Changing Printer Orientation at Runtime

Hi,

I have a specific problem with printer settings. I have developed some reports using VB6.0 Data Reports. When the printer orientation setting is 'Portrait', my reports looks fine. However, when the windows printer setting is changed to 'Landscape', the report print preview shows disturbance in the placement of fields.

To solve this problem, I tried to change the setting at runtime by using 'Printer.Orientation=VBProrLandscape', before the report is displayed. But this did not worked out. Even I tried an api 'Escape' to set the printer setting to 'Portrait' but in vain.

I would appreciate, if you could give me solution to this problem.

Waiting for an early reply.

Bye

PCS

Try this code :
=======
Option Explicit

Private Const CCHDEVICENAME = 32
Private Const CCHFORMNAME = 32

Private Const STANDARD_RIGHTS_REQUIRED = &HF0000
Private Const PRINTER_ACCESS_ADMINISTER = &H4
Private Const PRINTER_ACCESS_USE = &H8
Private Const PRINTER_ALL_ACCESS = (STANDARD_RIGHTS_REQUIRED Or _
PRINTER_ACCESS_ADMINISTER Or PRINTER_ACCESS_USE)

Private Const DM_MODIFY = 8
Private Const DM_IN_BUFFER = DM_MODIFY
Private Const DM_COPY = 2
Private Const DM_OUT_BUFFER = DM_COPY
Private Const DMORIENT_PORTRAIT = 1
Private Const DMORIENT_LANDSCAPE = 2
Private Const DM_ORIENTATION = &H1

Private Type DEVMODE
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
dmLogPixels As Integer
dmBitsPerPel As Long
dmPelsWidth As Long
dmPelsHeight As Long
dmDisplayFlags As Long
dmDisplayFrequency As Long
dmICMMethod As Long
dmICMIntent As Long
dmMediaType As Long
dmDitherType As Long
dmReserved1 As Long
dmReserved2 As Long
End Type

Private Type PRINTER_DEFAULTS
pDatatype As String
pDevMode As Long
DesiredAccess As Long
End Type

Private Declare Function OpenPrinter Lib "winspool.drv" Alias "OpenPrinterA" _
(ByVal pPrinterName As String, phPrinter As Long, pDefault As _
PRINTER_DEFAULTS) As Long
Private Declare Function SetPrinter Lib "winspool.drv" Alias "SetPrinterA" _
(ByVal hPrinter As Long, ByVal Level As Long, pPrinter As Any, ByVal Command _
As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function GetPrinter Lib "winspool.drv" Alias "GetPrinterA" _
(ByVal hPrinter As Long, ByVal Level As Long, pPrinter As Any, ByVal cbBuf As _
Long, pcbNeeded As Long) As Long
Private Declare Sub CopyMemory Lib "kernel32" Alias "RtlMoveMemory" (hpvDest As _
Any, hpvSource As Any, ByVal cbCopy As Long)
Private Declare Function ClosePrinter Lib "winspool.drv" (ByValhPrinter As _
Long) As Long

Private Declare Function DocumentProperties Lib "winspool.drv" Alias _
"DocumentPropertiesA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal hPrinter As Long, ByVal _
pDeviceName As String, ByVal pDevModeOutput As Any, ByVal pDevModeInput As _
Any, ByVal fMode As Long) As Long

Public Sub SetOrientation(NewOrientation As Long, Optional ByVal m_hwnd As Long)
On Error GoTo eh
Dim PrinterHandle As Long
Dim PrinterName As String
Dim pd As PRINTER_DEFAULTS
Dim lpDevMode As DEVMODE
Dim Result As Long
Dim Needed As Long
Dim pFullDevMode As Long
Dim pi2_buffer() As Long
PrinterName = Printer.DeviceName
If PrinterName = "" Then
Exit Sub
End If

pd.pDatatype = vbNullString
pd.pDevMode = 0&
pd.DesiredAccess = PRINTER_ALL_ACCESS

Result = OpenPrinter(PrinterName, PrinterHandle, pd)
Result = GetPrinter(PrinterHandle, 2, ByVal 0&, 0, Needed)
ReDim pi2_buffer((Needed \ 4))
Result = GetPrinter(PrinterHandle, 2, pi2_buffer(0), Needed, Needed)

pFullDevMode = pi2_buffer(7)

Call CopyMemory(lpDevMode, ByVal pFullDevMode, Len(lpDevMode))

lpDevMode.dmOrientation = NewOrientation
lpDevMode.dmFields = DM_ORIENTATION

Call CopyMemory(ByVal pFullDevMode, lpDevMode, Len(lpDevMode))

Result = DocumentProperties(m_hwnd, PrinterHandle, PrinterName, ByVal _
pFullDevMode, ByVal pFullDevMode, DM_IN_BUFFER Or DM_OUT_BUFFER)

Result = SetPrinter(PrinterHandle, 2, pi2_buffer(0), 0&)

Call ClosePrinter(PrinterHandle)

Dim p As Printer
For Each p In Printers
If p.DeviceName = PrinterName Then
Set Printer = p
Exit For
End If
Next p
Printer.Orientation = lpDevMode.dmOrientation
Exit Sub
eh:

End Sub

==========
Huynh Quang Cuong
MCSD
[email protected]

The code at http://codeguru.developer.com/vb/articles/1926.shtml should help you out on this one.


Chris Eastwood

CodeGuru - the website for developers
http://codeguru.developer.com/vb