VB.NET Form Library: Print Window

• Download class library DLL - 28.7 KB
• Download class library source code - 41.6 KB
• Download demo project - 62.1 KB

Contents

• Introduction
• The Demo Project
• C_Print_Source Class
  • Constructors
  • Properties
• Print_Window Form
  • Methods
  • Properties
• Using The Code
  • Project Reference
  • Consuming The Class Library
• Points Of Interest
  • ExtendedRichTextBox
  • Appending Richtext

Introduction

This form library contains a print source class and a Windows form that are used to print the contents of a richtextbox, textbox, listbox, extended listbox or treeview control. Optionally, the text in the print window can be saved in either a richtext (.rtf) or text (.txt) file.

(Click here to read an article in which you will find information on how to build a form library.)

The Demo Project

The demo project is designed to illustrate all of the features and capabilities of the print window class library. There is one tab for each of the different controls that can be passed to the print window as print sources. When the demo application is started, populating the tabs may take several minutes because the "Treeview" tab is being populated with the directory structure from one of your hard drives (to 3 levels). The Richtextbox and Textbox tabs are loaded from demo files. The Extended Listbox and Listbox tabs are populated with a series of dates.

The fonts in each of the data tabs may look strange. These fonts are different so you can see that the fonts survive through the print window to both the print preview and the printer. To view a tab in the print window, click on the tab and then the Print Window button.

You can change the Title in the print window by changing the contents of the "Print window title" textbox at the top of the project demo window. Other printing process properties are set on the Window Properties and Dialog Defaults tabs. All of the properties in the demo project are initially set to the default values in the print window class library.

C_Print_Source Class

The C_Print_Source class converts the contents of the control being printed into a standard interface that is consumed by the print window form.

Constructors

Properties

The C_Print_Source class exposes eight properties. They are listed here in alphabetical order:

Print_Window Form

Methods

The Print_Window form class exposes one method.

Properties

The Print_Window form class exposes eighteen properties in four sections. The properties within each section are listed here in alphabetical order:

General

Page Setup Dialog

Print Dialog

Page Setup And Print Dialog

Using the Code

Project Reference

To make the print window form library available in a project, follow these steps:

1. Copy these class libraries to the project's bin (or bin\Debug, or bin\Release) folder
   • ExtendedRichTextBox.dll
   • tgs_extended_listbox.dll
   • tgs_print_window.dll
   • tgs_toolkit.dll
2. Add this class library to the project's References
   • tgs_print_window.dll
3. Add this Imports statement to each class that consumes the print window class

Imports tgs_print_window

Consuming The Class Library

The Print Button click event in the demo project illustrates how easily the print window class can be consumed in your project. First, the print source object is instantiated and configured. Then the print window is also instantiated and all necessary properties are set. Lastly, the print window is invoked. That's it!

    Private Sub btnPrintWindow_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, _
                                     ByVal e As System.EventArgs) _
                                     Handles btnPrintWindow.Click
        '---------------------------------------------------

        '     Date          Developer      Code Change

        '  ---------- -------------------- -----------------

        '  10/18/2007 G Gilbert            Original code

        '---------------------------------------------------


        '---------------------------------------------------

        ' Instantiate the print source object and set

        ' properties

        '---------------------------------------------------

        TurnOnHourglass()
        Dim ps As C_Print_Source = Nothing
        Select Case tabSamplesControl.SelectedIndex
            Case 0          ' Richtextbox

                ps = New C_Print_Source(rtbText)
            Case 1          ' Textbox

                ps = New C_Print_Source(txtBox)
            Case 2          ' Extended listbox

                ps = New C_Print_Source(el, lstExtendedListbox.Font)
            Case 3          ' Listbox

                ps = New C_Print_Source(lstListbox)
            Case 4          ' Treeview

                ps = New C_Print_Source(tvwTreeview)
                With ps
                    .DoubleSpaceRootNodes = chkDoubleSpace.Checked
                    .TreeviewIndent = cboIndent.SelectedIndex + 1
                End With
        End Select
        With ps
            .HeaderText = txtHeaderText.Text
            .CenterHeaderText = chkCenter.Checked
        End With

        '---------------------------------------------------

        ' Instantiate the print window object and set

        ' properties

        '---------------------------------------------------

        Dim pw As New tgs_print_window.Print_Window
        With pw
            .TitleText = txtPrintWindowTitle.Text
            .DocumentName = txtDocumentName.Text
            .HideSelection = chkHideSelection.Checked
            .ShowSave = chkShowSaveButton.Checked
            .AllowMargins = chkAllowMargins.Checked
            .AllowOrientation = chkAllowOrientation.Checked
            .AllowPaper = chkAllowPaper.Checked
            .AllowPrinter = chkAllowPrinter.Checked
            .Landscape = chkLandscape.Checked
            .TopMargin = CType(nudTopMargin.Value, Single)
            .BottomMargin = CType(nudBottomMargin.Value, Single)
            .LeftMargin = CType(nudLeftMargin.Value, Single)
            .RightMargin = CType(nudRightMargin.Value, Single)
            .AllowPrintToFile = chkAllowPrintToFile.Checked
            .AllowSelection = chkAllowSelection.Checked
            .AllowSomePages = chkAllowSomePages.Checked
            .ShowHelp = chkShowHelp.Checked
            .ShowNetwork = chkShowNetwork.Checked
        End With

