Customizing the Print Preview

rbuser

Long time ago I created a new print preview window based on an example from
someplace where you copy ppPrvDlg rename it and set the registration. Well
I decided to update it to the more recent looking window. I have completed
this part just fine. I also found an example where I can add buttons to the
top toolbar but this has brung up a couple of questions.

1) How do I customize where the new button gets placed? By calling
ToolBar.AddButton() it just adds it to the beginning. I want the button to
appear just before the close button with some separators around it?

2) In my previous print preview I had a button for printing the current page
to the default printer. I took a stab at it from my old version. Is this
the best way to accomplish this?

var
lPrinterDevice: TppPrinterDevice;
lPage: TppPage;

begin

// print current page
lPage := Viewer.CurrentPage;
lPrinterDevice := TppPrinterDevice.Create(nil);
try
lPrinterDevice.Printer.PrinterSetup.PrinterName :=
Viewer.Report.Printer.PrinterName;
lPrinterDevice.StartJob;
lPrinterDevice.PageRequest.PageRequested := lPage.AbsolutePageNo;
lPrinterDevice.PageRequest.PageSetting := psSinglePage;
lPrinterDevice.ReceivePage(lPage);
lPrinterDevice.EndJob;
finally
lPrinterDevice.Free;
end;


Thanks in advance,
Rodger Van Kirk

nicocizik

Hi Rodger,

1. In order to add a button in the middle of the other preview toolbar
buttons, you will need to completely recreate the entire toolbar. Take a
look at the CreateToolBarItems routine for how it is currently created. You
will basically copy this code and add your own button where you need it.

2. Looks great . Also you could try something similar only using the
printer device created when Report.Print is called from the BeforePrint
event...

procedure TForm1.ppReport1BeforePrint(Sender: TObject);
begin
if ppReport1.PrinterDevice <> nil then
begin
ppReport1.PrinterDevice.PageRequest.PageSetting := psSinglePage;
ppReport1.PrinterDevice.PageRequested := ppReport1.CurrentPage;
end;

end;


--
Regards,

Nico Cizik
Digital Metaphors
http://www.digital-metaphors.com

rbuser

Nico,

I'm working on writing my own CreateToolBarItems routine.

I have the code in the on click event of a button so the user can quickly
print the current page and it appears to run correctly but for some reason
nothing gets sent to the printer.

Rodger

rbuser

Nico,

I think I'm missing something here. I copied the CreateToolBarItems code
added the Private objects for the buttons and everything compiles. When I
try to run it I get an Access Violation in the following code:

{ TppPrintPreview.Init }

procedure TppMyPrintPreview.Init;
begin

if (Report is TppProducer) then
FPreview.Viewer.Report := TppProducer(Report);

FPreview.BeforePreview; <------- AV

end;

I'm sure its something obvious and I'm just not seeing it. Only happens
when I create my own buttons. If I remove the creation of the "default"
buttons and only put mine in where it is added at the beginning of the
buttons everything works. But if I try to manually create them all then it
crashes.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance,
Rodger Van Kirk

rbuser

Fixed this issue. Appears there was something going on with my computer. I
couldn't get anything to print. Restarted and it worked.

Rodger Van Kirk

nicocizik

Hi Rodger

If you trace into the BeforePreview routine, where does the AV occur in the
RBuilder code? Is the Report perhaps nil?
--
Regards,

Nico Cizik
Digital Metaphors
http://www.digital-metaphors.com

rbuser

Won't let me step into it.

Regards,
Rodger van Kirk

rbuser

Should have clarified a bit.

If I add the source directory to the library I get compile errors like:
[DCC Error] Main.pas(97): F2051 Unit raParser was compiled with a different
version of ppRTTI.TraRTTIClassRegistry

Regards,
Rodger Van Kirk

nicocizik

Hi Rodger,

If you would like, you can try sending me the preview plugin you are
creating and I can take a look at it for you. Send it in .zip format to
support@digital-metaphors.com.

--
Regards,

Nico Cizik
Digital Metaphors
http://www.digital-metaphors.com