Connecting to a Fax Server
In most situations, a fax client application must establish a connection to a fax server before the application can use other fax features. The following table compares client-server connectivity in Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003.
| Server/Client | Windows 2000 Personal Fax | Windows XP Fax | Windows Server 2003 Fax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 2000 Personal Fax | Only to local computer | Not supported | Not supported |
| Windows 2000 Server (provides Windows 2000 Personal Fax) | Only to local computer | Not supported | Not supported |
| Windows XP Fax | Not supported | Supported, only local submission of new faxes | Supported |
| Windows Server 2003 Fax | Not supported | Supported | Supported |
In the Win32 Environment
To establish the connection to the local fax server, a fax client application must call the FaxConnectFaxServer function successfully before it calls any other fax client function. FaxConnectFaxServer returns a fax server handle that is required to call many other fax client functions. The FaxConnectFaxServer function can only be used only with a local server.
Note that a connection to a fax server is not required to print a fax document to a fax printer device context. An application can provide transmission information directly to the fax client Windows Graphics Device Interface (GDI) functions, and transmit the active document by printing it to a printer device context. The fax client GDI functions include the FaxStartPrintJob and the FaxPrintCoverPage functions. For more information, see Printing a Fax to a Device Context.
Call the FaxClose function to disconnect from the fax server and deallocate the handle that the FaxConnectFaxServer function returns.
In the COM Implementation Environment
If you are writing a C/C++ application, you must call the CoCreateInstance function to retrieve a pointer to an IFaxServer interface and create an instance of a FaxServer object. Then you must call the IFaxServer::Connect method to initiate a connection with an active fax server. The server connection is required before the application can access most interfaces that begin with IFax. (A fax server connection is not required to access an IFaxTiff interface.) For more information about creating a FaxServer object, and for a list of properties and methods, see IFaxServer.
If you are writing a Microsoft Visual Basic application, you must call the Visual Basic CreateObject function to create an instance of a FaxServer object. Then you must call the Connect method of the FaxServer object to initiate a connection with an active fax server. The server connection is required before the application can access most other objects that begin with Fax. (A fax server connection is not required to access a IFaxTiff object.) See FaxServer object (Visual Basic) for more information about the steps required to create the object, and for a list of properties and methods of the object.
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