PRB: Working with Print Dialog and Printer Object under NT 4.0

• Microsoft Visual Basic Learning, Professional, and Enterprise Editions for Windows, version 5.0 on the following platform: NT
• Microsoft Visual Basic Standard, Professional, and Enterprise Editions, 16-bit and 32-bit, for Windows, version 4.0 on the following platform: NT

SYMPTOMS

With Microsoft Visual Basic versions 4.0 and 5.0 on Windows NT version 4.0, when you use the ShowPrinter method of the Common Dialog Control to allow the user to set properties of the Printer object, such as the Copies and Orientation properties, these properties are not affected by the selection in the Print dialog box.

RESOLUTION

To work around this problem, use the Windows API to display the Printer dialog and then set the Printer object's properties to those selected by the user. The following steps illustrate this solution:

1. Start a new project with the default Form1.

2. Add two Command buttons to Form1. Set the following properties for the controls:

                                   Name Property         Caption Property
                                   -------------         ----------------
      First Command button :       cmdPrint              Print Dialog
      Second Command button:       cmdPrintSetup         Print Setup Dialog
   
   

3. Add a module to the project.

4. Add the following code to the module:

         ' Global constants for Win32 API
         Public Const CCHDEVICENAME = 32
         Public Const CCHFORMNAME = 32
         Public Const GMEM_FIXED = &H0
         Public Const GMEM_MOVEABLE = &H2
         Public Const GMEM_ZEROINIT = &H40
         Public Const DM_DUPLEX = &H1000&
         Public Const DM_ORIENTATION = &H1&
         Public Const PD_ALLPAGES = &H0
         Public Const PD_COLLATE = &H10
         Public Const PD_DISABLEPRINTTOFILE = &H80000
         Public Const PD_ENABLEPRINTHOOK = &H1000
         Public Const PD_ENABLEPRINTTEMPLATE = &H4000
         Public Const PD_ENABLEPRINTTEMPLATEHANDLE = &H10000
         Public Const PD_ENABLESETUPHOOK = &H2000
         Public Const PD_ENABLESETUPTEMPLATE = &H8000
         Public Const PD_ENABLESETUPTEMPLATEHANDLE = &H20000
         Public Const PD_HIDEPRINTTOFILE = &H100000
         Public Const PD_NONETWORKBUTTON = &H200000
         Public Const PD_NOPAGENUMS = &H8
         Public Const PD_NOSELECTION = &H4
         Public Const PD_NOWARNING = &H80
         Public Const PD_PAGENUMS = &H2
         Public Const PD_PRINTSETUP = &H40
         Public Const PD_PRINTTOFILE = &H20
         Public Const PD_RETURNDC = &H100
         Public Const PD_RETURNDEFAULT = &H400
         Public Const PD_RETURNIC = &H200
         Public Const PD_SELECTION = &H1
         Public Const PD_SHOWHELP = &H800
         Public Const PD_USEDEVMODECOPIES = &H40000
         Public Const PD_USEDEVMODECOPIESANDCOLLATE = &H40000
   

         'Custom Global Constants
         Public Const DLG_PRINT = 0
         Public Const DLG_PRINTSETUP = 1
   

         'type definitions:
         Type PRINTDLG_TYPE
                 lStructSize As Long
                 hwndOwner As Long
                 hDevMode As Long
                 hDevNames As Long
                 hdc As Long
                 flags As Long
                 nFromPage As Integer
                 nToPage As Integer
                 nMinPage As Integer
                 nMaxPage As Integer
                 nCopies As Integer
                 hInstance As Long
                 lCustData As Long
                 lpfnPrintHook As Long
   
                 lpfnSetupHook As Long
                 lpPrintTemplateName As String
                 lpSetupTemplateName As String
                 hPrintTemplate As Long
                 hSetupTemplate As Long
         End Type
   
