Hi I need to print barcode to t 1

[Bijesz]

Hi

I need to print barcode to to a thermal transfer printer which is using special programming language.
So I need to send plain text to the printer port.

Normally from command prompt i can use this command to print it : "type print.txt >lpt1".
From delphi I can run it with winexec, before it creating the text file, but there must be a more elegant way than executing a shell command.

Do anyone know a better solution?

Thanx
Bijesz

 

[awarnica]

Maybe there is a more elgant way, but I develop applictions where labels are being printed out 30-40 times per minute and using the shell command works fine for me...

Andrew

 

[Kocky]

Well yes there is. You have to use the TPrinter object in Delphi. Look at the following example:

procedure PrintLabel;
begin
try
Printer.BeginDoc; // Printer is a global variable in
// Delphi which you can use.
// BeginDoc places a print job
// in the printer queue of the
// windows default printer so make
// sure your labelprinter is
// installed with its windows drivers
// and selected as the default
// windows printer.

// Place all your printer commandos here
Printer.Canvas.TextOut(0,0, 'Test string');

// EndDoc is the procedure that starts the printing.
Printer.EndDoc;
except
// If anything goed wrong than the print job is deleted
// from the printer queue
Printer.Abort;
end;
end;

You have to place "printers" in your uses list.

Good luck.

 

[paulcoley]

I have had the same problem converting from a DOS based label printing program to a delphi program and tackled it this way

procedure PrintLabel;
var
sOutPutTo : TextFile;
sLabelData : String;
begin

AssignFile(sOutPutTo, 'LPT1');

ReWrite(sOutPutTo);

WriteLn(sOutPutTo, sLabelData);

System.CloseFile(sOutPutTo);

end;

Nice and easy

 

[TonHu]

Yeah, but then the printer & port is hardcoded in your source. What-if the next printer is connected through USB or network?
The Printer.Document model is a much better solution IMHO, as it can reach any printer known to your local windows configuration.

HTH
TonHu