ASP.NET Web Forms Server Controls

The ASP.NET Web Forms Server Controls package contains a suite of controls and resource to simplify the implementation of common scenarios for providing a controlled printing experience within an ASP.NET Web Forms application/site:

• Installation of the ScriptX Add-on on the client PC including a page crafted to assist the user during the installation process with prompts and screen snips depending upon the browser version being used.
• Initialising print settings such as headers, footers, margins and the printer to use.
• Buttons to initiate printing.

The ASP.NET Web Forms model is one where round-trips to the server are frequent as a click on a client side button results in a post-back to the server where the button click is processed and new content delivered back to the client PC for display.

However, printing is entirely a client PC process and so the ScriptX ASP.NET Web Forms Server Controls all emit javascript and client event handlers that are executed on the client PC. There is never a call back to the server.

This package is dependent upon the following packages:

1. MeadCo ScriptX - installers for web sites

   This package provides the installers for the ScriptX binaries and a custom configuration section that also allows you to specify any Advanced Printing publishing license you have purchased - or the evaluation license.

2. MeadCo ScriptX JS Simple Wrapper

   This packages provides convenient wrappers on some common ScriptX functionality. It is not dependent on any other libray (such as jQuery).

All of the server controls are provided in the namespace:

<meadco>
    <scriptx>
      <clientinstaller filename="~/content/meadco.scriptx/installers/smsx.cab" 
         version="8,3,0,4
" />
      <license 
         guid="{370000ED-D40C-43D4-B3D3-F2E7D2EFF47D}
" 
         revision="0" 
         filename="http://licenses.meadroid.com/
             download/{370000ED-D40C-43D4-B3D3-F2E7D2EFF47D}
/mlf" />
    </scriptx>
 </meadco>

The section 'Basic printing with ScriptX' illustrates how to do this and while not at all difficult there are tedious aspects such as neatly handling the case of the add-on needs to be installed.

<MeadCoScriptX:ClientPrinting 
           ClientValidate="redirect" 
           InstallHelperUrl="install.aspx" 
           PrintTemplate="Default"
           runat="server">
      <PrintSettings 
           footer="ScriptX Demonstration Page: &p" 
           header="Date: &D"
           headerFooterFont = ""
           printer = "HP Color LaserJet 2550n">
          <PageSetup 
              Orientation="landscape" 
              PaperSource="Tray 1" 
              PaperSize="A4"
              Units = "mm" >
              <Margins left="20" bottom="20" top="20" right="20" />
          </PageSetup>
      </PrintSettings>
</MeadCoScriptX:ClientPrint>

ClientPrinting

PrintSettings

PageSetup

Margins

Print a document with MeadCoScriptX:PrintButton

The MeadCoScriptX:PrintButton element inherits from the standrad HTML button element so all the standard attributes such as CssStyle work as expected. As expected, the element provides a button that when clicked will cause the current document, a frame or a document downloaded from a url to be printed accordiing to the settings described in the MeadCoScriptX:ClientPrinting element.

The MeadCoScriptX:PrintButton provides a button and printing behaviour with a few simple attributes:

<MeadCoScriptX:PrintButton  
           Text="Print" 
           Prompt="false" 
           runat="server />

PrintButton

Preview the current page or frame with MeadCoScriptX:PrintPreviewButton

The MeadCoScriptX:PrintPreviewButton element inherits from the standrad HTML button element so all the standard attributes such as CssStyle work as expected. As expected, the element provides a button that when clicked will cause the current document, or a frame to be previewed.

Improvements and developments

What else would you like to see in the server controls package? Please use the Community Forum or Contact Us to send us your ideas.