ScriptX.Add-on Client-side printing samples
NOTE
ScriptX.Add-on is for Internet Explorer users only. As you are viewing this page in a different browser clicking any of the links to samples will attempt to show the sample in your browser. The sample MAY NOT work if it is solely intended for use with ScriptX.Add-on.
These samples continually evolve as a result of feedback from customers. Many samples are based on real-world examples of ScriptX usage.
All our samples now make extensive use of jQuery. This aids in clearly separating the function in script from the presentation of the document.
We provide two sets of examples: the first set covers core usage and installation and includes samples for core usage, and the second illustrates advanced usage scenarios.
Installation and basic use
Introduction and Installing ScriptX.Addon
How to install ScriptX
Shows the steps required to install ScriptX. The code from these sample is re-used in all the Basic (free) use samples.
How to deploy an advanced use client license
Discusses client licensing and how to use the license on the page. Samples illustrate the license acceptance dialog users may see and how to handle errors.
Display information on the installed version
This is a useful page to show the version of the each of the main components of ScriptX that are installed on the client PC.
Basic use
Print and preview
Illustrates the fundamentals of starting a print preview or print from javascript.
The basic print features
Illustrates the use of many of the basic features of ScriptX.
A stage by stage walkthrough
A walk through developing a single source that supports both ScriptX.Add-on and ScriptX.Services. The code used in the samples can be used in your own projects. This sample set is a reference for when things go wrong.
These samples can be viewed in IE 11 - in which case the Add-on will be used. Or any modern/evergreen browser, in which case ScriptX.Services will be used.
Note that if even if you have chosen to use ScriptX.Services with Internet Explorer 11 in settings, Internet Explorer will only use ScriptX.Addon in this samples set.
Add-only
A simple 'classic' sample using ScriptX.Add-on to print the page or print a PDF document.
Emulation libraries
The ScriptX.Add-on emulation for ScriptX.Services libraries are added. The sample still functions in IE 11 and still fails in evergreeen browsers but nothing has been broken!.
ScriptX.Services license
The license is added and everything comes to life in all supported browsers.
Maintaining investment in current code
These are the samples that accompany the articles Maintaining investment in current code on the MeadCo website.
The articles and samples show some of the steps required in migrating from current javascript targetting ScriptX.Addon to code that is browser agnostic with a minimum amount of effort. The code used in the samples can be used in your own projects. This sample set is a reference for when things go wrong.
Note that these samples will self-configure to target IE 11 or any modern/evergreen browser on a PC With ScriptX.Services for Windows PC installed.
ScriptX.Services for Windows PC v2.17.0 or later is assumed with Orchestrator available.
Use view source and the console to review the implementation and expected log output (each sample enables full detailed logging).
Then
The sample assumes that ScriptX.Add-on for Internet Explorer is aleady installed (no codebase). The evaluation license is used to enable advanced features to be used on content served from a web server on localhost.
- Ensures a margin measure is used independent of user settings.
- Headers and footers using HTML.
An initialisation function is run when the document loads to engage the ScriptX.Add-on override of the browser UI and to describe the print layout including using enhanced formatting for page headers and footers with the use of images.
ThenUI
ScriptX.Services cannot intercept the browser UI so we first create a simple UI within the document. This will work with both ScriptX.Add-on and ScriptX.Services.
Now
To work with ScriptX.Services requires the ScriptX.Services Client Library that implements compatibility to ScriptX.Addon for ScriptX.Services. The libraries can be configured with attributes describing the server to use.
Now-stage4
Error reporting and suggestions for debugging issues.
now-stage5
now-stage5A
An example of a simple custom UI dialog using boostrap 4 as the UI frameworlk.
now-stage6
Enabling async initialisation and use of the MeadCoJS library.
now-stage7
WaitForSpoolingComplete() with ScriptX.Services
Advanced
Advanced print features
The use of Advanced features of ScriptX.Add-on require an Advanced Printing client side license. All advanced features are included in all licenses for ScriptX.Services.
Introduction and overview of advanced features for printing HTML
Provides a summary of the advanced features of ScriptX and shows the use of many advanced features.
Controlling margins, printing and previewing frames
In an international environment there may be a mixture of margin measurement units - this sample sets margins in the opposite units to your default illustrating that with ScriptX you gain control of the units for specifying measurements. This sample also illustrates the scaled to fit preview and printing of a frame.
Controlling printers and print queues
Illustrates the use of the printerControl, Jobs and Job objects.
Working with different standards and document modes
This sample illustrates the support for different document modes by ScriptX and in particular ScriptX 8 in Internet Explorer 11. ScriptX 8 will work well with 'legacy' content when that content uses appropriate document modes either by use of DOCTYPE or Enterprise Modes.
