VB 2010 Print to File

Question

I have an application that creates a complex print document.  A user recently clicked

Print to File and it didn't.  So, I need some clue how to do this.  I'm assuming that within

my print routine I need to test PrintDialog.PrintToFile and either send it to the printer

or open a standard File Open Dialog Box to get a file name to print to.  My question is

do I then do mydoc=m_PrintDocument.ToString() and use Write statements to output

to a file?  Or is there a better way to do it?

Answer 1

You shouldn't have to do anything.  The OS should prompt for a filename when PrintDocument.Print is called.

Answer 2

John,

After some testing, your answer is correct.  Thank you.

However, I think I have a better way given the group of users I'm dealing with

who wouldn't know what to do with a box asking for a file name.

If I install Microsofts XPS Document Writer on their machines and set

dlgPrint.AllowPrintToFile = FALSE so they can't check it,

and tell them to select the Microsoft XPS Document Writer as the

printer, that opens a standard File Open Dialog and the resulting

file can be viewed as it prints in Explorer.  It also works with

Microsoft Office Document Image Writer the same way.  (It didn't

originally, but that was my fault...Sloppy Code).

Thanks,

Scott

Answer 3

You could let them check it and then detect that it has been checked when the PrintDialog closes.  You would then select the XPS writer as the printer.  This still shows a dialog asking for a filename, but the dialog is more common and can be navigated with the mouse.