How to Print RAW Text Files without Print Dialog from ASP.NET
In this walkthrough, you'll learn how to print any text-plain file (*.txt) from an ASP.NET website to the client printer without displaying a print
dialog. You'll be able to print the Text file to the Default client printer as well as to any other installed printer at the client machine. This
solution works with any browser on Windows OS like IE (6 or later), Chrome, Firefox, Opera & Safari!
Requirements
Development/Server-side
- WebClientPrint 2.0 for ASP.NET (or greater)
- ASP.NET 3.5 (or greater)
- Visual Studio 2010 / VWD 2010 (or greater)
- jQuery 1.4.1 (or greater)
Client-side
- WebClientPrint Processor 2.0 for Windows
- Microsoft Notepad
Follow up these steps
- Download & install WebClientPrint for ASP.NET
- Open Visual Studio and create a new ASP.NET 3.5 Website naming it PrintTXTSample
- Add a reference to Neodynamic.SDK.WebClientPrint.dll to your project
- Open your web.config file and add the following entries:
<system.web>
...
<httpHandlers>
...
<add verb="*" path="wcp.axd" type="Neodynamic.SDK.Web.WebClientPrint, Neodynamic.SDK.WebClientPrint"/>
...
</httpHandlers>
...
</system.web>
<system.webServer>
...
<handlers>
...
<add name="WCP" verb="*" path="wcp.axd" type="Neodynamic.SDK.Web.WebClientPrint, Neodynamic.SDK.WebClientPrint"/>
...
</handlers>
...
</system.webServer>
- Open the default.aspx page and paste the following markup. The task of this page is to try to detect the WCPP and inform the user to install it if
it's missing.
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<head runat="server">
<title></title>
<style>
body{font: 13px 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;}
</style>
<%-- WCPP-detection meta tag for IE10 --%>
<%= Neodynamic.SDK.Web.WebClientPrint.GetWcppDetectionMetaTag() %>
</head>
<body>
<form id="form1" runat="server">
<div id="msgInProgress">
<div id="mySpinner" style="width:32px;height:32px"></div>
<br />
Detecting WCPP utility at client side...
<br />
Please wait a few seconds...
<br />
</div>
<div id="msgInstallWCPP" style="display:none;">
<h3>#1 Install WebClientPrint Processor (WCPP)!</h3>
<p>
<strong>WCPP is a native Windows app (without any dependencies!)</strong> that handles all print jobs
generated by the <strong>WebClientPrint ASP.NET component</strong> at the server side. The WCPP
is in charge of the whole printing process and can be
installed on Windows 98, 2000, Me, XP, Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8 (Desk-mode). It can print to Serial Port RS232 (e.g. COM1),
Parallel Port (e.g. LPT1), your Windows-Installed Printers (USB) and Network/IP Ethernet printers.
</p>
<p>
The <strong>WCPP</strong> utility <strong>is digitally-signed with a Windows Authenticode</strong> issued by <a href="http://www.digicert.com">DigiCert,
Inc.</a>. <strong>Install WCPP only if the <u>Publisher is Neodynamic SRL</u></strong>, otherwise do not proceed. <br /><br />
<a href="http://www.neodynamic.com/downloads/wcpp20-installer.exe" target="_blank">Download and Install WCPP from Neodynamic website</a><br />
</p>
<h3>#2 After installing WCPP...</h3>
<p>
<a href="PrintTxt.aspx">You can go and test the printing page</a>
</p>
</div>
</form>
<%-- Add Reference to jQuery at Google CDN --%>
<script src="http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.8.2/jquery.min.js"></script>
<%-- Add Reference to spin.js (an animated spinner) --%>
<script src="http://fgnass.github.io/spin.js/dist/spin.min.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var wcppPingDelay_ms = 10000;
function wcppDetectOnSuccess(){
<%-- WCPP utility is installed at the client side
redirect to WebClientPrint sample page --%>
<%-- get WCPP version --%>
var wcppVer = arguments[0];
if(wcppVer.substring(0,1) == "2")
window.location.href = "PrintTxt.aspx";
else //force to install WCPP v2.0
wcppDetectOnFailure();
}
function wcppDetectOnFailure() {
<%-- It seems WCPP is not installed at the client side
ask the user to install it --%>
$('#msgInProgress').hide();
$('#msgInstallWCPP').show();
}
$(document).ready(function () {
<%-- Create the Spinner with options (http://fgnass.github.io/spin.js/) --%>
var spinner = new Spinner({
lines: 12,
length: 7,
width: 3,
radius: 10,
color: '#336699',
speed: 1,
trail: 60
}).spin($('#mySpinner')[0]);
});
</script>
<%-- WCPP detection script --%>
<%= Neodynamic.SDK.Web.WebClientPrint.CreateWcppDetectionScript() %>
</body>
</html>
- Finally, add a new ASPX page and name it PrintTxt.aspx (be sure to UNSELECT the "Place code in separate file" checkbox)
This page allows your user to print the Text (*.txt) file to local printers. The user is required to have Notepad installed to get this code working.