        '---------------------------------------------------

        ' Display the print window

        '---------------------------------------------------

        pw.Go(ps)

        '---------------------------------------------------

        ' Clean up

        '---------------------------------------------------

        ps = Nothing
        pw = Nothing
        txtPrintWindowTitle.Focus()

    End Sub

Points Of Interest

ExtendedRichTextBox

The richtextbox used in the print window form is the ExtendedRichTextBox. You can read more about this versatile control in an article by salysle titled Building a Simple Word Processor Around an Extended RichTextBox Control.

The ExtendedRichTextBox, as you can see in the following code, offers a very simple way to print richtext. (Based on comments I read on various forums, this control may not be appropriate for general use as a richtextbox, however, it works very well as a print engine.)

#Region " ... Preview "
    Private Sub Preview_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, _
                              ByVal e As System.EventArgs) _
                              Handles Preview.Click
        '---------------------------------------------------

        '     Date          Developer      Code Change

        '  ---------- -------------------- -----------------

        '  07/17/2006 G Gilbert            Original code

        '---------------------------------------------------


        _printDocument.DocumentName = _documentName
        With _printPreviewDialog
            .WindowState = FormWindowState.Maximized
            .ShowDialog()
        End With
        rtbText.Focus()

    End Sub
#End Region
#Region " ... Print "
    Private Sub btnPrint_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, _
                               ByVal e As System.EventArgs) _
                               Handles btnPrint.Click
        '---------------------------------------------------

        '     Date          Developer      Code Change

        '  ---------- -------------------- -----------------

        '  07/17/2006 G Gilbert            Original code

        '---------------------------------------------------


        If _printDialog.ShowDialog = Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK Then
            _printDocument.Print()
        End If
        rtbText.Focus()

    End Sub
#End Region
#Region " Printing Events "
#Region " ... _printDocument_BeginPrint "
    Private Sub _printDocument_BeginPrint(ByVal sender As Object, _
                                    ByVal e As 
                                    System.Drawing.Printing.PrintEventArgs) _
                                    Handles _printDocument.BeginPrint
        '---------------------------------------------------

        '     Date          Developer      Code Change

        '  ---------- -------------------- -----------------

        '  10/18/2007 G Gilbert            Original code

        '---------------------------------------------------


        '---------------------------------------------------

        ' Initialize the number of characters already printed

        '---------------------------------------------------

        _checkPrint = 0

    End Sub
#End Region
#Region " ... _printDocument_PrintPage "
    Private Sub _printDocument_PrintPage(ByVal sender As System.Object, _
                     ByVal e As System.Drawing.Printing.PrintPageEventArgs) _
                     Handles _printDocument.PrintPage
        '---------------------------------------------------

        '     Date          Developer      Code Change

        '  ---------- -------------------- -----------------

        '  10/18/2007 G Gilbert            Original code

        '---------------------------------------------------


        _checkPrint = rtbText.Print(_checkPrint, rtbText.TextLength, e)
        If _checkPrint < rtbText.TextLength Then
            e.HasMorePages = True
        Else
            e.HasMorePages = False
        End If

    End Sub
#End Region
#End Region

Appending Richtext

Appending the text from one richtextbox to another richtextbox, such that the richtext code is preserved, proved interesting. I found several approaches on the Internet, however, the below code that I wrote proved to be the simplest. This function is available in the tgs_toolkit.dll class library.

    Public Function AppendRTF(ByVal ParentRTB As RichTextBox, _
                              ByVal AppendRTB As RichTextBox) As RichTextBox
        '---------------------------------------------------

        ' Append the text (including richtext) from one

        ' richtextbox (AppendRTB) to the text in another

        ' richtextbox (ParentRTB)

        '---------------------------------------------------

        '     Date          Developer      Code Change

        '  ---------- -------------------- -----------------

        '  10/28/2007 G Gilbert            Original code

        '---------------------------------------------------


        '---------------------------------------------------

        ' Place the insertion cursor at the end of the

        ' parent richtextbox

        '---------------------------------------------------

        ParentRTB.SelectionStart = ParentRTB.Text.Length
        ParentRTB.SelectionLength = 0

        '---------------------------------------------------

        ' Select all of the text being appended

        '---------------------------------------------------

        appendRTB.SelectAll()

        '---------------------------------------------------

        ' Append the text (with richtext) and return

        '---------------------------------------------------

        ParentRTB.SelectedRtf = appendRTB.SelectedRtf
        appendRTB.DeselectAll()
        Return ParentRTB

    End Function