Printing in Linux

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Overview
Required configuration
How to directly open the PDF generated during a print job?
Printing reports to PDF in Linux
Limitations: reports controls supported in Linux
Printing in WLanguage in Linux
Step 1: Configuring the print parameters
Step 2: Creating print fonts
Step 3: Printing characters, images
Step 4: Starting the print job
List of print functions available in Linux

WINDEV

WEBDEV

WINDEV Mobile

Others

See also

Printing in Linux

Overview

WEBDEV and WINDEV allow you to print to PDF in Linux using WLanguage functions. You can:

print to PDF in WLanguage.
print reports as PDF documents using the report viewer.

Print jobs with WLanguage functions are just like standard print jobs.

This help page presents the limitations that come with printing in Linux.

Required configuration

To use the print features in WEBDEV Linux, you must install:

the QT library (Core and GUI), version 5 or later.
In Ubuntu, the QT library can be installed with the following commands:
sudo apt-get install libqtcore5
sudo apt-get install libqtgui5

the LibFreeType.so library (32 or 64-bit), version 6 or later.
Caution: The PC SOFT framework searches for the libfreetype.so library. If only the libfreetype.so.6 file exists, you must create a symbolic link via the following command:
ln -s /usr/lib/libfreetype.so.6 /usr/lib/libfreetype.so

Remark: You can install Microsoft fonts in Linux to make reports look similar to Windows. In Ubuntu, these fonts can be added by following this procedure: http://doc.ubuntu-fr.org/msttcorefonts.

Remark: The following Linux distributions are supported:

Debian 5.02
Ubuntu 10.04

How to directly open the PDF generated during a print job?

To directly open the PDF document created for the print job, use the following commands:

xdg-open url

gnome-open url

Printing reports to PDF in Linux

The different steps for printing reports in Linux are as follows:

Step 1: Configuring the print destination.
This configuration is defined with iDestination. Only PDF printing is available in Linux. iDestination must be used with the PDF file generation constants (iPDF or iGenericPDF).
Step 2: Starting the print job.
The report is printed by iPrintReport.

Limitations: reports controls supported in Linux

The following controls are supported in a report printed in Linux:

Static control (RTF is not supported).
Calculated control.
Image control.
Preset control.
Shape control.
Internal Report control.
Link control.
Edit control.
Bar Code control.
Chart control.
Check Box control.
Organizer control.
Scheduler control.
Spreadsheet control.

The following controls are not supported:

RTF Static control.
Pivot Table control.
Gantt Chart control.
Signature control.
HTML Static control.

Printing in WLanguage in Linux

The steps for printing in WLanguage as are follows:

Step 1 (optional): Configuring the print parameters.
Step 2 (optional): Creating the print fonts (optional).
Step 3: Printing the characters, lines or images, and end of the print job.
Step 4: Starting the print job.

Step 1: Configuring the print parameters

This step is used to choose the print parameters for the document (quality, orientation).

This step is optional.

The different operations are as follows:

Selecting the parameters for printing the document (iParameter). When printing in Linux, you have the ability to only configure the format of the page or its orientation.
Re-defining the print margins (iMargin). The top, bottom, left and right margins can be modified. If this function is not called, the default margins (differ according to the selected printer) will be used.

Caution: The order of above-mentioned operations must be respected. If a print is in progress, iParameter cancels the current print.

Step 2: Creating print fonts

This step allows you to define and choose the different fonts that will be used in the printed document.

You can only choose fonts specific to a print job: these fonts can only be used when printing with WLanguage functions.

This step is optional.

The default font is used if no font is specified for the print job.

Font: Don't care
Font 0,
size: 12 pica,
normal style.
color: black

The print fonts are created by iCreateFont.

Remarks:

Only the TrueType fonts (*.ttf) can be used in Linux.
If fonts other than basic fonts must be used, they must be installed on the WEBDEV server (by using the directories of the distribution used). For more details, see the documentation of the distribution used.

Step 3: Printing characters, images

This step consists in "sending the different elements to print to the printer":

text,
images,
drawings, ...

The PDF print job (configured with iDestination) will only be started when iEndPrinting is called.

Several WLanguage functions allow you to print text, images, etc. See the list of print functions that can be used in Linux for more details.

Remark: Printing images: JPEG, BMP, PNG and GIF images can be printed in Linux.

Step 4: Starting the print job

This step consists in starting the print job (iEndPrinting).

