DDE help needed with PDF silent printing

[BOB MECHLER]

Don't know DDE but Acrobat Reader supports a FilePrintSlient message which is all I'm interested in.

DDE messages
Adobe Reader supports the following DDE messages:
●AppExit
●CloseAllDocs
●DocClose
●DocGoTo
●DocGoToNameDest
●DocOpen
●FileOpen
●FileOpenEx
●FilePrint
●FilePrintEx
●FilePrintSilent
●FilePrintSilentEx
●FilePrintTo
●FilePrintToEx

COM

PDF browser controls are available through the AxAcroPDFLib.AxAcroPDF interface, which provides the following methods used to programmatically control the PDF document window:

The COM library is AxAcroPDFLib.AxAcroPDF interface, but I can find where it's located. It doesn't show in the PB COM browser though I've installed Adobe Reader.

Need a tutorial on DDE. Tried Florent's post. It compiled under 4.01 but it could not find the entry point in USER32.DLL.

Like a million other people I'd like to find a way I could package into my program a silent printing of PDF's I create that would be compatible with Adobe reader 5-9.

Bob Mechler

[Michael Mattias]

Can't help with the COM, but ...

There are DDE examples in source code forum
AND
Here is something I recently wrote for myself to test a third-party DDE server (sounds familiar?) to see exactly what the heck it was doing...

#IF 0
' FILE: DDETEST2.BAS for PB/CC 5.0
'  FROM: DDECLNT2.BAS for PB/CC v 2.0  (2001)
' 11.14.08
' from original program, disable attempt to start server
' and prompt for BOTH Topic and ITem

#ENDIF

' don't allow PB to assign REGISTER variables.
#REGISTER NONE
#DEBUG    ERROR ON
#INCLUDE "win32api.inc"     ' <<< SEE NOTES BELOW, AS THERE ARE VARIATIONS IN THE PB-SUPPLIED WIN32API.INC

' TEXT MESSAGES FROM GETLASTERROR
DECLARE FUNCTION SystemErrorMessageText (BYVAL ECode AS LONG) AS STRING
FUNCTION SystemErrorMessageText (BYVAL ECode AS LONG) AS STRING
  LOCAL Buffer AS ASCIIZ * 255
  FormatMessage %FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_SYSTEM, BYVAL %NULL, ECode, %NULL, buffer, SIZEOF(buffer), BYVAL %NULL
  FUNCTION = FORMAT$(ECode, "(#####) ") & Buffer
END FUNCTION


DECLARE FUNCTION DDEClientCC () AS LONG
DECLARE FUNCTION DDEErrorText (BYVAL DMLERR AS LONG) AS STRING

FUNCTION Dde_CallbackFunc(BYVAL uType AS DWORD, BYVAL uFmt AS LONG, BYVAL hConv AS LONG, BYVAL hszTopic AS LONG, BYVAL hszItem AS LONG, BYVAL hData AS LONG, BYVAL dwData1 AS DWORD, BYVAL dwData2 AS DWORD) AS LONG
    'for monitoring and server apps
END FUNCTION
' DECLARE not in my pB/CC Win32API.INC file
DECLARE FUNCTION ShellExecuteEx LIB "SHELL32.DLL" ALIAS "ShellExecuteExA" (lpShellInfo AS SHELLEXECUTEINFO) AS LONG

FUNCTION WINMAIN (BYVAL hCurInstance  AS LONG, _
                  BYVAL hPrevInstance AS LONG, _
                  BYVAL lpszCmdLine         AS ASCIIZ PTR, _
                  BYVAL nCmdShow      AS LONG) EXPORT AS LONG

   DIM ThisFile AS ASCIIZ * 128
   DIM Stat AS LONG
   Stat = GetModuleFileName (hCurInstance, ThisFile, SIZEOF(ThisFile) )
   PRINT "Hello World from Program " & ThisFile

   Stat = DDEClientCC

   PRINT "Any Key To Exit...."
   J$ = WAITKEY$

END FUNCTION

FUNCTION DDEClientCC () AS LONG
    LOCAL i AS LONG
    LOCAL lId AS LONG
    LOCAL hDDEConv AS LONG
    LOCAL hDDEService AS LONG
    LOCAL hDDETopic AS LONG
    LOCAL hDDEItem AS LONG
    LOCAL lResult AS LONG
    LOCAL tDdeConv AS CONVCONTEXT

