Hi,


For the moment, when I install a printer, I define it into SAM, Informix & BaaN. But, in the session ttaad3100m000, I've seen that it is possible to select WINDOWS PRINTER option.

An user says me that it is possible to define a printer for BaaN and when he selects this printer, the report is print directly to the local printer

Example:

The user AA works on a computer. AA selects a printer 'WINDOWS' from his computer and the reports is printed on his local printer.

Later, AA works on another computer on the network. AA selects a printer 'WINDOWS' and the report is printed on the local printer.

Is it really possible to do it? If yes, how?

Thank you


Mykel

Mykel,

I found this info in the BWPrint help file-

Direct mode

In direct mode, a report is printed without preview and without the need for user interaction. In this mode, only errors are reported to the user.

BWPRINT is started in direct mode if it is activated with the option /p. This happens also if BWPRINT is started via the File Print-menu of the File manager.


Another idea never tried yet, would be to capture the report output file send it to the local client machine and then call the DOS-Print command and redirect to the printer.


C:\>print /?
Prints a text file.

PRINT [/D:device] [[drive:][path]filename[...]]
/D:device Specifies a print device.

C:\>

Not sure I quite understand your requirement but another idea might be that you set up a Windows printer in Baan that is not set up on the Windows client with the same name.
On the client, when you try to print to it you will get a message from Baan "cannot find printer, print to default Y/N?". If you answer yes and the local printer is your default that is where it will go.

I may be missing something of the requirement, but I believe this is exactly what the Windows Printer setting can do. It will go to the default windows printer on the PC using it. Is that local printer the default printer in Windows on that PC? It should work, I have done this before just recently.

I believe this would not be able to be done in ASCII, but the Baan bw GUI does this. That may be just the Print Preview though.

Create a new device called WINDOWS (or just W :)). Choose 'windows printer'. Give it a Local (ISO designation, you can copy from existing printer if unsure), and a default paper type. That should be it. Go to a print session and use that device, no warnings given.

I better add to this, before people just go changing their printing. This has more than a little impact on special report setups. If you use a windows printer, your user font setup is different, and also any bar coding you did through the unix system is handled differently. The bar coding is print driver specific, and you will now be going through windows printer drivers. These things need to be setup by PC now, which is more than a little pain if you use them extensively (but also very convienent for the users to change on the fly...)

So, just be careful on which reports you decide to use that printer on.

Also read the windows printing document in solution 13743.