[Solved] Printer settings and about box

[albgio]

Hello,
I've upgraded from 2.51 to 3.02, and I'm planning to use this last version with my software distribution.
By the way, I've noticed one thing... With previous versions, before print any document, I was able to show printer settings from a print dialog. Now instead of printer settings, PDF converter shows a kind of about box and no printer options (i.e. page layout); I still use the same call to DocumentProperties (winspool).
Is there any way to show again those options?

[David]

Hello

The ability for end users to see and change the printer settings was disabled in more recent versions. The printer settings need to be changed via code from within the developer's application.

For methods and functions on changing the printer settings please refer to the "Common Driver Interface 300.pdf" manual that comes with the application.

Hope that helps?

[albgio]

Hello again, and thanks for your reply.
It does help, because now I now that it's a desired behaviour...

Now I know that I've to find another way for our end users to edit printer settings, that means, if there isn't any workaround (for example some specific parameters for some API call), to create a custom dialog for change printer settings.
Following this way, I'd like to create something like the old pdf printer settings, with at least the chance to choose paper size, resolution and orientation. I've founded in common driver interface manual the calls I need to, but I didn't found any references for th values to use. I mean, I saw that for orientation I've to specify the value 1 for portrait and 2 for landscape, but what about paper size, resolution and so on? Examples reports just few values...

Thanks again,
Gio


I think I figured it out, I've to do some calls to DeviceCapabilities. If someone knows other ways, please let me know...

[Joan]

Hello,

You can do all this using calls to CDIntf. Please make sure you are using the latest version of the manual available with version 3.02. It should contain all the list of possible calls.

You may request to get the very latest version of our developers manuals by contacting support@amyuni.com

[albgio]

Hello,
I've tried to bypass this issue about editable printer settings from end user, but there are still some problems...
A problem is that obviously our user's will see different printer dialogs from the one they were used to. Changing printer settings were a feature on which we relied on, and now that we would to update to the latest version for solve a PDFConverter existing bug, it needs extra work for something else (the need to update came from the issue that in 2.51d PDFConverter were installed on COM1 port instead LPT1!).

Another problem is that, even if we would still solve the user setting's problem this way, we don't have any reference about values' range for parameters in some CDIntf calls. I mean, first I call DeviceCapabilities to retrieve all the possible paper size values, but how can I be sure that when I call CDIntf's SetPaperSize the parameter nPaperSize it's the same that I expect?
For example, in driver user manual, pag 30, I see just 5 values for nPaperSize, and "Custom size" is 256; when I call DeviceCapabilities, however, I just get 202 values... how can I "translate" them??

Thanks in advance
Regards,
Gio

[Joan]

Hello Gio,

I am not sure exaclty which version you had but if you have a developer version users are not allowed to change the printer settings from the printer properties directly, if your users were changing the printer settings from the printer properties directly then you wouldn't be conform to the license agreement.

In old versions, accessing the printer properties for a developer version was possible because of a security problem that was resolved in newer versions. I need to check in which version exactly this was solved however.

So if you have the Developer version it is normal that your users won't be able to access the printer settings and change them from the UI, all this needs to be done programatically from inside your application. If you need to keep this functionality you would need to get a special royalty based version.

For the paper size, we are using the Windows paper sizes, you can find the list online or you can contact support@amyuni.com and we can send you this list by email.

Hope this helps.

[albgio]

Thanks Joan,
Hello again.

So, you mean that the behaviour we relied on was because of a "bug"...
I found an old invoice and I can confirm you that our subscription is for a developer license, professional version...
This means I have no choice but create my printer settings dialog ("overriding" windows printer dialog), if I'd like to keep this behaviour; this should be conform to the licence agreement, isn't it?
Thanks again, and have a nice day.

Gio
(maybe we'll see again soon in another thread because I have some more questions about something completely different...)

[Joan]

Hello,

I will check about your question.

What types of documents are the users of your application sending to the PDF Printer? I.e You application allows them to convert which files or documents to PDF?

Thanks,

Joanna

[albgio]

Our application allow users to print invoices and reports but also labels of different size and letter's envelops...

[Joan]

Does it allow them to print documents from other applications like Word, Excel, ect...

[albgio]

No, we "directly" use installed printers, and pdf printer is enabled just for our application...

[Joan]

Hello,

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you.

Yes, you can develop you own preferences dialog box as long as you do not authorize printing from any application.

Please note that you can not request technical support from our technical team about this issue because this is a custom development and not something related directly to the usage of the PDF Converter.

Hope this helps.