Notepad is installed with any version of Windows OS.
Please paste the following markup and code depending on your preferred language i.e. C# or VB on your PrintTxt.aspx file.
VB
<%@ Page Language="VB" %>
<%@ Import Namespace="System.Data" %>
<%@ Import Namespace="System.Collections.Generic" %>
<%@ Import Namespace="System.IO" %>
<%@ Import Namespace="Neodynamic.SDK.Web" %>
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<script runat="server">
Protected Sub Page_Init(sender As Object, e As System.EventArgs)
'Print file?
If (WebClientPrint.ProcessPrintJob(Request)) Then
Dim useDefaultPrinter As Boolean = (Request("useDefaultPrinter") = "checked")
Dim printerName As String = Server.UrlDecode(Request("printerName"))
'full path of the txt file to be printed
Dim txtFilePath As String = "c:\myFile.txt"
'create a temp file name for our txt file...
Dim fileName As String = Guid.NewGuid().ToString("N") + System.IO.Path.GetExtension(txtFilePath)
'Create a PrintFile object with the txt file
Dim file As New PrintFile(txtFilePath, fileName)
'Create a ClientPrintJob and send it back to the client!
Dim cpj As New ClientPrintJob()
'set file to print...
cpj.PrintFile = file
'set client printer...
If (useDefaultPrinter OrElse printerName = "null") Then
cpj.ClientPrinter = New DefaultPrinter()
Else
cpj.ClientPrinter = New InstalledPrinter(printerName)
End If
'send it...
cpj.SendToClient(Response)
End If
End Sub
</script>
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<head runat="server">
<title>How to directly Print Text files without Printer Dialog</title>
</head>
<body>
<%-- Store User's SessionId --%>
<input type="hidden" id="sid" name="sid" value="<%=Session.SessionID%>" />
<form id="form1" runat="server">
<h1>How to directly Print Text files without Printer Dialog</h1>
<label class="checkbox">
<input type="checkbox" id="useDefaultPrinter" /> <strong>Use default printer</strong> or...
</label>
<div id="loadPrinters">
<br />
WebClientPrint can detect the installed printers in your machine.
<br />
<input type="button" onclick="javascript:jsWebClientPrint.getPrinters();" value="Load installed printers..." />
<br /><br />
</div>
<div id="installedPrinters" style="visibility:hidden">
<br />
<label for="installedPrinterName">Select an installed Printer:</label>
<select name="installedPrinterName" id="installedPrinterName"></select>
</div>
<br /><br />
<input type="button" style="font-size:18px" onclick="javascript:jsWebClientPrint.print('useDefaultPrinter=' + $('#useDefaultPrinter').attr('checked') +
'&printerName=' + $('#installedPrinterName').val());" value="Print Text File..." />
<script type="text/javascript">
var wcppGetPrintersDelay_ms = 5000; //5 sec
function wcpGetPrintersOnSuccess(){
<%-- Display client installed printers --%>
if(arguments[0].length > 0){
var p=arguments[0].split("|");
var options = '';
for (var i = 0; i < p.length; i++) {
options += '<option>' + p[i] + '</option>';
}
$('#installedPrinters').css('visibility','visible');
$('#installedPrinterName').html(options);
$('#installedPrinterName').focus();
$('#loadPrinters').hide();
}else{
alert("No printers are installed in your system.");
}
}
function wcpGetPrintersOnFailure() {
<%-- Do something if printers cannot be got from the client --%>
alert("No printers are installed in your system.");
}
</script>
</form>
<%-- Add Reference to jQuery at Google CDN --%>
<script src="http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.8.2/jquery.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<%-- Register the WebClientPrint script code --%>
<%=Neodynamic.SDK.Web.WebClientPrint.CreateScript()%>
</body>
</html>
C#
<%@ Page Language="C#" %>
<%@ Import Namespace="System.Data" %>
<%@ Import Namespace="System.Collections.Generic" %>
<%@ Import Namespace="System.IO" %>
<%@ Import Namespace="Neodynamic.SDK.Web" %>
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<script runat="server">
protected void Page_Init(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
//Print file?
