Printing from ASP.NET

[IntraRELY]

Hello All,

I am developing a Web Application in VB.NET. We are printing checks from a
IE 6.0. Here are our requirments:

1. Checks will be printed on pre-printed stock, so we must format the
document to lineup correcly.
2. We need to keep track of which checks printed or didnt print. So we need
to access the printer directly.
3. Have the ability to select any local(on the client) printer.
4. We are printing hundereds of checks, so we cannot display the info in the
browser and print the page displayed in IE.

These requirments lead me to think we need to develop a little VB
application, that the web browser can acces. So here are a few more
requirments that need to be met.

1. Communications must be secure. We need to access the Local print
application from IE in a secure manner. SSL will be used from the IIS server
to the clients browser and vice versa, but we need to secure communications
from the brower to the printer. We cannot have anyone printing checks with
any amount...etc.
2. If someone prints and do not have the application, IE will download and
install w/o user intervention. Of couse you will get the security prompt
from IE to access local resources and the user will elect to "Trust" it.

To give you a general feel of what we are doing. We will have a "print
queue" datagrid where a user will simply check the row that has some general
info. The system will pull any additional data needed and pass that
information to the printing application locally and then pass the job to the
printer. Any errors that arise will need to be logged in the web application
and the user must be notified.

I am not sure if I am even going down the right path here but looking for
any input. Any help appreciated.

TIA,

Steve Wofford

[Scott M.]

"IntraRELY" <IntraRELY@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:u7BjwbbcDHA.3080@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...

> Hello All,
>
> I am developing a Web Application in VB.NET. We are printing checks from a
> IE 6.0. Here are our requirments:

That alone sounds scary. My mind is racing with ways to print myself a
check.

>
> 1. Checks will be printed on pre-printed stock, so we must format the
> document to lineup correcly.

Adobe .pdf file format would probably be best for this without getting into
CSS (and then browser capabilities and settings).

> 2. We need to keep track of which checks printed or didnt print. So we

need

> to access the printer directly.
> 3. Have the ability to select any local(on the client) printer.

This may be easier in a Windows App then a Web App.

> 4. We are printing hundereds of checks, so we cannot display the info in

the

> browser and print the page displayed in IE.

You mean the web app will start a local print job and the browser is just
the catalyst to start that app?

>
> These requirments lead me to think we need to develop a little VB
> application, that the web browser can acces. So here are a few more
> requirments that need to be met.
>
> 1. Communications must be secure. We need to access the Local print
> application from IE in a secure manner. SSL will be used from the IIS

server

> to the clients browser and vice versa, but we need to secure

communications

> from the brower to the printer. We cannot have anyone printing checks with
> any amount...etc.
> 2. If someone prints and do not have the application, IE will download and
> install w/o user intervention. Of couse you will get the security prompt
> from IE to access local resources and the user will elect to "Trust" it.

If you want the app to be local, then why not make a Windows App?

>
> To give you a general feel of what we are doing. We will have a "print
> queue" datagrid where a user will simply check the row that has some

general

> info. The system will pull any additional data needed and pass that
> information to the printing application locally and then pass the job to

the

> printer. Any errors that arise will need to be logged in the web

application

> and the user must be notified.
>
> I am not sure if I am even going down the right path here but looking for
> any input. Any help appreciated.

I'm sure this can be done, but I'm thinking that a Windows app that connects
to a centralized DB (where all the checks written & to be written are
stored) would simplify this a lot.

>
> TIA,
>
> Steve Wofford
>
>

[Lewis Wang [MSFT]]

Hi Steve,

Luke replied your post in microsoft.public.dotnet.languages.vb. I am
pasting his reply for your convenience:

From your description, you are trying to print from client browser and
require to access many loca resource. I also agree with others that you
need a Windows appliaction instead of ASP.NET application. Or you may embed
an activeX control in your web page, or have a link to an .NET Assembly
like:

[url]http://myserver/myfolder/myapp.exe[/url]

Regarding the security issue, i think it depends on the printer driver.
Your appl will talk to the printer driver installed on the local computer,
and then printer driver send instructions and data to printer. If the
computer is installed on network, the security between local computer and
printer will depneds on the printer driver.

Hope this helps.

Best regards,
Lewis
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

--------------------
| From: "IntraRELY" <IntraRELY@yahoo.com>
| Subject: Printing from ASP.NET
| Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2003 18:07:37 -0700
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|
| Hello All,
|
| I am developing a Web Application in VB.NET. We are printing checks from a
| IE 6.0. Here are our requirments:
|
| 1. Checks will be printed on pre-printed stock, so we must format the
| document to lineup correcly.
| 2. We need to keep track of which checks printed or didnt print. So we
need
| to access the printer directly.
| 3. Have the ability to select any local(on the client) printer.
| 4. We are printing hundereds of checks, so we cannot display the info in
the
| browser and print the page displayed in IE.
|
| These requirments lead me to think we need to develop a little VB
| application, that the web browser can acces. So here are a few more
| requirments that need to be met.
|
| 1. Communications must be secure. We need to access the Local print
| application from IE in a secure manner. SSL will be used from the IIS
server
| to the clients browser and vice versa, but we need to secure
communications
| from the brower to the printer. We cannot have anyone printing checks with
| any amount...etc.
| 2. If someone prints and do not have the application, IE will download and
| install w/o user intervention. Of couse you will get the security prompt
| from IE to access local resources and the user will elect to "Trust" it.
|
| To give you a general feel of what we are doing. We will have a "print
| queue" datagrid where a user will simply check the row that has some
general
| info. The system will pull any additional data needed and pass that
| information to the printing application locally and then pass the job to
the
| printer. Any errors that arise will need to be logged in the web
application
| and the user must be notified.
|
| I am not sure if I am even going down the right path here but looking for
| any input. Any help appreciated.
|
| TIA,
|
| Steve Wofford
|
|
|