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Point and Print DLLs

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You can optionally supply a special Point and Print DLL by associating its name with the Module registry value. This DLL must export the following two functions:

GenerateCopyFilePaths
This function, which is called by both the server's spooler and the client's spooler, can be used to modify the directory path specified by the Directory registry value. Either the source path (on the server) or the destination path (on the client), or both, can be modified.

SpoolerCopyFileEvent
This function, also called by both the server's spooler and the client's spooler, receives an event code indicating the occurrence of certain connection-related printer events.

A Point and Print DLL need not export only these functions. For example Mscms.dll, which is used by Microsoft's ICM component, also exports a set of ICM API functions.

Note that you can specify other DLLs in addition to, or instead of, a Point and Print DLL that exports GenerateCopyFilePaths and SpoolerCopyFileEvent. To do so, assign the DLL file names to the Files registry key instead of the Module registry key. (See Installing Queue-Specific Files).

After the installation application has placed the DLL's name in the server's registry by calling SetPrinterDataEx, all subsequent calls to SetPrinterDataEx result in a call to the DLL's SpoolerCopyFileEvent function, with a supplied event code of COPYFILE_EVENT_SET_PRINTER_DATAEX.

Unlike the files listed under the Files registry key (see Installing Queue-Specific Files), the Point and Print DLL is not copied from the print server to the client when the client connects to a printer. Instead, the DLL is assumed to already be client-resident when a connection to the print server is made. As a result, the DLL can be used for additional purposes not related to Point and Print functionality.

One method for installing the Point and Print DLL on a client is to specify its name in a printer INF file as a dependent file, so the file can be copied to the client's driver directory during downloading of driver-specific files.