    LOCAL  szServer AS ASCIIZ * %MAX_PATH          ' The executable name of the DDE server application
    LOCAL  szXls    AS ASCIIZ * %MAX_PATH     ' the full path of the spreadsheet file
    LOCAL  szTopic AS ASCIIZ * %MAX_PATH            ' the (string) topic name as expected by the server
    LOCAL  szItem  AS ASCIIZ * %MAX_PATH            ' the (string) item name for the DDE data request
    LOCAL  szResponse AS ASCIIZ * 4096
    LOCAL  DDELastError AS LONG
    LOCAL  hDDEInit AS LONG
    LOCAL  hInitCode AS LONG
    LOCAL  Execute_Timeout AS LONG
           Execute_TimeOut = 3000&            ' three seconds allowed for a response

    DIM J AS STRING
    LET szServer = "excel"                                                    ' the Excel DDE server name
    'LET szServer = "TPPC"

    LET szXls = "C:\Software_Development\Testdata\Excel XLS\claims.csv"     ' spreadsheet file name
    LET szTopic = "[claims.csv]claims"   ' Workbook /sheet . EXCEL DOES NOT WORK with paths in there!

    '  FOR TESTING 11.13.08
    LSET szXLS = "D:\Clients\Cloyes Gear\_System Processing\ASN Production\Portal\BPITABLES.xls"

    'LET szTopic = "[name_dob.xls]Sheet2"   ' Workbook /sheet . EXCEL DOES NOT WORK with paths in there!
                                           ' IF you do "Sheet Two that works, even if there had never been another sheet
                                           ' If sheet name does not exist, you get an invalid parameter error in WaitForInputIdle
    LET szTopic = "[bpitables.xls]dbo_ship_carton"
    ' should prompt for row, col to retrieve


' 7.29.01 Try "System" Topic?
'    LET szTopic = "System"
    'since we are client only we decline to receive CALLBACKS
    ' I do not understand this, but Mr Heyworth included it.
    hInitCode = DdeInitialize  (lId, CODEPTR(Dde_CallbackFunc), %APPCMD_CLIENTONLY, 0 )
    IF hInitCode <> %DMLERR_NO_ERROR THEN
        PRINT "Failed to initialize DDE & DDEErrorText (hInitCode)
        EXIT FUNCTION
    END IF


    LOCAL hResult AS LONG, GetDataResult  AS LONG
    LOCAL sYN AS STRING

    ' =====================================================================
    '  Enter a prompt/accept loop to test data retrieval
    ' =====================================================================

     DO
          LINE INPUT  "server? <CR=quit> ", szServer
          IF lstrlen (szServer) = 0 THEN
               EXIT DO
          ELSE
               PRINT "USING$ (Server '&', OK Y/N?", szServer
               sYN = UCASE$(WAITKEY$)
               IF sYN = "Y" THEN
                   DO
                      LINE INPUT " Topic?" , szTopic
                      IF lStrLen(szTopic) = 0 THEN
                           EXIT DO
                      ELSE
                         '======================================================================
                         ' As coded, the Server and Topic must both be defined to connect
                         '======================================================================

                            'create a DDE string handle for the service
                            hDDEService = DdeCreateStringHandle( lId, szServer, %CP_WINANSI )
                            IF hDDEService = 0 THEN
                                DDELastError = DDEGetLastError (lID)
                                PRINT "Cannot create String Handle for service "  & szServer & ". " & DDEErrorText (DDELastError)
                                GOTO Clean_Up
                            END IF
                            'create string handle for the topic
                            hDDETopic = DdeCreateStringHandle( lId, szTopic, %CP_WINANSI )
                            IF hDDETopic = 0 THEN
                                DDELastError = DDEGetLastError (lID)
                                PRINT "Cannot create String Handle for topic "  & szTopic & ". " & DDEErrorText (DDELastError)
                                GOTO Clean_Up
                            END IF

                            'Connect (start conversation)
                            tDdeConv.cb = SIZEOF(tDdeConv)
                            tDdeConv.iCodePage = %CP_WINANSI
                            hDDEConv = DdeConnect( lId, hDDEService, hDDETopic, tDdeConv )
                           ' will not connect if server is not running. If Excel, does not automatically load the correct
                           ' speadsheet (connection fails); returns %DMLERR_NO_CONV_ESTABLISHED (&H400A) under these conditions.

