Printing an external PDF document in VB.net - vb.net

Question

I know this question has been asked before, but my situation is a bit wonky.
Basically, I'm trying to print a PDF file that I've generated using a previous Windows Form. I can find the file no problem, and I used the following code which I found off MSDN's help forums:
Dim p As New System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo()
p.Verb = "print"
p.WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Hidden
p.FileName = "C:\534679.pdf" 'This is the file name
p.UseShellExecute = True
System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(p)
So far so good, but everytime I press the button to run this code, it keeps asking me to save it as a PDF file instead, as shown below:
I've also tried adding a PrintDialog to the Windows Form, getting it to pop up, and I can select the printer I want to use from there, but even after selecting the printer it still asks me to print to PDF Document instead.
What am I doing wrong?

Answer 1

To print massive PDF documents with VB.Net you can use LVBPrint and run it via command line:
http://www.lvbprint.de/html/gsbatchprint1.html
For Example:
C:\temp\gsbatchprint64\gsbatchprintc.exe -P \\server\printer -N A3 -O Port -F C:\temp\gsbatchprint64\Test*.pdf -I Tray3
I use the following function in my application:
' print a pdf with lvbrint
Private Function UseLvbPrint(ByVal oPrinter As tb_Printer, fileName As String, portrait As Boolean, sTray As String) As String
Dim lvbArguments As String
Dim lvbProcessInfo As ProcessStartInfo
Dim lvbProcess As Process
Try
Dim sPrinterName As String
If portrait Then
lvbArguments = String.Format(" -P ""{0}"" -O Port -N A4 -F ""{1}"" -I ""{2}"" ", sPrinterName, fileName, sTray)
Else
lvbArguments = String.Format(" -P ""{0}"" -O Land -N A4 -F ""{1}"" -I ""{2}"" ", sPrinterName, fileName, sTray)
End If
lvbProcessInfo = New ProcessStartInfo()
lvbProcessInfo.WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Hidden
' location of gsbatchprintc.exe
lvbProcessInfo.FileName = LvbLocation
lvbProcessInfo.Arguments = lvbArguments
lvbProcessInfo.UseShellExecute = False
lvbProcessInfo.RedirectStandardOutput = True
lvbProcessInfo.RedirectStandardError = True
lvbProcessInfo.CreateNoWindow = False
lvbProcess = Process.Start(lvbProcessInfo)
'
' Read in all the text from the process with the StreamReader.
'
Using reader As StreamReader = lvbProcess.StandardOutput
Dim result As String = reader.ReadToEnd()
WriteLog(result)
End Using
Using readerErr As StreamReader = lvbProcess.StandardError
Dim resultErr As String = readerErr.ReadToEnd()
If resultErr.Trim() > "" Then
WriteLog(resultErr)
lvbProcess.Close()
Return resultErr
End If
End Using
If lvbProcess.HasExited = False Then
lvbProcess.WaitForExit(3000)
End If
lvbProcess.Close()
Return ""
Catch ex As Exception
Return ex.Message
End Try
End Function
I discourage on using AcrRd32.exe as it doesn't work with massive printings.

Answer 2

First, to be able to select a Printer, you'll have to use a PrintDialog and PrintDocument to send graphics to print to the selected printer.
Imports System.Drawing.Printing
Private WithEvents p_Document As PrintDocument = Nothing
Private Sub SelectPrinterThenPrint()
Dim PrintersDialog As New PrintDialog()
If PrintersDialog.ShowDialog(Me) = System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK Then
Try
p_Document = New PrintDocument()
PrintersDialog.Document = p_Document
AddHandler p_Document.PrintPage, AddressOf HandleOnPrintPage
Catch CurrentException As Exception
End Try
End If
End Sub
Private Sub HandleOnPrintPage(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As PrintPageEventArgs) Handles p_Document.PrintPage
Dim MorePagesPending As Boolean = False
'e.Graphics.Draw...(....)
'e.Graphics.DrawString(....)
' Draw everything...
If MorePagesPending Then
e.HasMorePages = True
Else
e.HasMorePages = False
End If
End Sub
That's what I'm doing since I usually have custom objects to print.
But to print PDF Files, you must understand that PDF means absolutely nothing to dotNet. Unlike common images like Bitmaps (.bmp) or Ping images (.png) the dotNet doesn't seem to have any inbuilt parser/decoder for reading, displaying and printing PDF files.
So you must use a third party application, thrid party library or your own custom PDF parser/layout generator in order to be able to send pages to print to your printer.
That's why you can't launch a hidden (not visible) process of Acrobat Reader with the command "print". You won't be able to select a printer but will direct to the default one instead !
You can however launch the Acrobat Reader process just to open the file, and do the printing manipulations (select a printer) inside Acrobat Reader (you're outside dotNet coding now)
A workaround for your may aslo to select another default printer by opening Acrobat Reader, and print one blank page on an actual working printer. This should deselect your FoxIt thing in favour of an actual printer..

