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#1 Posted : Thursday, November 28, 2019 8:26:59 AM(UTC)
Abdul Rahman

Groups: Registered
Posts: 60


Dear Team,

I'm trying to develop a exe for Network Virtual Printer with my code and business logics. But I'm not able to find any steps/ tutorials. Please assist me on this.

Use Case:

User -> Opens a word document -> Print -> Selecting Network Virtual Printer -> User Prompted to Enter Data -> Now Print Handler in server gets triggered and converts word to pdf and do remaining business logics -> Client should be notified with a message.

What I understood so far:

For my use case after analyzing network virtual printers, I understood that a virtual printer needs to installed on client machine and network virtual printer needs to be installed on server. And a link needs to be made between these two to make them communicate using remote data which is PrintJobData.

What I have tried so far:

Server Side:

I developed a console to install network virtual printer in server. Enabled network sharing in printer after installation.

Here is the code for that:

Code:
internal class Program
    {
        private static readonly ApplicationSettings settings = new ApplicationSettings();
        private static readonly DocumentWriter documentWriter = new DocumentWriter();
        private static readonly string fileName = GetRandomFileName("pdf");
        private static Printer virtualPrinter;

        private static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            IConfiguration config = new ConfigurationBuilder()
                //.SetBasePath(Directory.GetCurrentDirectory())
                .SetBasePath(Path.GetDirectoryName(Assembly.GetEntryAssembly().Location))
                .AddJsonFile("appsettings.json", false, true)
                .Build();

            config.GetSection("Settings").Bind(settings);

            LicenseMethods.SetLicense(settings);

            if (settings.UninstallPrinter)
            {
                PrinterMethods.UninstallPrinter(settings);
            }

            if (settings.InstallPrinter)
            {
                PrinterMethods.InstallPrinter(settings);
            }

            //// Not installing or uninstalling. Hook to capture events.
            //using Printer virtualPrinter = HookToPrinter(settings.PrinterName);
            virtualPrinter = HookToPrinter(settings.PrinterName);
            if (virtualPrinter == null)
            {
                ConsoleMethods.Error("Failed to hook to the printer. Rerun the utility passing -i as an argument to install the printer.");
                Environment.Exit((int)ExitCodes.GeneralFailure);
            }
            do
            {
                while (!Console.KeyAvailable)
                {
                    // Wait for events
                }
            } while (Console.ReadKey(true).Key != ConsoleKey.Escape);
        }

        private static Printer HookToPrinter(string printerName)
        {
            if (PrinterMethods.IsPrinterInstalled(printerName))
            {
                // Caller will dispose of Printer object.
                Printer printer = new Printer(printerName)
                {
                    EnableNetworkPrinting = true
                };
                printer.EmfEvent += new EventHandler<EmfEventArgs>(VirtualPrinter_EmfEvent);
                printer.JobEvent += new EventHandler<JobEventArgs>(VirtualPrinter_JobEvent);
                ConsoleMethods.Success($"Hooked to {printerName}");
                return printer;
            }
            return null;
        }

        private static void VirtualPrinter_EmfEvent(object sender, EmfEventArgs e)
        {
            // Add to the current document
            using Metafile metaFile = new Metafile(e.Stream);
            documentWriter.AddPage(new DocumentWriterEmfPage()
            {
                EmfHandle = metaFile.GetHenhmetafile()
            });
        }

        private static void VirtualPrinter_JobEvent(object sender, JobEventArgs e)
        {
            string printerName = e.PrinterName;
            int jobID = e.JobID;

            switch (e.JobEventState)
            {
                case EventState.JobStart:
                    ConsoleMethods.Success($"{printerName}: Job {jobID} has started");

                    //get the remote data sent from client 
                    PrintJobData jobData = virtualPrinter.RemoteData;

                    string path = Path.Combine(settings.PdfStorePath, fileName);
                    Directory.CreateDirectory(Path.GetDirectoryName(path));

                    // Begin writing to a new file
                    documentWriter.BeginDocument(path, DocumentFormat.Pdf);
                    break;
                case EventState.JobEnd:
                    ConsoleMethods.Success($"{printerName}: Job {jobID} has ended");

                    // Finished with file
                    documentWriter.EndDocument();

                    // Close the console
                    Environment.Exit((int)ExitCodes.Success);
                    break;
                default:
                    virtualPrinter.CancelPrintedJob(jobID);
                    break;
            }
        }

        private void SetNetworkData(string strData)
        {
            byte[] bytes = Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(strData);

            //Set initial network data 
            virtualPrinter.SetNetworkInitialData(bytes);
        }

        private string GetNetworkData()
        {
            byte[] bytes;

            //Get initial network data 
            bytes = virtualPrinter.GetNetworkInitialData();

            return Encoding.ASCII.GetString(bytes);
        }

        private static string GetRandomFileName(string extension)
        {
            return $"{Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(Path.GetRandomFileName())}.{extension}";
        }
    }


Client Side:

I need to know whether I need to install a network virtual printer in client or a normal virtual printer in client system. If so after installing how to link the client virtual printer with my server network printer?

I developed a console app for this and below is the code for the same. Please correct me if I'm wrong here.