                             ' -------------------------------------------
                             '  ITEM LOOP
                             ' -------------------------------------------

                             DO
                                  szResponse = ""
                                  PRINT "Server:" & SzServer & "   Topic:" & szTopic
                                  LINE INPUT "Enter the Item To Retrieve: (CR=quit) ", szItem
                                  ' see above: for Excel, "RnCn" retrieves single cell, "RnCn:RmCm" retrieves a range of cells


                                  ' IF item = "system"

                                  IF szItem = "" THEN      ' Cannot create a DDE string handle for null string
                                     EXIT DO
                                  END IF
                                  ' create the DDE string handle for the item
                                  hDDEItem = DdeCreateStringHandle( lId, szItem, %CP_WINANSI )
                                  IF hDDEItem = 0 THEN
                                     DDELastError = DDEGetLastError (lID)
                                     PRINT "Cannot Create String Handle for Item ==>" & szItem & ". " & DDEErrorText (DDELastError)
                                     GOTO Clean_Up
                                  END IF
                                  ' do the DDE transaction
                                  ' PB/CC 5 gave me a 426 variable expected error on the first zero... I changed to BYVAL NUll.
                                  ' and it compiled. ITs when data are being passed, not true here.
                                  RESET szResponse
                                  LOCAL sREsponse AS STRING
                                  sResponse =  STRING$(4096,$SPC)
                                  lresult = DDeClientTransaction (BYVAL 0&, 0&,hDDEConv,hDDEItem,%CF_TEXT, %XTYP_REQUEST, Execute_timeout, hResult)
                                  IF ISTRUE (lresult) THEN                        ' the return value is the handle of the return value
                                     GetDataResult = DDEGetData (lResult, BYVAL STRPTR(sResponse), LEN(sResponse)-1, 0)
                                     REPLACE $NUL WITH $SPC IN sResponse
                                     sResponse      = RTRIM$(sResponse)
                                     PRINT USING$ ("Success. Returned # bytes value '&'", LEN(sResponse), sResponse)
                                  ELSE
                                     DDELastError =DDEGetLastError(lID)
                                     PRINT "DDEClientTransaction Failed. " & DDEErrorText(DDELastError)
                                  END IF
                                  ' free the string handle (created anew for each request)
                                  IF hDDEItem THEN
                                     CALL DdeFreeStringHandle( lId, hDDEItem )
                                     hDDEItem = 0
                                  END IF
                             LOOP   ' item level

                      END IF   ' if topic length was 0

                   LOOP        ' topic level

               END IF    ' if Server "Y" or not
       END IF            ' if server len = 0 or not
     LOOP                ' MIAN


Clean_Up:
    IF hDDEConv THEN
        CALL DdeDisconnect( hDDEConv )
    END IF

    IF hDDEItem THEN
        CALL DdeFreeStringHandle( lId, hDDEItem )
    END IF

    IF hDDETopic THEN
        CALL DdeFreeStringHandle( lId, hDDETopic )
    END IF

    IF hDDEService THEN
        CALL DdeFreeStringHandle( lId, hDDEService )
    END IF

    CALL DdeUninitialize( lId )

    PRINT "Finished with DDE Client"

