Introduction to Client-side Printing | ScriptX a better way to print

Introduction

ScriptX.Add‑on is ideal for deployment within web applications hosted within Internet Explorer. In client-side HTML MeadCo's ScriptX provides full scripted control of the printing experience within Internet Explorer including allowing a choice of the output printer, orientation, page header and footers etc and the initiation of printing.

For example (free/basic usage):


    <!-- MeadCo ScriptX -->
    <object id="factory" style="display:none"
        classid="clsid:1663ed61-23eb-11d2-b92f-008048fdd814"
        codebase="http://[your path here]/smsx.cab#Version=8,3,0,4">
    </object>
    <script src="/scripts/jquery-1.5.1.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
    <script src="/scripts/meadco-scriptx-1.10.1.js" type="text/javascript"></script>


<script type="text/javascript">
$(function () {
    if (MeadCo.ScriptX.Init()) {
        MeadCo.ScriptX.Printing.header =
            "MeadCo's ScriptX&b:&p of &P:&bBasic Printing Sample";
        MeadCo.ScriptX.Printing.footer =
            "The de facto standard for advanced web-based printing";
        MeadCo.ScriptX.Printing.orientation = "landscape";
        $("#btnprint").click(function() {
            MeadCo.ScriptX.PrintPage(false);
        });
    }
});
</script>

The above simple example sets the required print header and footer, the printout will use landscape orientation and printing will be started when the user clicks a button in the HTML document.

These header and footer values and orientation, as with all parameters, will be used for the print job controlled by ScriptX only; the user's Internet Explorer default settings will not be affected.

ScriptX.Services

ScriptX.Services is the evolution from ScriptX.Add‑on to next generation printing in the browser, continuing to provide developers with the tools to ensure the consistent formatting and appearance of printed output regardless of a user's choice of device or browser.

The technology

In client-side deployment, the ScriptX software must be installed onto the client workstations from which printing is to take place. Please note that ScriptX is not a printer driver in its own right. Instead, it works by hooking into and leveraging the printing engine of the client PC's copy of Internet Explorer.

ScriptX is deployed as a client-side IE add‑on, instantiated and scripted as an <OBJECT> element. Download and installation is a one-time client-side event and can be handled automatically by the standard Internet Explorer Component Download technology.

Before reading further, you might like to review our illustrative examples of ScriptX printing to get an idea of what ScriptX can do for you.

Javascript Libraries

ScriptX.Add‑on does not have any dependency on any javascript library. As an add‑on it will work with any libraries that may be used. For example the code above uses jQuery and so do all of our samples.

We also provide a simple library that wraps some common functionality. The library is used throughout our samples to simplify common tasks. The library is open-source and is freely available on GitHub in source form (open source with an MIT license) or on NuGet as a package that can be installed to ASP.NET projects being developed with Microsoft Visual Studio.

Background

ScriptX 1.0 was introduced by MeadCo in 1998 as a freely distributable utility offering a limited set of print formatting functionality - the scripted control of the printing of HTML frame or window content (with or without a prompt), and the specification by script of printing parameters such as page headers, footers, margins and paper orientation within IE.

That basic functionality is still available at no charge and is freely distributable. Features that are part of that 'free' printing subset are listed in this Guide under the heading ‘Basic’.

With the releases of later versions, significantly more advanced printing functionality was introduced which is only accessible in the presence of a paid-for MeadCo publishing license.

Target platform

Historically, ScriptX has been tested on and supported Microsoft Windows Web Browsing Platform (aka IE) versions 4.01 SP1 - 11.0 on all Microsoft Windows Win OS platforms.

Time and developments march on and so ScriptX 6.4 and later no longer support Windows 9x/NT. However, for maintenance support of these operating systems, please see ScriptX Win9xNT/NT Maintenance Mode Binaries.

ScriptX 7.7 and later is supported on all Microsoft Windows client and server platforms from Windows 2000 onwards with Internet Explorer 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10. See the following table for combinations that were tested, though other configurations and combinations almost certainly work.

The latest and recommended version of ScriptX (8.3.0.4) is supported on Internet Explorer 11 only.

We strongly recommend all customers upgrade to Internet Explorer 11. This is the only version of Internet Explorer that continues to receive updates from Microsoft.

ScriptX.Services

ScriptX.Services is the evolution from ScriptX.Add‑on to next generation printing in the browser, continuing to provide developers with the tools to ensure the consistent formatting and appearance of printed output regardless of a user's choice of device or browser.

OS	Web Browsing Platforms (aka Internet Explorer) supported with ScriptX 7.7
Windows 2000 (SP4)	6
Windows XP (SP3)	7, 8
Windows Vista (SP2)	8, 9
Windows 7 (SP1)	8, 9, 10, 11
Windows 8	10
Windows 8.1	11
Windows 10	11 (not Edge)
Windows Server 2003	8, 9
Windows Server 2008 R2 (x64 only)	8, 9
Windows Server 2012 (x64 only)	11

Historical Microsoft Windows Web Browsing Platform support

Updates to the Microsoft Windows Web Browsing Platform typically, but not always, necessitate changes in ScriptX, so there is a minimum version of ScriptX required to work correctly with each version of the Platform:

Web Browsing Platform (aka IE)	Required minimum version of ScriptX
6	6.2
7	6.3
8	6.5
9	6.6
10	6.6
11	7.4
Windows 10, IE 11	7.6

The above lists mimimum required support. However, we strongly recommend that when upgrading the installed Microsoft Web Browsing Platform the opportunity is taken to upgrade to the latest version of ScriptX (8.3.0.4).

Internet Explorer Protected mode

Note that where protected mode is available (Windows Vista and later), we only test with it enabled.

Enhanced Protected Mode (Windows 8+)

Enhanced Protected Mode is supported. This requires that ScriptX has been installed by an administrator for all users (it will not work if installed per user). It also requires both x86 and x64 editions of ScriptX.Add‑on are installed.

Windows x64 Bit Editions

For versions 6.6 and later of ScriptX, both 32-bit and 64-bit Editions are available. ScriptX 64 Bit Edition is only available to licensees. Please see the ScriptX 64-bit Edition notes for information on availability and deployment.