Client Virtual Printer:

Program.cs:

Code:
internal class Program
    {
        private static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Virtual Printer Client");
            do
            {
                while (!Console.KeyAvailable)
                {
                    // Wait for events
                }
            } while (Console.ReadKey(true).Key != ConsoleKey.Escape);
        }
    }


NetworkPrinterClient.cs:

Code:
public class NetworkPrinterClient : IVirtualPrinterClient
    {
        public bool PrintJob(PrintJobData printJobData)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Job data Ip Address = " + printJobData.IPAddress + " Job ID = " + printJobData.JobID);
            //the UserData will be sent to the server machine 
            //this data can be any user specified data format 
            printJobData.UserData = new byte[] { (byte)'H', (byte)'E', (byte)'L', (byte)'L', (byte)'O' };
            return true;
        }

        public void Shutdown(string virtualPrinterName)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Shutdown received for " + virtualPrinterName + " printer");
        }

        public bool Startup(string virtualPrinterName, byte[] initialData)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Job received from " + virtualPrinterName + "printer");
            return true;
        }
    }


If I run the above virtual print client console app, nothing happens because its obvious from the code that Main method in Program class had no code to invoke NetworkPrinterClient class. So how will the Hello text be retrieved in the PrintJobData in server?

Client Virtual Print Installer:

Here is my Client Virtual Print Installer console app.

Code:

    internal class Program
    {
        private static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            try
            {
                Console.WriteLine("Virtual Printer Client Installer");
                PrinterInstaller.SetPrinterConnectionDll("Here I need to give the name of Network Virtual Printer in Server?", "What DLL path I should give here? My network virtual printer dll path in server? or any leadtools client print dll path in client machine?", "This should be server machine name right?");
                do
                {
                    while (!Console.KeyAvailable)
                    {
                        // Wait for events
                    }
                } while (Console.ReadKey(true).Key != ConsoleKey.Escape);
            }
            catch (Exception e)
            {
                Console.WriteLine(e.Message);
                throw;
            }
            
        }
    }


Please look at the embedded questions in the above code at line no 8 in method PrinterInstaller.SetPrinterConnectionDll

Where I'm stuck now:

1. I have network virtual printer installed in server by running my console app. This is perfect.
2. How to install virtual printer in client with my console app?
3. How to link client virtual printer with my server network virtual printer and pass custom data in PrintJobData or by any means.
4. I installed Using Virtual Printer Client Installer windows app from your demo in my client machine. When I gave my server name and clicked refresh, the network virtual printer in my server got listed and for printer dll I gave the path to my Client Virtual Printer console app dll instead of print demo dll. and it got installed when I tried to print using that printer in my client, I got the error message : Error loading managed DLL.


I'm stuck on how to connect the pieces that I have developed. Please assist. Your help would be highly appreciated.

Please assist. If I can complete this prototype I can demonstrate this to my organization and get license approved and purchase the license.

Edited by user Tuesday, December 3, 2019 5:44:20 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

 

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#2 Posted : Friday, November 29, 2019 10:15:15 AM(UTC)

Hadi  
Hadi

Groups: Manager, Tech Support, Administrators
Posts: 218

Was thanked: 12 time(s) in 12 post(s)

Hello,

Please take a look at the following links:

https://www.leadtools.co...th-your-application.html
https://www.leadtools.co...-server-application.html
https://www.leadtools.co...-client-application.html

We also include a deployment tool demo that you can use to deploy the drivers in the SDK:
C:\LEADTOOLS 20\Examples\DotNet\CS\VirtualPrinterDriverDeploymentTool

Also installed with the SDK is Server and Client setup demos that you can follow in order to get this working:
C:\LEADTOOLS 20\Shortcuts\Virtual Printer\.NET Framework Class Libraries\Network and Internet Virtual Printer
The three different folders in here are what you will need in order to get this to function:
IIS Setup for Network Virtual Printer Demos
Server Demos
Client Demos

Please take a look at these samples source code to better understand how to accomplish your goal.
Hadi Chami
Developer Support Manager
LEAD Technologies, Inc.

LEAD Logo
 
#3 Posted : Tuesday, December 3, 2019 4:14:54 AM(UTC)
Abdul Rahman

Groups: Registered
Posts: 60


Dear Hadi,

Thanks for the links and help. I managed to get the Network Virtual Printer installed in the Server Machine and Configured Virtual Printer Web Service in the IIS in my server. However I'm not able to get the print working from my client machine. Please assist me with detailed steps on where I'm going wrong.

Here is what I have tried:

1. Installed Virtual Printer in Server. -> Working
2. Configured Virtual Printer Web Service in IIS -> I used PrinterServerIISConfigDemo and its configured in my IIS. Will this communicate with my custom printer or with default demo printers?
3. How to install Virtual Printer in Client and make it communicate with my server? -> I'm stuck here.

I'm using Printer Client Installer Demo and while installing, I give my server name and my virtual printer is getting listed. After selecting that I select the dll of NetworkPrinterClient.cs file as shown in above code. Now I click on Install and I get this success message "Printer installed and connected to demo DLL successfully".

Now when I print via the installed client printer, In server I can able to see a document waiting in printer queue but after few seconds, I get the following error in client machine - "Error Loading Managed DLL" in my client machine and print is getting terminated. Please assist

I need a step by step assistance to proceed further. All the demos/links shared are not having any images to show what needs to be done and where it needs to be done. I even tried the VirtualPrinterDriverDeploymentTool and it is giving a run time error saying that LeadToolsPrinter.exe is being used by another process. I really find it difficult to do this integration.

Thanks,
Abdul Rahman
 
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