print screen

[martinwcole]

I am working on an idea. Here is my goal:

Push the "Print Screen' button
capture the complete current screen
save that to a constant bitmap name
print a report using that bitmap

Using alpha's
ui_bitmap_create_from_screen("test", 0, 0, 8.5, 11)

I should now have a full copy of the screen.

If I always copy the current screen to the same file as a bitmap, I could design a report, with the option to 'display printer options on print'

This would let me have the user use the 'print screen' or other special key to capture the current screen and send it to the report, whch would give the user the normal windows 'printer select' dialog and then print a bitmap of the current screen.

but where I'm getting stuck is saving and then printing

I need to be able to save it to file to the same name each time - thus setting up the report.

ui_bitmap_create_from_screen("test", 0, 0, 8.5, 11)
this apparently creates the bitmap in memory only, and I haven't been able to figure out how to save it to disk - apparently you have to deal with it as a blob - but I can't find a 'file save blob-to-bitmap' method

Push the "Print Screen' button
capture the complete current screen
save that to a constant bitmap name
print a report using that bitmap

[Al Buchholz]

RE: print screen

Martin

In bitmap functions - bitmap_to_png() is the one that I'd recommend.

See attached image.

[martinwcole]

RE: print screen

Al, from the documentation, I think you have to already have a bitmap image on a disk - what I can't figure out is how to save the "image" to a disk

ui_bitmap_create_from_screen("test", 0, 0, 8, 6)

how can I save that to disk as a bitmap image - that's what I can't figure out. Or, for that matter, if I have a table with a bitmap/field, how to save it to that record.


f=file_create("c:\alpha\aadfw\test.bmp", file_rw_exclusive)
'this creates a blank bitmap
ui_bitmap_create_from_screen("test", 0, 0, 8, 6)
'?how to get this image to the bitmap I created above?

[JerryBrightbill]

RE: print screen

Martin

The key is that the image is a blob variable. This should work

xbasic_wait_for_idle()
ui_bitmap_create_from_screen("test", 0, 0, 8, 6)
imageb = ui_bitmap_save("test")
f=file_create("c:\alpha\aadfw\test.bmp", file_rw_exclusive)
f.writeb(imageb)
f.close()

ui_bitmap_drop(imageb)

The Calendar & Toolbox addin has a built in function to save a screenshot of an xdialog which uses code similar to this.

Jerry

[Jim Chapman]

RE: print screen

Hello Martin,

Try this:

ui_bitmap_create_from_screen("test", 0, 0, 8, 6)

vBlob = ui_bitmap_save("test")
file.From_blob("c:\test.bmp",vBlob)


Jim

[martinwcole]

RE: print screen

Jerry, I got error 1499 with your code.

Here is the code I ended up with that works like a champ!!

ui_bitmap_create_from_screen("test", 0, 0, 8, 6) '800 X 600
vBlob = ui_bitmap_save("test")
file.From_blob("c:\alpha\aadfw\test.bmp",vBlob)
t=table.open("cscreen")
t.change_begin()
t.cscreen=vblob
t.change_end(.t.)
form.view("cscreen")
report.preview("cscreen")
end


cscreen is a 1 field, 1 record table with a bitmap as type
the report is "best fit"

I can use the same code on any form, and it replaces the table record each time, so the report is always on the last image.

I'll have to modify for the network, but thanks a million - as always, I had skirted around the correct code 10 times, but missed the part of vblob in the below line

file.From_blob("c:\alpha\aadfw\test.bmp",vBlob)

[martinwcole]

RE: print screen

actually,

'file.From_blob("c:\alpha\aadfw\test.bmp",vBlob)

is unnecessary

[rfha]

Re: print screen

Hi Martin,

I am trying to use your print screen routine in a script, print_form, called by a form button. Here is the script I am using:

'Print form
ui_bitmap_create_from_screen("test", 0, 0, 8.5, 6.5)
vBlob = ui_bitmap_save("test")
t=table.open("cscreen")
t.change_begin()
t.cscreen=vblob
t.change_end(.t.)
form.view("cscreen")
report.preview("cscreen")
end

The error that I am getting when executing it is attached.

I created a table cscreen with one record named Screen_Image as a bmp, best fit.

Then I created a form cscreen with the field Screen_Image as 8.5 x 6.5 in, best fit, and imported an image to have something in the file.

Lastly, I created a form cscreen with nothing on it but the field Screen_Image at 7.5 x 5.7" w. best fit, reducing the size to fit the page. It shows the one record.

Then I ran the script from a button on the 8.5" x 6.5" form that I want to capture and got the error.

Any suggestions about what I am doing wrong would be much appreciated.

[Tim Kiebert]

Re: print screen

Richard,

According to your description you have a table called cscreen with a field called Screen_Image. Therefore your code should be:

t=table.open("cscreen")
t.change_begin()
t.[B][COLOR="Red"]Screen_Image[/COLOR][/B]=vblob
t.change_end(.t.)

[rfha]

Re: print screen

Thanks Tim,

It often takes a friend to point out the painfully obvious... :o

Much appreciated.

[Tim Kiebert]

Re: print screen

My pleasure.