List of print functions available in Linux

The following print functions are available in Linux:


iAreaHeight	Calculates the height of a fixed-width area required to print the entire text that uses the current font.
iBorder	Prints a border at specified coordinates.
iChangeSubReportSource	Modifies through programming the report associated with a sub-report in a composite report.
iCloseReport	Stops printing the current report immediately.
iColumnEnd	Forces a column break in a multi-column report.
iColumnNum	Returns the number of the current column in a multi-column report.
iConfigureReport	Configures the printer by opening the configuration window (WINDEV and WINDEV Mobile).
iCreateFont	Creates a new print font.
iCurrentFile	Returns the name of the file currently generated.
iDestination	Configures the print destination.
iDidotFont	Selects the unit that will be used for the height of the fonts (created by iCreateFont): DIDOT point or PICA point.
iDocumentCanceled	Used to find out whether the current print was canceled by the user.
iDocumentPrinted	Determines whether the user printed the document from the report viewer.
iEllipse	Prints an ellipse (in a rectangle).
iEndPrinting	Signals the end of the document to print and actually starts printing the data stored in the printer spooler via the following functions: iPrint, iPrintImage, iNewLine, etc.
iEndReport	Forces the report print to stop.
iEscape	Sends an ESCAPE command or a data command to a printer.
iFont	Selects the default font.
iForceComplement	Forces the printing of a Body Complement block.
iGroupAdd	Adds a report to a group of reports.
iGroupConfigure	Modifies the parameters of a report found in a group of reports.
iGroupPrint	Starts printing a report found in a group of reports.
iHLine	Prints a horizontal line at specified coordinates.
iImageHeight	Calculates the height of the image to print (in millimeters).
iImageWidth	Calculates the width of the image to print (in millimeters).
iInfoPrinter	Retrieves the characteristics of the current or default printer.
iInitReportQuery	Initializes the query linked to the report (for a query with parameters).
iInitReportQueryConnection	Initializes the query linked to the report.
iInitSubReport	Initializes the parameters of a subreport of a composite report.
iLastFile	Returns: the full name of the last file generated during the print (PDF, RTF, text, ...). the list of created duplicate files.
iLine	Prints a line at specified coordinates.
iListNestedReports	Returns: the list of nested reports currently printed (reports run by iPrintReport in one of the processes of the report currently printed). the list of sequenced reports currently printed (iSequenceAdd).
iMargin	Defines the "logical" print margins.
iMMToPica	Converts the coordinates of a point (expressed in millimeters) into system coordinates.
iNestedHeaderFooter	Prints (or not) the page headers and footers of nested report.
iNewLine	Prints a line (in Windows standard, with a rounded end) at specified coordinates.
iPageEnd	Forces the move to the next page during the report print.
iPageHeight	Calculates the height of printable page (in millimeters) while taking the top or bottom margins into account.
iPageHeightLeft	Calculates the available height (in millimeters) left on the current page while taking into account the defined margins (top or bottom).
iPageNum	Returns or initializes the number of the page currently printed.
iPageWidth	Calculates the width (in millimeters) of the printable page while taking the left or right margins into account.
iParameter	Retrieves the printer configuration and configures the print.
iParameterPDF	Defines the options for the generated PDF file.
iParameterReport	Configures the printer by opening the configuration window.
iPicaToMM	Converts the coordinates of a point (expressed in system coordinates) into millimeters.
iPrint	Sends the character string passed as parameter to the print buffer.
iPrintArea	Prints a text in a rectangular area.
iPrintBarCode	Prints a bar code (inside a rectangle).
iPrintBlock	Forces a report block to print.
iPrintBodyComplement	Forces a body complement block to print while specifying the height of complement block.
iPrintImage	Sends the image file to print to the print buffer.
iPrintingNation	Modifies the current language for the next print (programmed print or report print).
iPrintReport	Prints a report created with the report editor.
iPrintWord	Sends the character string passed in parameter to the print "buffer".
iReportPrintingStatus	Returns the status of the current print.
iReset	Reinitializes the print settings (margins, font, paper format, orientation, ...) stored in the print library.
iResetNbPages	Reinitializes the current number of pages, used in the preset controls such as "Number of pages" and "Page number and number of pages".
iRoundBorder	Prints a border with rounded outlines at specified coordinates.
iSelectFont	Creates a new print font from the standard window for font selection...
iSequencingAdd	Adds a report into a sequence of report prints.
iSequencingPrint	Prints a sequence of reports.
iSkipLine	Forces one or more line break.
iSkipPage	Generates a page break: the corresponding code is sent to the printer queue.
iSubstBlock	Substitutes one block of the report with another block while the report is printed.
iTextHeight	Calculates the height of the font for the text to print (in millimeters).
iTextWidth	Calculates the width (in millimeters) of the text to print, according to the specified font.
iVLine	Prints a vertical line at specified coordinates.
iWindowCancel	Configures the print cancel window..
iXPos	Used to manage the horizontal position (X-coordinate) of print cursor in the page.
iYPos	Used to manage the vertical position (Y-coordinate) of print cursor in the page.

Remark: The iPrintxxx functions only operate with the new Linux distributions.