Answer 3

This code will help you to print in a specific printer.
The sample print a file using a ProcessStartInfo and a specific printer you can change the printer to use in the process.
If the print process is not finished after 10 seconds we kill the print process.
'Declare a printerSettings
Dim defaultPrinterSetting As System.Drawing.Printing.PrinterSettings = Nothing
Private Sub cmdPrint_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles cmdPrint.Click
Try
dim fileName As String = "C:\534679.pdf"
'Get de the default printer in the system
defaultPrinterSetting = DocumentPrinter.GetDefaultPrinterSetting
'uncomment if you want to change the default printer before print
'DocumentPrinter.ChangePrinterSettings(defaultPrinterSetting)
'print your file
If PrintFile(fileName, defaultPrinterSetting) then
msgbox ("your print file success message")
else
msgbox ("your print file failed message")
end if
Catch ex As Exception
mssbox(ex.Message.toString)
End Try
End Sub
Public NotInheritable Class DocumentPrinter
Shared Sub New()
End Sub
Public Shared Function PrintFile(ByVal fileName As String, printerSetting As System.Drawing.Printing.PrinterSettings) As Boolean
Dim printProcess As System.Diagnostics.Process = Nothing
Dim printed As Boolean = False
Try
If PrinterSetting IsNot Nothing Then
Dim startInfo As New ProcessStartInfo()
startInfo.Verb = "Print"
startInfo.Arguments = defaultPrinterSetting.PrinterName ' <----printer to use----
startInfo.FileName = fileName
startInfo.UseShellExecute = True
startInfo.CreateNoWindow = True
startInfo.WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Hidden
Using print As System.Diagnostics.Process = Process.Start(startInfo)
'Close the application after X milliseconds with WaitForExit(X)
print.WaitForExit(10000)
If print.HasExited = False Then
If print.CloseMainWindow() Then
printed = True
Else
printed = True
End If
Else
printed = True
End If
print.Close()
End Using
Else
Throw New Exception("Printers not found in the system...")
End If
Catch ex As Exception
Throw
End Try
Return printed
End Function
''' <summary>
''' Change the default printer using a print dialog Box
''' </summary>
''' <param name="defaultPrinterSetting"></param>
''' <remarks></remarks>
Public Shared Sub ChangePrinterSettings(ByRef defaultPrinterSetting As System.Drawing.Printing.PrinterSettings)
Dim printDialogBox As New PrintDialog
If printDialogBox.ShowDialog = Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK Then
If printDialogBox.PrinterSettings.IsValid Then
defaultPrinterSetting = printDialogBox.PrinterSettings
End If
End If
End Sub
''' <summary>
''' Get the default printer settings in the system
''' </summary>
''' <returns></returns>
''' <remarks></remarks>
Public Shared Function GetDefaultPrinterSetting() As System.Drawing.Printing.PrinterSettings
Dim defaultPrinterSetting As System.Drawing.Printing.PrinterSettings = Nothing
For Each printer As String In System.Drawing.Printing.PrinterSettings.InstalledPrinters
defaultPrinterSetting = New System.Drawing.Printing.PrinterSettings
defaultPrinterSetting.PrinterName = printer
If defaultPrinterSetting.IsDefaultPrinter Then
Return defaultPrinterSetting
End If
Next
Return defaultPrinterSetting
End Function
End Class

Answer 4

I used this code to print my PDF files on VB NET:
Dim PrintPDF As New ProcessStartInfo
PrintPDF.UseShellExecute = True
PrintPDF.Verb = "print"
PrintPDF.WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Hidden
PrintPDF.FileName = dirName & fileName 'fileName is a string parameter
Process.Start(PrintPDF)
When you do this, process remains open with a adobe reader window that users have to close manually. I wanted to avoid user's interaction, just want them to get their documents. So, I added a few code lines to kill process:
Private Sub killProcess(ByVal processName As String)
Dim procesos As Process()
procesos = Process.GetProcessesByName(processName) 'I used "AcroRd32" as parameter
If procesos.Length > 0 Then
For i = procesos.Length - 1 To 0 Step -1
procesos(i).Kill()
Next
End If
End Sub
If you put the kill process method right after the print method you won't get your document printed (I guess this is because process is killed before it is sent to printer). So, between these 2 methods, I added this line:
Threading.Thread.Sleep(10000) ' 10000 is the milisecs after the next code line is executed
And with this my code worked as I wanted. Hope it helps you!