Mega Code Archive
Tprintdialog - class that creates a printer selection and control dialog
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type TPrintDialog = class;
Description
The TPrintDialog class is used to create a printer selection and print control dialog.
Before printing from your application, it is wise to display a print dialog. This allows the user to select the desired printer and attributes, along with control over how the document is printed. Such as multiple copies and pages to be printed.
You first use the class by creating an object from it, and then setting the required dialog attributes from the following list:
Collate Whether to preset the Collate option
Copies How many copies to print
FromPage Selected page in page range
ToPage Selected page in page range
MinPage Earliest selectable page
MaxPage Latest selectable page
PrintRange Starting page selection type
Options Various multi-selectable options
PrintToFile If false, we print to paper
The PrintRange values are:
prAllPages All pages to print
prSelection Page selection to print
prPageNums Page number range to print
You choose one before the dialog starts - and check to see if the user has changed it when the dialog ends.
The Options values may be one of the following:
poPrintToFile Print to file
poPageNums Print by page range
poSelection Print by page selection
poWarning Warning if bad printer
poHelp Disply help
poDisablePrintToFile Print to file disallowed
Some of these options may also be set by the dialog user. Always check their values afterwards.
After setting these options, use the Execute method to display the dialog, checking the Boolean outcome after it runs to know whether to proceed with the printing.
Notes
Used in conjunction with the Printer object.
Related commands
Printer Returns a reference to the global Printer object
TObject The base class type that is ancestor to all other classes
Example code : A relatively simple example
const
TOTAL_PAGES = 4; // How many pages to print
var
printDialog : TPrintDialog;
page, startPage, endPage : Integer;
begin
// Create a printer selection dialog
printDialog := TPrintDialog.Create(Form1);
// Set up print dialog options
printDialog.MinPage := 1; // First allowed page number
printDialog.MaxPage := TOTAL_PAGES; // Highest allowed page number
printDialog.ToPage := TOTAL_PAGES; // 1 to ToPage page range allowed
printDialog.Options := [poPageNums]; // Allow page range selection
// If the user has selected a printer (or default), then print!
if printDialog.Execute then
begin
// Use the Printer function to get access to the global TPrinter object.
// Set to landscape orientation
Printer.Orientation := poLandscape;
// Set the printjob title - as it it appears in the print job manager
Printer.Title := 'Test print for Delphi';
// Set the number of copies to print each page
// This is crude - it doies not take Collation into account
Printer.Copies := printDialog.Copies;
// Start printing
Printer.BeginDoc;
// Has the user selected a page range?
if printDialog.PrintRange = prPageNums then
begin
startPage := printDialog.FromPage;
endPage := printDialog.ToPage;
end
else // All pages
begin
startPage := 1;
endPage := TOTAL_PAGES;
end;
// Set up the start page number
page := startPage;
// Keep printing whilst all OK
while (not Printer.Aborted) and Printer.Printing do
begin
// Write out the page number
Printer.Canvas.Font.Color := clBlue;
Printer.Canvas.TextOut(40, 20, 'Page number = '+IntToStr(page));
// Increment the page number
Inc(page);
// Now start a new page - if not the last
if (page <= endPage) and (not Printer.Aborted)
then Printer.NewPage;
end;
// Finish printing
Printer.EndDoc;
end;
end;
Show full unit code
The print dialog is displayed, and various pages printed if the
user hits OK. Otherwise, no pages are printed.
If printed, the page number appears on each page in blue
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