Q162609: HOWTO: Create a Printer Device Context (DC) in MFC

Article: Q162609
Product(s): Microsoft C Compiler
Version(s): 1.52,2.0,2.1,2.2,4.0,4.1,4.2
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbcode kbprint kbMFC kbPrinting kbVC kbVC200 kbVC400 kbVC420 kbGrpDSMFCATL
Last Modified: 11-SEP-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- The Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC), used with:
   - Microsoft Visual C++ for Windows, 16-bit edition, version 1.52 
   - Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Editions, versions 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, 4.0, 4.1, 4.2 
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SUMMARY
=======

When you create a printer device context (DC) in Windows SDK programming, an
application must retrieve ::CreateDC()'s parameters (such as driver name, device
name and output port) from either a Win.ini file (16-bit) or a Windows registry
(32-bit). In Microsoft Foundation Classes, this can be done via a call to
functions CWinApp::GetPrinterDeviceDefaults() and
CPrintDialog::CreatePrinterDC().

This article shows you a way to create a printer device context using the default
selected printer without displaying the Print dialog box. To create a printer
device context for a non-default printer, please refer to Chapter 15 of
"Programming Windows 3.1" by Charles Petzold.

MORE INFORMATION
================

The CWinApp::GetPrinterDeviceDefaults() expects a PRINTDLG structure to be
passed in such a way that the data retrieved can be stored in the DEVMODE and
DEVNAMES handles of the structure. Those data are then used to create a printer
DC in the CPrintDialog::CreatePrinterDC() function.

Since CreatePrinterDC() and m_pd (a PRITNDLG variable) are member function and
member variable of the CPrintDialog class, a CPrintDialog variable is defined
and used in the following sample code.

Sample Code
-----------

  // Instantiate a CPrintDialog object.
  CPrintDialog dlg(FALSE);

  // Retrieve the current printer defaults from the Windows .ini file
  // as necessary, or uses the last printer configuration set by the
  // user in Print Setup.
  CWinApp* app = AfxGetApp();
  if (!app->GetPrinterDeviceDefaults(&dlg.m_pd))
      {
      // Fails to create a printer device context for printing because
      // no printer is being installed. Bring up dialog box to alert the
      // users that they need to install a printer.  This step is optional.
      if (app->DoPrintDialog(&dlg) != IDOK)
         return ;
      }

  // Creates a printer DC from the DEVMODE and DEVNAMES structures.
  if (dlg.CreatePrinterDC() == NULL)
      return ;

  // A printer device context (DC) has been created.
  // Attach it to a CDC object. The DC is deleted when the CDC
  // object goes out of scope.
  CDC PrintDC;
  PrintDC.Attach(dlg.m_pd.hDC);

  // ADD YOUR CODE HERE.

REFERENCES
==========

"Programming Windows 3.1," Charles Petzold, Chapter 15, Microsoft Press, 1992

Additional query words: 2.00 2.10 2.20 4.00 4.10 4.20 1.50 1.51 1.00 2.50 2.51 2.52 3.00 3.10 3.20

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Keywords          : kbcode kbprint kbMFC kbPrinting kbVC kbVC200 kbVC400 kbVC420 kbGrpDSMFCATL 
Technology        : kbAudDeveloper kbMFC
Version           : :1.52,2.0,2.1,2.2,4.0,4.1,4.2
Issue type        : kbhowto

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