How to Auto Print?

Question

I have posted a simlar question in th vb.net forum. But have not received an answer.

In VB.Net 2005 window forms.
Using an RS serverside report.
My report is created and deployed. It uses an 8.5" by 5" form.
Interactive size and page sizes are 8.5x5
Margins are set to 0.5
Body is set to 7.5x4" 

In my vb.net 2005 project:
I have a vb form with a button and a report viewer control on it.

When i click the button, the report renders correctly.
With the report rendered, I click the print button and the print dialogue shows.
I select the printer i want and select the custom form that i have created from its properties.

I click on the print button and it prints. Yeah so far.

I want to automate the entire process.
I can automate the entire process up to the point when the report fires the "render complete" event.
Inside this event, i want to choose a printer, choose the papersize, and print it.

How do i do this?

I could be happy with just chooseing the printer and printing without a user. The destination printer is a dot matrix with carbon forms in it on a tractor. There is no other paper that will be in this printer. I already have figured out that i can create the form in the printer driver and set it as the default papersize.

Anyway
Thank you up front (as usual)
Jerry Cic 

Answer 1

Here is my solution

I created a class object called AutoPrinter.

It is instantiated by passing it a LocalReport or a ServerReport,
along with the document width, height, and margins.

Here is how it is called:

        Dim AP As New AutoPrinter(SR, 8.5, 5, 0, 0, 0, 0, "Microsoft XPS Document Writer")         
        AP.PrintReport()
        AP.Dispose()

Where SR is a ServerReport object or a LocalReport object.

Here is a typical ServerReport subroutine that calls the autoprint class.
The form has a ReportViewer control on it called RV.

Here is the Server Side report routine:

    Sub Print_AllOut(ByVal OE As Integer) ' server side render
        RV.ProcessingMode = ProcessingMode.Remote
        Dim SR As ServerReport = RV.ServerReport  'RV is a ReportViewerControl
        SR.ReportServerUrl = New System.Uri(GetGlobal("ReportServerUrl"))
        SR.ReportPath = GetGlobal("OEAllOutPath")
        Dim ReportParameters(0) As ReportParameter
        ReportParameters(0) = New ReportParameter("OrderNumber", OE.ToString)
        SR.SetParameters(ReportParameters)
        Dim ds$ = SR.GetDataSources.Item(0).Name
        Dim dc(0) As Microsoft.Reporting.WinForms.DataSourceCredentials
        dc(0) = New Microsoft.Reporting.WinForms.DataSourceCredentials
        dc(0).Name = ds
        dc(0).Password = UserPassword()
        dc(0).UserId = UserID()
        SR.SetDataSourceCredentials(dc)
        Dim AP As New AutoPrinter(SR, 8.5, 5, 0, 0, 0, 0, "Microsoft XPS Document Writer")
        AP.PrintReport()
        AP.Dispose()
        RV.ServerReport.Refresh()
        Me.RV.RefreshReport()
    End Sub

Here is a typical Local report routine

    Sub Print_AllOutL(ByVal OE As Integer)
        RV.ProcessingMode = ProcessingMode.Local
        RV.LocalReport.ReportPath = "OE_AllOuts.rdlc"
        RV.LocalReport.DataSources.Add(New ReportDataSource("Haffners", _
           LoadSalesData()))
        Dim AP As New AutoPrinter(RV.LocalReport, 8.5, 5, 0, 0, 0, 0, "Microsoft XPS Document Writer")
        AP.PrintReport()
        AP.Dispose()
        RV.ShowParameterPrompts = False
        RV.ShowCredentialPrompts = False
        RV.LocalReport.Refresh()
        Me.RV.RefreshReport()
    End Sub

Both routines call the autoprint class the same way.

Here is the class AutoPrint:

Imports System.IO
Imports System.Data
Imports System.Text
Imports System.Drawing.Imaging
Imports System.Drawing.Printing
Imports System.Collections.Generic
Imports Microsoft.Reporting.WinForms
Public Class AutoPrinter
    Implements IDisposable
    Private m_currentPageIndex As Integer = 0
    Private m_streams As IList(Of Stream) = Nothing
    Private m_LocalReport As LocalReport = Nothing
    Private m_ServerReport As ServerReport = Nothing
    Private m_PrinterName As String = ""
    Private m_Width As Double = 0
    Private m_Height As Double = 0
    Private m_TopMargin As Double = 0
    Private m_LeftMargin As Double = 0
    Private m_RightMargin As Double = 0
    Private m_BottomMargin As Double = 0
    Public RequestResult As String = ""
    Dim MimeType As String = ""
    Dim Encoding As String = ""
    Dim Extension As String = ""
    Dim m_Streamids As String() = Nothing
    Dim m_Streamid As String = ""