if (WebClientPrint.ProcessPrintJob(Request))
{
bool useDefaultPrinter = (Request["useDefaultPrinter"] == "checked");
string printerName = Server.UrlDecode(Request["printerName"]);
//full path of the txt file to be printed
string txtFilePath = @"c:\myFile.txt";
//create a temp file name for our txt file...
string fileName = Guid.NewGuid().ToString("N") + System.IO.Path.GetExtension(txtFilePath);
//Create a PrintFile object with the txt file
PrintFile file = new PrintFile(txtFilePath, fileName);
//Create a ClientPrintJob and send it back to the client!
ClientPrintJob cpj = new ClientPrintJob();
//set file to print...
cpj.PrintFile = file;
//set client printer...
if (useDefaultPrinter || printerName == "null")
cpj.ClientPrinter = new DefaultPrinter();
else
cpj.ClientPrinter = new InstalledPrinter(printerName);
//send it...
cpj.SendToClient(Response);
}
}
</script>
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<head runat="server">
<title>How to directly Print Text files without Printer Dialog</title>
</head>
<body>
<%-- Store User's SessionId --%>
<input type="hidden" id="sid" name="sid" value="<%=Session.SessionID%>" />
<form id="form1" runat="server">
<h1>How to directly Print Text files without Printer Dialog</h1>
<label class="checkbox">
<input type="checkbox" id="useDefaultPrinter" /> <strong>Use default printer</strong> or...
</label>
<div id="loadPrinters">
<br />
WebClientPrint can detect the installed printers in your machine.
<br />
<input type="button" onclick="javascript:jsWebClientPrint.getPrinters();" value="Load installed printers..." />
<br /><br />
</div>
<div id="installedPrinters" style="visibility:hidden">
<br />
<label for="installedPrinterName">Select an installed Printer:</label>
<select name="installedPrinterName" id="installedPrinterName"></select>
</div>
<br /><br />
<input type="button" style="font-size:18px" onclick="javascript:jsWebClientPrint.print('useDefaultPrinter=' + $('#useDefaultPrinter').attr('checked') +
'&printerName=' + $('#installedPrinterName').val());" value="Print Text File..." />
<script type="text/javascript">
var wcppGetPrintersDelay_ms = 5000; //5 sec
function wcpGetPrintersOnSuccess(){
<%-- Display client installed printers --%>
if(arguments[0].length > 0){
var p=arguments[0].split("|");
var options = '';
for (var i = 0; i < p.length; i++) {
options += '<option>' + p[i] + '</option>';
}
$('#installedPrinters').css('visibility','visible');
$('#installedPrinterName').html(options);
$('#installedPrinterName').focus();
$('#loadPrinters').hide();
}else{
alert("No printers are installed in your system.");
}
}
function wcpGetPrintersOnFailure() {
<%-- Do something if printers cannot be got from the client --%>
alert("No printers are installed in your system.");
}
</script>
</form>
<%-- Add Reference to jQuery at Google CDN --%>
<script src="http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.8.2/jquery.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<%-- Register the WebClientPrint script code --%>
<%=Neodynamic.SDK.Web.WebClientPrint.CreateScript()%>
</body>
</html>
- That's it! Run your website and test it. Click on Print Text File to print the txt file without print dialog. You can print it to the Default
client printer or you can get a list of the installed printers available at the client machine.
Links:
This Demos
Demos
Download WebClientPrint for ASP.NET
More Information about Neodynamic WebClientPrint for ASP.NET
Neodynamic
NET Components & Controls
http://www.neodynamic.com
