout using the new options and has the tray option worked for you? Barbara
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RE: New Printing Layout Options in Beta 5 Not Work
Yes, at least on Win98SE. However, I remember there was a scenario in which it does not work (and actually should not, as I recall) and one where it does work. Right now I do not recall the details, so I'll try to get back to you tonight with something that should help.
Ray Lyons -
RE: New Printing Layout Options in Beta 5 Not Work
Ok, I'm back. Propably what I gave you in a previous post said to use the printer driver name. If so that is incorrect (see below).
'Date Created: 03-Jun-2002 10:12:13 PM
'Last Updated: 11-Jun-2002 10:57:47 PM
'Created By : Ray Lyons
'Updated By : Ray Lyons
'This script is on a button on a form and prints the
'current record only. Notice that the printer name
'what you have named it (not the driver name) plus "on"
'+ the port + a colon. ("LPT1:" for me.)
options.defaultsource = "Manual feed"
printername = "HP LaserJet 4/4M PostS NewDrv on LPT1:"
letter.Printer_override(printername,options)
'Note that the above lines could be in a separate global
'script which you would just play before the lines below.
' E.g., script_play_local("printer_override_Manual")
current_record = alltrim(str(recno(),10,0))
:Letter.print("Welcome Letter","BETWEEN(RECNO(),"+ current_record+ "," + current_record+")")
END
To state the obvious, the above is for a letter, not a report.
Below are all the possible options. But note that each
printer driver has its owm way of describing, say, a
printer tray. You can get that just by going to the
printer properties and checking how your driver does it.
If Alpha hasn't already done it in the latest beta, I'll
post a script I got from Alpha that I am still tweaking
that grabs all the all the printers (and all their option
settings) on the local machine. However, you shouldn't
really need this to make a modified version of the above
script snippet work.
options.orientation = "portrait"
options.papersize = "Legal"
options.paperlength = "0"
options.paperwidth = "0"
options.scale = "0"
options.copies = "0"
options.quality = "High"
options.color = "Monochrome"
options.duplex = "Simplex"
options.truetype = "Bitmap"
options.collate = ".T."
options.defaultsource = "Lower Cassette"
printername = "HP LaserJet 4/4M PostScript on LPT1:"
report.Printer_override(printername,options)
'Add print_report() call here
Ray LyonsComment
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RE: New Printing Layout Options in Beta 5 Not Work
It was too late last night (mind works strangely) but when I woke up this morning I realized there may be another reason your printer override is not working. Unless I am mistaken, in your report or printer layout, under report or letter properties, printer, you cannot have any saved properties selected, and I believe you need to have it set to be using just the default printer, not some other printer. In other words, as long as the report properties specify the default printer in plain vanilla flavor, the printer override should work.
Sorry I forgot to metnion this last night.
RayComment
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RE: New Printing Layout Options in Beta 5 Not Work
Raymond,
Thanks for your help. I am printing from a network printer on Windows XP and as stated previously have been trying to set the envelope layout to print to my envelope feeder while my labels to print to the auto tray. I am using the default printer with no saved setting, but nothing seems to work. In the script for print layouts I chose the envelope layout then went to the overrride options where I chose my default printer and put in the envelope feeder for the tray. It just won't work. Instead of my envelope feeder it prints to tray 3. BarbaraComment
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RE: New Printing Layout Options in Beta 5 Not Work
'm not sure I can help because so far I have not been able to try any overrides on a network (I could have earlier today but I had not yet seen your message, and now I wopn't be able to try it until mid next week). It would help to have a bit more info: 1) Is your app on the server? 2) How are you running A5beta (network optimized, etc.? 3) You say �network printer,� but is it set up on the server or is it just hung on a workstation and shared there? Presuming it is the former, can you load A5 and you app on the server and try your scripts there, w/o going through a workstation? The results of this could be interesting if it works there but not when going through the workstation. 3) Can you test your scripts on a machine with printer not going through a server? If it works there, it would point us elsewhere. 4) It might be helpful if you posted the script you are using and indicate where the scripts is running from, e.g., a form button. 5) In the code archive I am going to post a script for grabbing and properly setting the printer options. You shouldn't need this for what you are doing but who knows, maybe something is not quite right in your script. There will also be another version in this forum, cluttered with my learning remarks, which may or may not be helpful.
Wish I had a network here this evening so I could be more helpful.
RayComment
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RE: New Printing Layout Options in Beta 5 Not Work
Raymond,
I am sorry if you did not understand, but that is what I am using and it is not working for me. BarbaraComment
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RE: New Printing Layout Options in Beta 5 Not Work
Ok, then have you tried a variant of the code I gave above in Msg ID 61791. That certainly works for me, though again, I have not yet been able to do any testing on a network.
Sorry I can't be of more help. But if you are trying the genie thing in the beta and it flat out doesn't work, you need to report that to Selwyn ASAP because I think a release date is just around the corner.
RayComment
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RE: New Printing Layout Options in Beta 5 Not Work
OK a second time. I just tested the action scripting "Print a Layout" genie and it works for me (Win98SE). Are you using the "Print a Layout" genie or the "Override Default Printer" genie? I have not tested the latter and I'm not sure I would even want to use it because it doesn't give you any option settings. I would think you too are using the Print a Layout" genie. If so and it's not working for a network printer (which I have not tested yet) then unless that can be worked out the whole thing would be useless for me. My entire need for this thing is for network printing. Next week I will test it on a network.
RayComment
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RE: New Printing Layout Options in Beta 5 Not Work
I broke down and drove 40 miles out of my way and spent an hour or so testing the printer my printer override stuff on a client's network. It works, to this extent: It overrides the default printer and prints to a specific tray. That's all, I think, you can expect it to do. I tried it on both a Win98 and a Win2k workstation (though as noted below, not on both with the same code).
As I indicated in previous message having to do with reading data from text files, if the network has a mix of Win98, Win2k and WinXp workstations, it ain't going to work on all of them with the same code because each OS has different print drivers, or at least deals with network printers differently. Thus if you setup your override on a Win2k machine, don't expect that same code to work on a Win98 machine. It will probably at least name the printer port differently under Win98, and the printer driver will be different. That's why I am going to set up either a text file or a table that identifies the paramters need for the printer override stuff , read them into variables and then use variables in the override code. I won't bother doing this until v5 is released, but it certainly should work.
That said, I know there are a number of different ways to setup and use network printers. On the network I tested on, the printers are setup on a server and workstations print "to" and "through" the server printers using ports that are set in printer setups on each workstation. Now, there are a lot more setup schemes I could try to get around the above problem. But at this point I do not have the time, and probably do not have enough faith in a positive outcome to ever spend the time. I'm sure using variables tied to each workstation will work, and once v5 is released it won't take me long to do the variable dance.
Oh, yes, I did not have a lot of time, so I did not test the code the action scripting "Print Layout" genie uses. Rather I used the code I offered in one of these messages. But since the genie code also works on my stand-alone development machine, I am confident it would also work on the network I tested on. Why it doesn't work for you is beyond me. Maybe if you could zip up a small sample database containing what is not working for you, someone here could figure out the problem. I don't quite see how it can be a bug in v5
RayComment
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