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Introduction

There're many different ways of pulling data out of the database and then format/print it according to your needs. The code bellow allows you to print a document from a stored procedure using a SQL OLE and VB DLL. ( Original Article - At Siccolo Articles archive

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.

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

And that's it. Don't forget to register your ActiveX component (I usually do it with Component Services MMC snap-in)

If you would like to read more on this story - please take a look at Siccolo - Free Mobile Management Tool For SQL Server and more articles at Siccolo Articles

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