How to: Print a Document using the PrintableComponentLink

• Jun 16, 2021
• 4 minutes to read

This example demonstrates how to use a PrintableComponentLinkBase to print from the RichEditDocumentServer. An instance of the RichEditDocumentServer loads a document, inserts a datetime stamp in its header and prints it. Various print options, such as page size, orientation and margins are set in code at run time using the Section interface. The application searches a list of installed printers for a printer containing a certain text (“Canon”) in its name and prints to that printer. If a printer with the specified name is not found, the default printer is used.

Note

A complete sample project is available at https://github.com/DevExpress-Examples/how-to-print-from-the-richeditdocumentserver-using-the-printablecomponentlink-e4846

Form1.cs

using System;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.Drawing.Printing;
using DevExpress.XtraPrinting;
using DevExpress.XtraRichEdit;
using DevExpress.XtraRichEdit.API.Native;
using DevExpress.XtraPrintingLinks;

namespace RichEdit_PrintingSystem
{
public partial class Form1 : Form
  {
    public Form1()
    {
        InitializeComponent();
    }

    private void btn_PrintFromServer_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        RichEditDocumentServer srv = new RichEditDocumentServer();
        srv.LoadDocument("Grimm.docx", DocumentFormat.OpenXml);
        // Insert a field displaying the current date/time into the document header.
        srv.BeginUpdate();
        SubDocument  _header = srv.Document.Sections[0].BeginUpdateHeader();
        _header.Fields.Create(_header.Range.Start,"DATE \\@ \"dddd, MMMM dd, yyyy  HH:mm:ss\" \\MERGEFORMAT");
        _header.Paragraphs[0].Alignment = ParagraphAlignment.Right;
        srv.Document.Sections[0].EndUpdateHeader(_header);
        // Specify page margins, orientation, etc.
        SetPrintOptions(srv);
        srv.EndUpdate();
        // Display field values instead of code.
        srv.Options.MailMerge.ViewMergedData = true;
        // Create a printable link to print a document.
        PrintViaLink(srv);
    }

    private static void SetPrintOptions(IRichEditDocumentServer richedit)
    {
        foreach (Section _section in richedit.Document.Sections) {
            _section.Page.PaperKind = System.Drawing.Printing.PaperKind.A4;
            _section.Page.Landscape = false;
            _section.Margins.Left = 150f;
            _section.Margins.Right = 150f;
            _section.Margins.Top = 50f;
            _section.Margins.Bottom = 50f;
            _section.PageNumbering.NumberingFormat = NumberingFormat.CardinalText;
            _section.PageNumbering.FirstPageNumber = 0;
        }
    }

    private static void PrintViaLink(RichEditDocumentServer srv)
    {
        if (!srv.IsPrintingAvailable) return;
        using (PrintingSystemBase ps = new PrintingSystemBase())
        using (PrintableComponentLinkBase link = new PrintableComponentLinkBase(ps)) {
            link.Component = srv;
            // Disable warnings.
            ps.ShowMarginsWarning = false;
            ps.ShowPrintStatusDialog = false;
            // Find a printer containing 'Canon' in its name.
            string printerName = String.Empty;
            for (int i = 0; i < PrinterSettings.InstalledPrinters.Count; i++) {
                string pName = PrinterSettings.InstalledPrinters[i];
                if (pName.Contains("PDF")) {
                    printerName = pName;
                    break;
                }
            }

        //Run document creation
        link.CreateDocument();

        // Print to the specified printer.
        PrintToolBase tool = new PrintToolBase(ps);
        tool.Print(printerName);
        }
    }
  }
}

Form1.vb

Imports System
Imports System.Windows.Forms
Imports System.Drawing.Printing
Imports DevExpress.XtraPrinting
Imports DevExpress.XtraRichEdit
Imports DevExpress.XtraRichEdit.API.Native
Imports DevExpress.XtraPrintingLinks

Namespace RichEdit_PrintingSystem
    Partial Public Class Form1
        Inherits Form

        Public Sub New()
            InitializeComponent()
        End Sub
Private Sub btn_PrintFromServer_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs) Handles btn_PrintFromServer.Click
            If Not Me.btn_PrintFromServer.IsHandleCreated Then Return

            Dim srv As New RichEditDocumentServer()
            srv.LoadDocument("Grimm.docx", DocumentFormat.OpenXml)
            ' Insert a field displaying the current date/time into the document header.
            srv.BeginUpdate()
            Dim _header As SubDocument = srv.Document.Sections(0).BeginUpdateHeader()
            _header.Fields.Create(_header.Range.Start,"DATE \@ ""dddd, MMMM dd, yyyy  HH:mm:ss"" \MERGEFORMAT")
            _header.Paragraphs(0).Alignment = ParagraphAlignment.Right
            srv.Document.Sections(0).EndUpdateHeader(_header)
            ' Specify page margins, orientation, etc.
            SetPrintOptions(srv)
            srv.EndUpdate()
            ' Display field values instead of code.
            srv.Options.MailMerge.ViewMergedData = True
            ' Create a printable link to print a document.
            PrintViaLink(srv)
        End Sub

         Private Shared Sub SetPrintOptions(ByVal richedit As IRichEditDocumentServer)
            For Each _section As Section In richedit.Document.Sections
                _section.Page.PaperKind = System.Drawing.Printing.PaperKind.A4
                _section.Page.Landscape = False
                _section.Margins.Left = 150F
                _section.Margins.Right = 150F
                _section.Margins.Top = 50F
                _section.Margins.Bottom = 50F
                _section.PageNumbering.NumberingFormat = NumberingFormat.CardinalText
                _section.PageNumbering.FirstPageNumber = 0
            Next _section
        End Sub

        Private Shared Sub PrintViaLink(ByVal srv As RichEditDocumentServer)
            If Not srv.IsPrintingAvailable Then
                Return
            End If
            Using ps As New PrintingSystemBase()
            Using link As New PrintableComponentLinkBase(ps)
                link.Component = srv
                ' Disable warnings.
                ps.ShowMarginsWarning = False
                ps.ShowPrintStatusDialog = False
                ' Find a printer containing 'Canon' in its name.
                Dim printerName As String = String.Empty
                For i As Integer = 0 To PrinterSettings.InstalledPrinters.Count - 1
                    Dim pName As String = PrinterSettings.InstalledPrinters(i)
                    If pName.Contains("PDF") Then
                        printerName = pName
                        Exit For
                    End If
                Next i

                'Run document creation
                link.CreateDocument()

                ' Print to the specified printer.
                Dim tool As New PrintToolBase(ps)
                tool.Print(printerName)
            End Using
        End Using
    End Sub
    End Class
End Namespace

Important

The Print method works only on Windows OS. The PlatformNotSupportedException is thrown on other operating systems.