How to Print a Document from SQL Stored Procedure

Introduction

There are many different ways of pulling data out of the database and then format/print it according to your needs. The code below allows you to print a document from a stored procedure using a SQL OLE and VB DLL. The original article can be found at Siccolo Articles archive.

Step 1

At first, let's build a simple VB DLL (ActiveX component) that would handle the actual printing using Microsoft Word:

In ActiveX component, add a method that would print a document using Microsoft Word:

Public Sub PrintDocumentFromWord(ByVal DocumentFileName As String)

    On Error GoTo Err_Error

    Dim MethodName As String
    MethodName = ".PrintWebDocumentFromWord()"

    Dim strMessage As String

    Dim blnResult As Boolean

    Dim objWord As New Word.Application
    'Dim objWord As Object
    'Set objWord = CreateObject("Word.Application")

    Const wdAlertsNone = 0
    objWord.DisplayAlerts = wdAlertsNone

    'objWord.Activate
    'objWord.PrintOut FileName:=DocumentFileName
    Dim objDocument As Word.Document

    Set objDocument = objWord.Documents.Open(DocumentFileName)

    objDocument.Activate

    objDocument.PrintOut

    objDocument.Close

    objWord.Quit

Exit_Procedure:
    Set objDocument = Nothing
    Set objWord = Nothing

    Exit Sub

Err_Error:

    'handle error here
    Call HandleError("PrintWebDocument", ApplicationName, MethodName, VBA.Error)

    If Not objWord Is Nothing Then
        objWord.Quit
    End If

    Resume Exit_Procedure

End Sub

Compile and build ActiveX component. ActiveX component will reside on the same machine where SQL Server instance is running.

Step 2

Next, create a stored procedure that calls ActiveX component and passes file name of the document to be printed:

CREATE procedure sp_Print_Letter_File
(
    @file_name varchar(333)
    ,@debug_mode char(1)=''
)
as
    set nocount on

    declare @return int

    declare @print_document int
    declare @hr int
    declare @src varchar(255), @desc varchar(255)

    exec @hr = master.dbo.sp_OACreate 'PrintDocument.clsPrintDocument', _
	@print_document OUT
    if @hr <> 0    -- error creating instance!
    begin
           exec master.dbo.sp_OAGetErrorInfo  @print_document, @src out, @desc out
        select 'Creating Instance', hr=convert(varbinary(4),@hr), _
		source=@src, description=@desc
        set @return = -1
        goto error
    end

if @debug_mode<>''
    print '1. created'

    exec @hr = sp_OAMethod @print_document, 'PrintDocumentFromWord',_
	null,@file_name, @debug_mode
    if @hr <> 0
    begin
           exec sp_OAGetErrorInfo @print_document, @src OUT, @desc OUT
        select 'Call to Method', hr=convert(varbinary(4),@hr), _
	Source=@src, Description=@desc

        exec @hr = sp_OADestroy @print_document
        if @hr <> 0
        begin
            exec sp_OAGetErrorInfo @print_document, @src out, @desc out
            select 'Destroing Instance',hr=convert(varbinary(4),@hr), _
		source=@src, description=@desc
            --return
        end
        set @return = -2
        goto error

    end

if @debug_mode<>''
    print '2. send to object'

error:

    exec @hr = sp_OADestroy @print_document
    if @hr <> 0
    begin
        exec sp_OAGetErrorInfo @print_document, @src out, @desc out
        select 'Destroing Instance',hr=convert(varbinary(4),@hr), _
		source=@src, description=@desc
        set @return = -3
    end

if @debug_mode<>''
    print '3. done!'

set nocount off

GO