The BiAutoPrint.dll can be used by developers to print document directly from their applications, without any user interaction, using only a few function calls. In addition to providing automated printing, the DLL can also be used to programmatically change the default printer on the system. In order to print certain document types, third party application need to be installed.
|
Auto-print SDK Demo limitations Auto-print SDK only works with Black Ice printer driver and does not work with physical printers. For using the Auto-print SDK Demo, Black Ice Printer Driver version 14.16 or higher is required. The Auto-print SDK full version can be used with any Black Ice Printer Driver. |
The BiAutoPrint DLL naming convention:
On 32-bit operating systems: BiAutoPrint32.dll for 32 bit applications.
On 64-bit operating systems: BiAutoPrint64.dll for 64 bit applications.
How to use the BiAutoPrint.dll
Required Third Party components
Auto-print Sample applications:
Auto-print Service Sample applications:
Multi-Threaded Converter applications:
Multi-Threaded Converter C# Sample
Using the BiAutoPrint DLL is as easy as calling the BIAPInitialize() function to initialize the printing control and then calling the BIAPStartPrintingEx() or BIAPStartPrinting() function for each document you need to print. Pass the name of the file to be printed and the name of the target printer as parameters, and the BiAutoPrint DLL will do the printing for you. After document printed and it is converted, use the BIAPEndPrinting() function to signal the end of the printing to the control and a new document can be printed. The end of the printing can be detected by using multiple methods, one of them would be by monitoring the print queue using the existing Black Ice functionality.
A more efficient way to detect when printing has finished would be taking advantage of the Black Ice printer driver messaging interface to capture the EndDoc message that is sent by the printer driver when the document has finished printing. Messaging Interface with the Black Ice printer driver must be run from a separate thread then the printing thread.