Delphi printing to Generic text driver (Intermec PM4i)? - delphi

Question

(edit This question has received few downvotes. I don't know a reason and still cannot see what's wrong with it. I can edit this if downvoters could comment about what they wish to see better written or lack of valuable info I have not given).
I have Intermec PM4i label printer and Generic text print driver. I am able to print text file script from Notepad or Delphi calls ShellExecute('printto',..) shellapi function.
I found few raw printing examples but none work. How can Delphi app print to Generic_text_driver without shellapi function? This is not GDI printer.canvas capable driver.
I have tried "everything" even legacy PASSTHROUGH printing examples. Only working method is Notepad.exe or shellexecute('printto', 'tempfile.txt',...) which I guess is using Notepad internally. I can see notepad printing dialog flashing on screen. I would like to control this directly from Delphi application.
This printFileToGeneric did not work.
// https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/borland.public.delphi.winapi/viHjsTf5EqA
Procedure PrintFileToGeneric(Const sFileName, printerName, docName: string; ejectPage: boolean);
Const
BufSize = 16384;
Var
Count : Integer;
BytesWritten: DWORD;
hPrinter: THandle;
DocInfo: TDocInfo1;
f: file;
Buffer: Pointer;
ch: Char;
Begin
If not WinSpool.OpenPrinter(PChar(printerName), hPrinter, nil) Then
raise Exception.Create('Printer not found');
Try
DocInfo.pDocName := PChar(docName);
DocInfo.pOutputFile := nil;
DocInfo.pDatatype := 'RAW';
If StartDocPrinter(hPrinter, 1, #DocInfo) = 0 Then
Raise Exception.Create('StartDocPrinter failed');
Try
If not StartPagePrinter(hPrinter) Then
Raise Exception.Create('StartPagePrinter failed');
System.Assign(f, sFileName);
Try
Reset(f, 1);
GetMem(Buffer, BufSize);
Try
While not eof(f) Do Begin
Blockread(f, Buffer^, BufSize, Count);
If Count > 0 Then Begin
If not WritePrinter(hPrinter, Buffer, Count, BytesWritten) Then
Raise Exception.Create('WritePrinter failed');
End;
End;
Finally
If ejectPage Then Begin
ch:= #12;
WritePrinter( hPrinter, #ch, 1, BytesWritten );
End;
FreeMem(Buffer, BufSize);
End;
Finally
EndPagePrinter(hPrinter);
System.Closefile( f );
End;
Finally
EndDocPrinter(hPrinter);
End;
Finally
WinSpool.ClosePrinter(hPrinter);
End;
End;
The following prtRaw helper util example did not work.
prtRaw.StartRawPrintJob/StartRawPrintPage/PrintRawData/EndRawPrintPage/EndRawPrintJob
http://www.swissdelphicenter.ch/torry/showcode.php?id=940
The following AssignPrn method did not work.
function testPrintText(params: TStrings): Integer;
var
stemp:String;
idx: Integer;
pOutput: TextFile;
begin
Result:=0;
idx := getPrinterIndexByName( params.Values['printer'] );
if (idx<0) then Raise Exception.Create('Printer not found');
WriteLn('Use printer(text) ' + IntToStr(idx) + ' ' + Printer.Printers[idx] );
Printer.PrinterIndex := idx;
stemp := params.Values['jobname'];
if (stemp='') then stemp:='rawtextprint';
Printer.Title:=stemp;
AssignPrn(pOutput);
ReWrite(pOutput);
stemp := 'INPUT ON'+#10;
stemp := stemp + 'NASC 1252'+#10;
stemp := stemp + 'BF OFF'+#10;
stemp := stemp + 'PP 30,480:FT "Swiss 721 BT",8,0,100'+#10;
stemp := stemp + 'PT "Test text 30,480 position ABC'+#10;
Write(pOutput, stemp);
//Write(pOutput, 'INPUT ON:');
//Write(pOutput, 'NASC 1252:');
//Write(pOutput, 'BF OFF:');
//Write(pOutput, 'PP 30,480:FT "Swiss 721 BT",8,0,100:');
//Write(pOutput, 'PT "Test text 30,480 position ABC":');
//Write(pOutput, 'Text line 3 goes here#13#10');
//Write(pOutput, 'Text line 4 goes here#13#10');
CloseFile(pOutput);
end;