END FUNCTION

FUNCTION DDEErrorText (BYVAL DMLERR AS LONG) AS STRING

   LOCAL W AS STRING
   SELECT CASE DMLERR

      CASE %DMLERR_ADVACKTIMEOUT
           W = "ADV_ACK_TIMEOUT"
      CASE  %DMLERR_BUSY
           W = "BUSY"
      CASE %DMLERR_DATAACKTIMEOUT
           W = "DATA_ACK_TIMEOUT"
      CASE %DMLERR_DLL_NOT_INITIALIZED
           W = "DLL_NOT_INTIALIZED"
      CASE %DMLERR_DLL_USAGE
           W = "DLL_USAGE"
      CASE %DMLERR_EXECACKTIMEOUT
           W = "EXEC_ACK_TIMEOUT"
      CASE  %DMLERR_INVALIDPARAMETER
           W= "INVALID_PARAMETER"
      CASE  %DMLERR_LOW_MEMORY
           W = "LOW_MEMORY"
      CASE %DMLERR_MEMORY_ERROR
           W = "MEMORY_ERROR"
      CASE %DMLERR_NOTPROCESSED
           W = "NOT_PROCESSED (not found)"
      CASE %DMLERR_NO_CONV_ESTABLISHED
           W = "NO_CONV_ESTABLISHED"
      CASE %DMLERR_POKEACKTIMEOUT
           W = "POKE_ACK_TIMEOUT"
      CASE  %DMLERR_POSTMSG_FAILED
           W= "POSTMSG_FAILED"
      CASE %DMLERR_REENTRANCY
           W = "REENTRANCY ERROR"
      CASE %DMLERR_SERVER_DIED
           W = "SERVER_DIED"
      CASE %DMLERR_SYS_ERROR
           W = "SYS_ERROR"
      CASE %DMLERR_UNADVACKTIMEOUT
           W = "UNADV_ACK_TIMEOUT"
      CASE %DMLERR_UNFOUND_QUEUE_ID
           W ="UNFOUND_QUEUE_ID"
      CASE ELSE
           W = "NO DESCRIPTION AVAIALABLE"
   END SELECT

   FUNCTION = "(x'" & HEX$(DMLERR, 4) & "') " & W
END FUNCTION


' *** END OF FILE ***'

[Michael Mattias]

FWIW, are you sure that COM interface is supposed to be installed with Adobe Reader?

That interface may only be available either as part of the entire Acrobat(r) package or as part of the seperately-licensed "API" product.

(May also be similar limitations re access to the DDE interface).

[BOB MECHLER]

Thanks for the example. I also got one using VB6 with Google 'DDE Tutorial' as a backup example.

From reading several posts the DDE is really restricted and can be used without purchasing anything. I think you are right about the COM interface being only for the Acrobat product itself.

I had help from Experts-Exchange finding the references to the available interfaces with just the reader.

By the way, there is a DDE example in the Petzold PB conversions available elsewhere on the PB site but it would not compile. The DDEAck Type variable didn't match what was in the WIN32API.INC file. Chapter 17.

Bob Mechler

[Michael Mattias]

>The DDEAck Type variable didn't match what was in the WIN32API.INC file.

PB's folks changing the Windows' header files is not exactly breaking news.

You change one or the other so it does compile and execute.

[José Roca]

It has not been changed. What it happens is that the translated examples use a modified win32api.inc file, included in PBINC.ZIP.

As declared in PB's win32api.inc:

TYPE DDEACK
  bAppReturnCode AS BYTE
  bFlags AS BYTE         ' bit flags
END TYPE

As declared in the win32api.inc file included in PBINC.ZIP:

TYPE DDEACK
  bAppReturnCode AS INTEGER
  Reserved AS INTEGER
  fbusy AS INTEGER
  fack AS INTEGER
END TYPE

As it should be:

TYPE DDEACK
   bAppReturnCode AS BIT  * 8 IN WORD
   reserved       AS BIT  * 6
   fBusy          AS BIT  * 1
   fAck           AS BIT  * 1
END TYPE

[BOB MECHLER]

Jumped to a conclusion falsely, thanks for setting it straight.

Bob Mechler

[BOB MECHLER]

These type declares seem not to be what ddepop1.bas needs in Petzold's example.

type DDEADVISE
  wFlags as word         ' bit flags
  cfFormat as integer
end type

type DDEDATA
  wFlags as word         ' bit flags
  cfFormat as integer
  bValue(0 to 0) as byte ' array length may vary (fake type)
end type

By temporarily remarking out references to the above two type definitions, it finally compiled but of course doesn't work. I can't tell what they should be and where does one find PBINC.ZIP. Sorry, I probably should know this by now.


