Q274523: BUG: Print to File Fails to Request Output File Name

Article: Q274523
Product(s): Microsoft Visual Basic for Windows
Version(s): 4.0,5.0,6.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbCmnDlgPrint kbCtrl kbFileIO kbVBp400bug kbVBp500bug kbVBp600bug kbOSWin95 kbOSWin98 k
Last Modified: 14-MAY-2002

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition for Windows, versions 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, on platform(s):
   - the operating system: Microsoft Windows 95 
   - the operating system: Microsoft Windows 98 
   - Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition for Windows, versions 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, on platform(s):
   - the operating system: Microsoft Windows 95 
   - the operating system: Microsoft Windows 98 
   - Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition 
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SYMPTOMS
========

When the Print to File checkbox is selected in the Print dialog box, the dialog
box that allows an Output File Name to be specified is not displayed.

RESOLUTION
==========

There are three possible workarounds for this behavior:

- Check the Flags property of the CommonDialog control to see if the Print to
  File checkbox is marked. If the checkbox is marked, you can create a text
  file (without printer codes) with the Visual Basic Open, Write, and Close
  commands.

- Configure a local printer to print to the FILE: port. This local printer can
  be used when a Print to File operation is required.

- Open the Printer Common Dialog with WIN32 API functions, such as PrintDlg or
  PageSetupDlg, instead of with the comdlg32.ocx file. You can then print with
  API calls instead of the Printer object. See the "References" section of this
  article for more information.

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in the Microsoft products listed at the
beginning of this article.

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

Steps to Reproduce Behavior
---------------------------

1. Start a new Visual Basic Standard EXE project. Form1 is created by default.

2. On the Project menu, select Components. In the Components dialog box, check
  the Microsoft Common Dialog Control component, and then click OK.

3. Add a CommonDialog control to Form1.

4. Add the following code to the General Declarations section of Form1:

  Private Sub Form_Click()
      Dim blnUseWorkaround As Boolean

      ' Uncomment the following line to examine a workaround
      'blnUseWorkaround = True

      CommonDialog1.ShowPrinter
      
      If blnUseWorkaround Then
          ' Test to see if the Print to File box is checked
          If (CommonDialog1.Flags And cdlPDPrintToFile) = cdlPDPrintToFile Then
              MsgBox "Create the Output file using the Open, Write, and Close commands"
          Else
              PrintText
          End If
      Else
          PrintText
      End If
  End Sub

  Sub PrintText()
      Printer.Print "Test Text"
      Printer.EndDoc
  End Sub

5. Press the F5 key to run the program.

6. Click on Form1, and note that the Print dialog box appears.

7. Check the Print to File checkbox.

8. Click OK on the Print dialog box, and note that the dialog box that requests
  an Output File Name is not displayed.

REFERENCES
==========

For additional information about using the WIN32 API functions for common dialog
boxes and printing, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the
Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q175535 PRB: Printing Rotated Text with Visual Basic

  Q180645 FIX: Cannot Change Page Settings During Print Job

  Q173981 PRB: Behavior Differences of Print Dialog Box on Different Platforms

Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbCmnDlgPrint kbCtrl kbFileIO kbVBp400bug kbVBp500bug kbVBp600bug kbOSWin95 kbOSWin98 kbGrpDSVB kbDSupport kbOSWinME 
Technology        : kbVBSearch kbAudDeveloper kbZNotKeyword6 kbZNotKeyword2
Version           : :4.0,5.0,6.0
Issue type        : kbbug
Solution Type     : kbpending

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