This Printer.Canvas did not print anything, it should have had print something because Notepad is internally using GDI printout. Something is missing here.
function testPrintGDI(params: TStrings): Integer;
var
filename, docName:String;
idx: Integer;
lines: TStrings;
begin
Result:=0;
idx := getPrinterIndexByName( params.Values['printer'] );
if (idx<0) then Raise Exception.Create('Printer not found');
WriteLn('Use printer(gdi) ' + IntToStr(idx) + ' ' + Printer.Printers[idx] );
docName := params.Values['jobname'];
if (docName='') then docName:='rawtextprint';
filename := params.values['input'];
If Not FileExists(filename) then Raise Exception.Create('input file not found');
Printer.PrinterIndex := idx;
Printer.Title := docName;
Printer.BeginDoc;
lines := readTextLines(filename);
try
for idx := 0 to lines.Count-1 do begin
Printer.Canvas.TextOut(10, 10*idx, lines[idx]);
end;
finally
FreeAndNil(lines);
Printer.EndDoc;
end;
end;
Only three methods working are printing from Notepad.exe, Delphi ShellExecute call or open a raw TCP socket to IP:PORT address and write text lines to a socket outputstream.
function testPrintPrintTo(params: TStrings): Integer;
var
filename, printerName:String;
idx: Integer;
exInfo: TShellExecuteInfo;
device,driver,port: array[0..255] of Char;
hDeviceMode: THandle;
timeout:Integer;
//iRet: Cardinal;
begin
Result:=0;
idx := getPrinterIndexByName( params.Values['printer'] );
if (idx<0) then Raise Exception.Create('Printer not found');
WriteLn('Use printer(printto) ' + IntToStr(idx) + ' ' + Printer.Printers[idx] );
filename := params.values['input'];
If Not FileExists(filename) then Raise Exception.Create('input file not found');
filename := uCommon.absoluteFilePath(filename);
Printer.PrinterIndex := idx;
Printer.GetPrinter(device, driver, port, hDeviceMode);
printerName := Format('"%s" "%s" "%s"', [device, driver, port]);
FillChar(exInfo, SizeOf(exInfo), 0);
with exInfo do begin
cbSize := SizeOf(exInfo);
fMask := SEE_MASK_NOCLOSEPROCESS or SEE_MASK_FLAG_DDEWAIT;
Wnd := 0;
exInfo.lpVerb := 'printto';
exInfo.lpParameters := PChar(printerName);
lpFile := PChar(filename);
lpDirectory := nil;
nShow := SW_HIDE;
end;
WriteLn('printto ' + printerName);
if Not ShellExecuteEx(#exInfo) then begin
Raise Exception.Create('ShellExecuteEx failed');
exit;
end;
try
timeout := 30000;
while WaitForSingleObject(exInfo.hProcess, 50) <> WAIT_OBJECT_0 do begin
Writeln('wait timeout ' + IntToStr(timeout));
dec(timeout, 50);
if (timeout<1) then break;
end;
finally
CloseHandle(exInfo.hProcess);
end;
{iRet:=ShellExecute(0, 'printto',
PChar(filename),
PChar(printerName), //Printer.Printers[idx]),
nil, //PChar(filepath),
SW_HIDE // SW_SHOWNORMAL
);
Writeln('printto return code ' + IntToStr(iRet)); // >32 OK }
end;

Answer 1

you can use this procedure:
where the LabelFile is the full path of the label file,we are using this code and works with generic text driver printer and the printer is set as the default printer.
it works with zebra printer and windows xp operating system.
i hope this will help you.
function PrintLabel(LabelName: String): Boolean;
var
EfsLabel,dummy: TextFile;
ch : Char;
begin
try
try
Result:= False;
AssignFile(EfsLabel,LabelName);
Reset(EfsLabel);
Assignprn(dummy);
ReWrite(Dummy);
While not Eof(EfsLabel) do
begin
Read(EfsLabel, Ch);
Write(dummy, Ch);
end;
Result:= True;
except
Result:=False;
LogMessage('Error Printing Label',[],LOG_ERROR);
end;
finally
CloseFile(EfsLabel);
CloseFile(dummy);
end;
end;

Answer 2

You are able to print to this printer from Notepad. Notepad prints using the standard GDI mechanism. If Notepad can do this then so can you. Use Printer.BeginDoc, Printer.Canvas etc. to print to this printer.