Bob Mechler

[José Roca]

PBINC.ZIP is included in PETZOLD.ZIP, the file that contains the old translation of the Petzold examples: http://www.powerbasic.com/support/downloads/windows.htm

TYPE DDEADVISE
  Reserved AS INTEGER
  fDeferUpd AS INTEGER
  fAckReq AS INTEGER
  cfFormat AS INTEGER
END TYPE

TYPE DDEDATA
  unused AS INTEGER
  fresponse AS INTEGER
  fRelease AS INTEGER
  Reserved AS INTEGER
  fAckReq AS INTEGER
  cfFormat AS INTEGER
  Value(1) AS BYTE
END TYPE

However, be aware that are wrong. They should be:

TYPE DDEADVISE
   reserved  AS BIT     * 14 IN WORD
   fDeferUpd AS BIT     * 1
   fAckReq   AS BIT     * 1
   cfFormat  AS INTEGER
END TYPE

TYPE DDEDATA
   unused    AS BIT * 12 IN WORD
   fResponse AS BIT * 1
   fRelease  AS BIT * 1
   reserved  AS BIT * 1
   fAckReq   AS BIT * 1
   cfFormat  AS INTEGER
   bValue(0) AS BYTE             ' any size array
END TYPE

PB include files don't use bit fields because older versions of the compiler didn't support it. The translator of the examples has tried to solve it using integers, but this is plainly wrong.

[BOB MECHLER]

Since DDE is clearly a supported control method with Acrobat 9.0, I need to learn this stuff. It's a little problem that we are mostly stuck with 7.04 for now but I should be able to do this one job in PB 8.0 (to get BIT * 1 in my type declaration).

I should be able to proceed, thanks much.

Bob Mechler

[BOB MECHLER]

Got ShowPop2.bas to work after changing replacing %NULL with pdata as long in the following code snippet. Don't know why it worked though.

        call DdeClientTransaction (pdata, 0, hConv, hszItem, %CF_TEXT,_
                                   %XTYP_ADVSTOP, %DDE_TIMEOUT, %NULL)

Bob Mechler

[BOB MECHLER]

Another way to do it, I like better. No Acrobat Reader needed.

The answer is installing Ghostscript 8.63 and using the following through ShellExecute.

gswin32c -q -sDEVICE=mswinpr2 -dNOPAUSE -dBATCH culand2.pdf

Bob Mechler

[Michael Mattias]

What a typical American solution: No DDE. No COM. Just throw some money at it.

Where has that sense of adventure gone?

Mostly facetious of course, since I'm sure purchasing & installing the third-party product was likely the more expedient and economical solution.

[BOB MECHLER]

What money? Using the GPL license of Ghostscript doesn't cost anything unless I'm misreading something.

Still haven't given up on DDE though, right now the -sOutputFile="%printer%HP5PLJ" parameter stills generates a printer dialog box when the doc says it shouldn't.

Bob Mechler

[BOB MECHLER]

using Ghostscript to print pdf to local and network printers

The following program which you can copy, paste, compile and run on your computer to test will get the default printer and produce the parameter to successfully send a pdf to a local or a network printer if you have Ghostscript 8.63 installed.

Excluding the -sOutputFile parameter will bring up the printer dialog to send it to any other printer that is attached.

The following program based on one in Poffs by Semen will get the name of the default printer and then prepares the parameter for the Ghostscript command line call.

   #COMPILE EXE "C:\MYPDF\defp.exe"
   #REGISTER NONE
   #DIM ALL
   #INCLUDE "WIN32API.INC"

   FUNCTION PBMAIN()
      DIM PrinterName AS ASCIIZ * 255
      DIM sPrinterName AS STRING
      GetProfileString "WINDOWS", "DEVICE", ",,,", PrinterName, SIZEOF(PrinterName)
      sPrinterName$ = PrinterName
      sPrinterName$ = PARSE$(sPrinterName$,1)
      MSGBOX("Element of Ghostscript batch file is: " + $DQ + "\\spool\" + sPrinterName$ + $DQ)
   END FUNCTION

gswin32c -q -sDEVICE=mswinpr2 -sOutputFile="\\spool\HPLJ5P" -dNOPAUSE -dBATCH %1

When run on my Windows Vista Business Laptop I get this.

gswin32c -q -sDEVICE=mswinpr2 -sOutputFile="\\spool\\\BOBM-HWA\HPLJ5P" 
-dNOPAUSE -dBATCH %1

The %1 is just a placeholder for the PDF file. It also works with PS files.

Kinda weird looking parameter but it works on both computers sending the same pdf to the same printer. One computer is connected locally and the other is connected through the network. No printer dialog or need for Acrobat Reader.


Bob Mechler