         Type DEVNAMES_TYPE
                 wDriverOffset As Integer
                 wDeviceOffset As Integer
                 wOutputOffset As Integer
                 wDefault As Integer
                 extra As String * 100
         End Type
   
         Type DEVMODE_TYPE
                 dmDeviceName As String * CCHDEVICENAME
                 dmSpecVersion As Integer
                 dmDriverVersion As Integer
                 dmSize As Integer
                 dmDriverExtra As Integer
                 dmFields As Long
                 dmOrientation As Integer
                 dmPaperSize As Integer
                 dmPaperLength As Integer
                 dmPaperWidth As Integer
                 dmScale As Integer
                 dmCopies As Integer
                 dmDefaultSource As Integer
                 dmPrintQuality As Integer
                 dmColor As Integer
                 dmDuplex As Integer
                 dmYResolution As Integer
                 dmTTOption As Integer
                 dmCollate As Integer
                 dmFormName As String * CCHFORMNAME
                 dmUnusedPadding As Integer
                 dmBitsPerPel As Integer
                 dmPelsWidth As Long
                 dmPelsHeight As Long
                 dmDisplayFlags As Long
                 dmDisplayFrequency As Long
         End Type
   
         'API declarations:
         Public Declare Function PrintDialog Lib "comdlg32.dll" _
            Alias "PrintDlgA" (pPrintdlg As PRINTDLG_TYPE) As Long
   
         Public Declare Sub CopyMemory Lib "kernel32" _
            Alias "RtlMoveMemory" _
            (hpvDest As Any, hpvSource As Any, ByVal cbCopy As Long)
   
         Public Declare Function GlobalLock Lib "kernel32" _
            (ByVal hMem As Long) As Long
   
         Public Declare Function GlobalUnlock Lib "kernel32" _
            (ByVal hMem As Long) As Long
   
         Public Declare Function GlobalAlloc Lib "kernel32" _
            (ByVal wFlags As Long, ByVal dwBytes As Long) As Long
   
         Public Declare Function GlobalFree Lib "kernel32" _
            (ByVal hMem As Long) As Long
   
         Public Sub ShowPrinter(frmOwner as Form, _
             Optional PrintFlags As Integer)
   
             Dim PrintDlg As PRINTDLG_TYPE
             Dim DevMode As DEVMODE_TYPE
             Dim DevName As DEVNAMES_TYPE
   
             Dim lpDevMode As Long, lpDevName As Long
             Dim bReturn As Integer
             Dim objPrinter As Printer, NewPrinterName As String
             Dim strSetting as String
   
             ' Use PrintDialog to get the handle to a memory
             ' block with a DevMode and DevName structures
   
             PrintDlg.lStructSize = Len(PrintDlg)
             PrintDlg.hwndOwner = frmOwner.hWnd
   
             PrintDlg.flags = PrintFlags
   
             'Set the current orientation and duplex setting
             DevMode.dmDeviceName = Printer.DeviceName
             DevMode.dmSize = Len(DevMode)
             DevMode.dmFields = DM_ORIENTATION Or DM_DUPLEX
             DevMode.dmOrientation = Printer.Orientation
             On Error Resume Next
             DevMode.dmDuplex = Printer.Duplex
             On Error GoTo 0
   
             'Allocate memory for the initialization hDevMode structure
             'and copy the settings gathered above into this memory
             PrintDlg.hDevMode = GlobalAlloc(GMEM_MOVEABLE Or _
                GMEM_ZEROINIT, Len(DevMode))
             lpDevMode = GlobalLock(PrintDlg.hDevMode)
             If lpDevMode > 0 Then
                 CopyMemory ByVal lpDevMode, DevMode, Len(DevMode)
                 bReturn = GlobalUnlock(PrintDlg.hDevMode)
             End If
   