    Public Sub New(ByVal LocalReport As LocalReport, _
            ByVal Width As Double, _
            ByVal Height As Double, _
            ByVal TopMargin As Double, _
            ByVal LeftMargin As Double, _
            ByVal RightMargin As Double, _
            ByVal BottomMargin As Double, _
            ByVal PrinterName As String)
        m_LocalReport = LocalReport
        m_Height = Height
        m_Width = Width
        m_TopMargin = TopMargin
        m_LeftMargin = LeftMargin
        m_RightMargin = RightMargin
        m_BottomMargin = BottomMargin
        m_PrinterName = PrinterName
        RequestResult = ""
    End Sub
    Public Sub New(ByVal ServerReport As ServerReport, _
            ByVal Width As Double, _
            ByVal Height As Double, _
            ByVal TopMargin As Double, _
            ByVal LeftMargin As Double, _
            ByVal RightMargin As Double, _
            ByVal BottomMargin As Double, _
            ByVal PrinterName As String)
        m_ServerReport = ServerReport
        m_Height = Height
        m_Width = Width
        m_TopMargin = TopMargin
        m_LeftMargin = LeftMargin
        m_RightMargin = RightMargin
        m_BottomMargin = BottomMargin
        m_PrinterName = PrinterName
        RequestResult = ""
    End Sub
    Public Sub PrintReport()
        Export_Report()
        m_currentPageIndex = 0
        Print_Report()
    End Sub
    Private Sub Export_Report()
        Dim DeviceInfo As String = _
          "<DeviceInfo>" + _
          "  <OutputFormat>EMF</OutputFormat>" + _
          "  <PageWidth>WWWW</PageWidth>" + _
          "  <PageHeight>HHHH</PageHeight>" + _
          "  <MarginTop>TTTT</MarginTop>" + _
          "  <MarginLeft>LLLL</MarginLeft>" + _
          "  <MarginRight>RRRR</MarginRight>" + _
          "  <MarginBottom>BBBB</MarginBottom>" + _
          "</DeviceInfo>"
        DeviceInfo = DeviceInfo.Replace("WWWW", m_Width.ToString("0.00in"))
        DeviceInfo = DeviceInfo.Replace("HHHH", m_Width.ToString("0.00in"))
        DeviceInfo = DeviceInfo.Replace("TTTT", m_Width.ToString("0.00in"))
        DeviceInfo = DeviceInfo.Replace("LLLL", m_Width.ToString("0.00in"))
        DeviceInfo = DeviceInfo.Replace("RRRR", m_Width.ToString("0.00in"))
        DeviceInfo = DeviceInfo.Replace("BBBB", m_Width.ToString("0.00in"))
        Dim warnings() As Warning = Nothing
        m_streams = New List(Of Stream)()
        If m_LocalReport IsNot Nothing Then
            m_LocalReport.Render("Image", DeviceInfo, AddressOf CreateStream, _
               warnings)
        End If
        If m_ServerReport IsNot Nothing Then
            Dim myStream As New MemoryStream( _
            m_ServerReport.Render("Image", DeviceInfo, MimeType, _
                Encoding, Extension, m_Streamids, warnings))
            m_streams.Add(myStream)
            Dim myImage As Byte()
            For Each m_Streamid In m_Streamids
                myImage = m_ServerReport.RenderStream("Image", m_Streamid, _
                     Nothing, Nothing, Nothing)
                myStream = New MemoryStream(myImage)
                m_streams.Add(myStream)
            Next
        End If
        Dim Stream As Stream
        For Each stream In m_streams
            stream.Position = 0
        Next
    End Sub
    Private Function CreateStream(ByVal name As String, _
           ByVal fileNameExtension As String, _
           ByVal encoding As Encoding, ByVal mimeType As String, _
           ByVal willSeek As Boolean) As Stream
        Dim stream As New MemoryStream
        m_streams.Add(stream)
        Return stream
    End Function
    Private Sub Print_Report()
        If m_streams Is Nothing Or m_streams.Count = 0 Then
            Return
        End If
        Dim PrintDoc As New PrintDocument()
        'The following line removes the printing page ?? of ?? messagebox
        PrintDoc.PrintController = New System.Drawing.Printing.StandardPrintController()
        PrintDoc.PrinterSettings.PrinterName = m_PrinterName
        If Not PrintDoc.PrinterSettings.IsValid Then
            Dim msg As String = String.Format( _
                "Can't find printer ""{0}"".", m_PrinterName)
            Console.WriteLine(msg)
            Return
        End If
        AddHandler PrintDoc.PrintPage, AddressOf PrintPage
        PrintDoc.Print()
    End Sub
    Private Sub PrintPage(ByVal sender As Object, _
            ByVal ev As PrintPageEventArgs)
        Dim PageImage As New Metafile(m_streams(m_currentPageIndex))
        ev.Graphics.DrawImage(PageImage, ev.PageBounds)
        Debug.Print(m_currentPageIndex.ToString)
        m_currentPageIndex += 1
        ev.HasMorePages = (m_currentPageIndex < m_streams.Count)
    End Sub
    Public Overloads Sub Dispose() Implements IDisposable.Dispose
        If Not (m_streams Is Nothing) Then
            Dim stream As Stream
            For Each stream In m_streams
                stream.Close()
            Next
            m_streams = Nothing
        End If
    End Sub
End Class

This method will print to the printer indicated without running the print dialogue.
It will also surpress the "Printing page ?? of ??" message box.

The routine will display a message box if the printer passed to the routine is not a valid printer.

This has worked well for me and i hope it will help others as well.
Thanks
Jerry Cicierega