Print to file
An example workflow is for the user to print a customer receipt to a physical printer and the system will also print the same content to a PDF file using PDF output printer driver as an archive.
NOTE: When working with ScriptX.Services v2.11 or later is required.Performance measures
Various print operations with monitoring and timing to provide performance estimates.
Providing UX/UI
A simple print user interface
It can be useful to provide the user with a targetted user interface rather than rely on all attributes being set in script. This sample illustrates listing the available printers and allowing the user to select the printer to use.
A complete print user interface
It can be useful to provide the user with a targetted user interface rather than rely on all attributes being set in script. This sample implements the Page setup and Print settings dialogs in a single HTML dialog.
Using the WaitForSpoolingComplete function
This sample discusses the use of the ScriptX.Addon WaitForSpoolingComplete() function in a variety of scenarios. Please note that the discussion is different between ScriptX.Add and ScriptX.Services.
Working with iFrames
Frame preview and printing
Introduction to printing and previewing iframes. The core basic samples illustrate printing of a frame but with a license an iframe can also be previewed.
Hosting ScriptX inside an iFrame
We commonly recommend that ScriptX is included in the top most document. However, in some architectures this would mean ScriptX is continually present during the lifetime of an application which may needlessly consume valuable resources on the device. This sample illustrates using ScriptX inside an iframe.
Print "remote" documents
Very often ScriptX is used to print the content of the document as it is displayed on the screen but there can also be a need to print a document downloaded from a server. The document might be static or generated in response to the request for the document.
The PrintHTML() method downloads and prints remote documents in the background.
Queuing many files and monitoring progress
PrintHTML() is a fire and forget method and if anything goes wrong no one will know other than nothing has appeared at the printer. The PrintHTMLEx() method provides for monitoring the progress of the job and notification of errors.
Print a single file and consequences for server session state
Printing a remote document occurs in the background. For ScriptX.Addon this can be in the same process as Internet Explorer or can be an external process. This sample shows the difference. For ScriptX.Services, all printing occurs in a separate process.
Impact of document standards
Printing a remote document occurs by downloading the document, loading to the print engine and then printing it. ScriptX 8 / ScriptX.Services adds support for documents using modern standards but this can have a negative impact on documents relyiong on older behaviour. This sample shows how to resolve these issues if they occur.
Working with client generated html
Very often ScriptX is used to print the content of the document as it is displayed on the screen but there can also be a need to print literal html content that is dynamicaly constructed by javascript code or extracts from the page content.
By using the html:// pseudo protocol, the PrintHTMLEx() method can print snippets of HTML.
These samples also illustrate mixing ScriptX.Add-on and ScriptX Services on the same page. So, the choice of technology will solely be based upon the browser you are using and if ScriptX.Add-on is available. The F12 tools can be used to examine the impact of document modes when using Internet Explorer.
Introduction
An introduction to printing literal html with ScriptX.
Modern content
This sample illustrates the behaviour of ScriptX v8 which fixes a bug that 'modern' html (e.g. rotated elements, modern box rules) could not be printed. Unfortunately the fix can introduce problems with old content. ScriptX 8 attempts to make compatible decisions but if it gets it wrong this shows how to enforce the correct processing for correct output.
Enhanced page layout
Enhanced page layout is the ability to use page headers and footers that use full html markup instead of simply text in a single font and to define the pages to print as more than a single range.
This capability is useful to provide a 'master' page style of working with logos etc. specified in script and the printed document content coming from the current page.
An Enhanced Formatting license is required in addition to a license for Advanced Printing.
HTML headers and footers introduction
A simple example showing the basics of using html markup in headers and footers.
Headers and footers with images and multi-line HTML
There are no limits beyond what HTML can do.
Page ranges
This sample shows the use of enhanced page range specification; the ability to print arbitrary ranges of pages (rather than a single range) and print only odd, only even or both odd and even numbered pages.
Techie *Everything*
An all-in-one sample by which you can explore the effect on output of each of the enhanced formatting options along with all the other options such as margins, the printer to use, orientation etc. This is the ultimate sample!
Printing PDF documents
ScriptX Enhanced PDF Printing provides for printing Adobe Acrobat (PDF) documents with control of the printer, paper etc to be used. Prompted or promptless printing is provided.
An Enhanced PDF Printing license is required in addition to a license for Advanced Printing.
Printing a single file
To synchronously print a single PDF file, use the PrintPDF() API. The url of the PDF document to be printed is specified, the printer to use etc can be chosen by the user by utilising prompted printing.
Printing one or more files in the background
Asynchronous printing of one or more files to the current printer is available with the BatchPrintPDF API. With batch printing, files are downloaded and printed in the background, allowing users to continue with other tasks on the displayed page.
Printing one or more files with more feature control
If scripted control of the printer to use and other features is required when printing one or more documents, then features required are set and the BatchPrintPDF() API used.
Printing one or more files with feature control and progress callbacks
If scripted control of the printer to use and other features is required when printing one or more documents along with progress information then the BatchPrintPDFEx() API used.
Printing a single base64 encoded PDF document
If your work flow requires sending PDF within a text stream such as xhtml or json then you will be generating base64 encoded PDF documents.
By use of a DataUrl, ScriptX can print the document removing the requirement for multiple output formats from your workflow.
NOTE: ScriptX.Addon 8.3.0.4 or ScriptX.Services for Windows PC 2.10.0.16 or ScriptX.Services On Premise 2.10.8.2 (with ScriptX.Server 10.3.0.2 or later) is required.Printing one or more base64 encoded PDF documents in the background
If a PDF is being dynamically generated at the server it can be delivered as a Base64 encoded string to the browser and then printed by ScriptX using a Data URL to the encoded content.
With batch printing, encoded pdf documents are processed and printed in the background, allowing users to continue with other tasks on the displayed page.
NOTE: ScriptX.Addon 8.3.0.4, or ScriptX.Server 10.3.0.2 or ScriptX.Services for Windows PC 2.10.0.16 or ScriptX.Services On Premise 2.10.8.2 or later is required.Raw/Direct (labels) printing
Raw or "direct" printing is used to send streams of bytes to the printer without any interpretation. Print commannds and language sequences such as ZPL can be sent to appropriate printers for printing labels etc.
A ZPL compatible printer is required for these samples.
They also require that you are using either ScriptX.Addon or ScriptX.Services for Windows PC or ScriptX.Services for On Premise devices configured to use a suitable printer.
A Direct (RAW) Printing license is required in addition to a license for Advanced Printing.
Printing a simple label with ZPL
For introduction this sample prints a simple label defined by a string of ZPL commands.
Interactive playground
This sample allow you to enter the ZPL/EPL commands to send to your printer
Printing the content from a document/url
Appropriate content may be downloaded from a server and sent to the printer. For example, a work-flow process may have generated the files to print or an API end point may return text. This example demonstrates using file containinng ZPL command sequences.
Working with and printing SVG
Scaling SVG
Uses simple SVG elements to illustrate support for SVG. An issue with SVG is that it can require scale factors outside the default range. ScriptX has solutions for this.
Scaling Framed SVG
As above but the sample content is shown in a frame.
Business charts with no ScriptX
Illustrates the standard behaviour of your device and browser with some SVG charts without ScriptX.
Business charts with ScriptX
Illustrates the control of printing SVG charts with ScriptX.
Miscellaneous use cases
Printing and scaling large images
Inspired by a real world implementation by a customer this sample illustrates scaling a large image to fit the paper.
Duplex printing
Illustrates two sided (duplex) printing with the duplex2 property.
Default printer
The DefaultPrinter() API is deliberately vague in its description. Exactly what is returned depends upon circumstances and it is unwise to depend a single meaning.
Fonts in PDF output
Body styling (css) does not appear to be working properly when print to PDF.
- 'How To' Guides
- ScriptX.Services
- Security Manager
- ScriptX.Add-on
- Technical Reference
- ScriptX.Services
- Security Manager
- ScriptX.Add-on
- factory
- printing
- AddPrinterConnection
- BatchPrintPDF
- BatchPrintPDFEx
- bottomMargin
- collate
- copies
- currentPrinter
- DefaultPrinter
- disableUI
- duplex
- duplex2
- EnumJobs
- EnumPrinters
- footer
- GetJobsCount
- GetMarginMeasure
- header
- headerFooterFont
- IsSpooling
- IsTemplateSupported
- leftMargin
- onafterprint
- onbeforeprint
- onbeforeunload
- onpagesetup
- onuserpagesetup
- onuserprint
- onuserprintpreview
- orientation
- OwnQueue
- pageHeight
- PageSetup
- pageWidth
- paperSize
- paperSource
- paperSource2
- portrait
- Preview
- printBackground
- printer
- PrintHTML
- PrintHTMLEx
- PrintPDF
- PrintSetup
- printToFileName
- RemovePrinterConnection
- rightMargin
- SetMarginMeasure
- SetPageRange
- SetPreviewZoom
- SetPrintScale
- Sleep
- templateURL
- topMargin
- TotalPrintPages
- unprintableBottom
- unprintableLeft
- unprintableRight
- unprintableTop
- WaitForSpoolingComplete
- printerControl
- Job
- enhancedFormatting
- rawPrinting
- Change and history logs
- Articles