             'Set the current driver, device, and port name strings
             With DevName
                 .wDriverOffset = 8
                 .wDeviceOffset = .wDriverOffset + 1 + Len(Printer.DriverName)
                 .wOutputOffset = .wDeviceOffset + 1 + Len(Printer.Port)
                 .wDefault = 0
             End With
             With Printer
                 DevName.extra = .DriverName & Chr(0) & _
                 .DeviceName & Chr(0) & .Port & Chr(0)
             End With
   
             'Allocate memory for the initial hDevName structure
             'and copy the settings gathered above into this memory
             PrintDlg.hDevNames = GlobalAlloc(GMEM_MOVEABLE Or _
                 GMEM_ZEROINIT, Len(DevName))
             lpDevName = GlobalLock(PrintDlg.hDevNames)
             If lpDevName > 0 Then
                 CopyMemory ByVal lpDevName, DevName, Len(DevName)
                 bReturn = GlobalUnlock(lpDevName)
             End If
   
             'Call the print dialog up and let the user make changes
             If PrintDialog(PrintDlg) Then
   
                 'First get the DevName structure.
                 lpDevName = GlobalLock(PrintDlg.hDevNames)
                     CopyMemory DevName, ByVal lpDevName, 45
                 bReturn = GlobalUnlock(lpDevName)
                 GlobalFree PrintDlg.hDevNames
   
                 'Next get the DevMode structure and set the printer
                 'properties appropriately
                 lpDevMode = GlobalLock(PrintDlg.hDevMode)
                     CopyMemory DevMode, ByVal lpDevMode, Len(DevMode)
                 bReturn = GlobalUnlock(PrintDlg.hDevMode)
                 GlobalFree PrintDlg.hDevMode
                 NewPrinterName = UCase$(Left(DevMode.dmDeviceName, _
                     InStr(DevMode.dmDeviceName, Chr$(0)) - 1))
                 If Printer.DeviceName <> NewPrinterName Then
                     For Each objPrinter In Printers
                        If UCase$(objPrinter.DeviceName) = NewPrinterName Then
                             Set Printer = objPrinter
                        End If
                     Next
                 End If
                 On Error Resume Next
   
                 'Set printer object properties according to selections made
                 'by user
                 With Printer
                     .Copies = DevMode.dmCopies
                     .Duplex = DevMode.dmDuplex
                     .Orientation = DevMode.dmOrientation
                 End With
                 On Error GoTo 0
             End If
   
             'Display the results in the immediate (debug) window
             With Printer
                 If .Orientation = 1 Then
                     strSetting = "Portrait. "
                 Else
                     strSetting = "Landscape. "
                 End If
                 Debug.Print "Copies = " & .Copies, "Orientation = " & _
                    strSetting
             End With
   
         End Sub
   
   

5. Add the following code to Form1:

         Private Sub cmdPrint_Click()
            ShowPrinter Me
         End Sub
   
         Private Sub cmdPrintSetup_Click()
            ShowPrinter Me, PD_PRINTSETUP
         End Sub
   
   

6. Press the F5 key to run the application.

7. Click the Command buttons. Note that the correct settings for Copies and Orientation are displayed in the Immediate Window (or Debug Window).

STATUS

This behavior is by design.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

1. Start a new project on an NT 4.0 machine with default Form1.

2. Add a CommandButton and a Common Dialog control to Form1.

3. Add the following code to the Click event of Command1:

         CommonDialog1.ShowPrinter
         Debug.Print "Copies = " & Printer.Copies; " & Orientation = " & _
             Printer.Orientation
   
   

4. Press the F5 key to run the application.

5. Click Command1. Change the Number of Copies and Orientation settings in the Print Dialog Box and click OK.

   Result: The line "Copies = 1 & Orientation = 1" is printed in the Debug

              (Immediate window) regardless of the settings you selected in
              the Printer Dialog box.
   
   

Keywords          : VB4ALL VB4WIN vb5all VBKBPrinting kbprint
Version           : WINDOWS:4.0,5.0
Platform          : NT WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbprb