How to: Print a Multi-Page Text File in Windows Forms
It is very common for Windows-based applications to print text. The Graphics class provides methods for drawing objects (graphics or text) to a device, such as a screen or printer.
Note
The DrawText methods of TextRenderer are not supported for printing. You should always use the DrawString methods of Graphics, as shown in the following code example, to draw text for printing purposes.
To print text
Add a PrintDocument component and a string to your form.
Private printDocument1 As New PrintDocument() Private stringToPrint As String
private PrintDocument printDocument1 = new PrintDocument(); private string stringToPrint;
If printing a document, set the DocumentName property to the document you wish to print, and open and read the documents contents to the string you added previously.
Dim docName As String = "testPage.txt" Dim docPath As String = "c:\" printDocument1.DocumentName = docName Dim stream As New FileStream(docPath + docName, FileMode.Open) Try Dim reader As New StreamReader(stream) Try stringToPrint = reader.ReadToEnd() Finally reader.Dispose() End Try Finally stream.Dispose() End Try
string docName = "testPage.txt"; string docPath = @"c:\"; printDocument1.DocumentName = docName; using (FileStream stream = new FileStream(docPath + docName, FileMode.Open)) using (StreamReader reader = new StreamReader(stream)) { stringToPrint = reader.ReadToEnd(); }
In the PrintPage event handler, use the Graphics property of the PrintPageEventArgs class and the document contents to calculate line length and lines per page. After each page is drawn, check to see if it is the last page, and set the HasMorePages property of the PrintPageEventArgs accordingly. The PrintPage event is raised until HasMorePages is false. Also, make sure the PrintPage event is associated with its event-handling method.
In the following code example, the event handler is used to print the contents of the "testPage.txt" file in the same font as is used on the form.
Private Sub printDocument1_PrintPage(ByVal sender As Object, _ ByVal e As PrintPageEventArgs) Dim charactersOnPage As Integer = 0 Dim linesPerPage As Integer = 0 ' Sets the value of charactersOnPage to the number of characters ' of stringToPrint that will fit within the bounds of the page. e.Graphics.MeasureString(stringToPrint, Me.Font, e.MarginBounds.Size, _ StringFormat.GenericTypographic, charactersOnPage, linesPerPage) ' Draws the string within the bounds of the page e.Graphics.DrawString(stringToPrint, Me.Font, Brushes.Black, _ e.MarginBounds, StringFormat.GenericTypographic) ' Remove the portion of the string that has been printed. stringToPrint = stringToPrint.Substring(charactersOnPage) ' Check to see if more pages are to be printed. e.HasMorePages = stringToPrint.Length > 0 End Sub
private void printDocument1_PrintPage(object sender, PrintPageEventArgs e) { int charactersOnPage = 0; int linesPerPage = 0; // Sets the value of charactersOnPage to the number of characters // of stringToPrint that will fit within the bounds of the page. e.Graphics.MeasureString(stringToPrint, this.Font, e.MarginBounds.Size, StringFormat.GenericTypographic, out charactersOnPage, out linesPerPage); // Draws the string within the bounds of the page e.Graphics.DrawString(stringToPrint, this.Font, Brushes.Black, e.MarginBounds, StringFormat.GenericTypographic); // Remove the portion of the string that has been printed. stringToPrint = stringToPrint.Substring(charactersOnPage); // Check to see if more pages are to be printed. e.HasMorePages = (stringToPrint.Length > 0); }
Call the Print method to raise the PrintPage event.
printDocument1.Print()
printDocument1.Print();
Example
Imports System
Imports System.Drawing
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Drawing.Printing
Imports System.Windows.Forms
Public Class Form1
Inherits Form
Private printButton As Button
Private printDocument1 As New PrintDocument()
Private stringToPrint As String
Public Sub New()
Me.printButton = New System.Windows.Forms.Button()
Me.printButton.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(12, 51)
Me.printButton.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(75, 23)
Me.printButton.Text = "Print"
Me.ClientSize = New System.Drawing.Size(292, 266)
End Sub
Private Sub ReadFile()
Dim docName As String = "testPage.txt"
Dim docPath As String = "c:\"
printDocument1.DocumentName = docName
Dim stream As New FileStream(docPath + docName, FileMode.Open)
Try
Dim reader As New StreamReader(stream)
Try
stringToPrint = reader.ReadToEnd()
Finally
reader.Dispose()
End Try
Finally
stream.Dispose()
End Try
End Sub
Private Sub printDocument1_PrintPage(ByVal sender As Object, _
ByVal e As PrintPageEventArgs)
Dim charactersOnPage As Integer = 0
Dim linesPerPage As Integer = 0
' Sets the value of charactersOnPage to the number of characters
' of stringToPrint that will fit within the bounds of the page.
e.Graphics.MeasureString(stringToPrint, Me.Font, e.MarginBounds.Size, _
StringFormat.GenericTypographic, charactersOnPage, linesPerPage)
' Draws the string within the bounds of the page
e.Graphics.DrawString(stringToPrint, Me.Font, Brushes.Black, _
e.MarginBounds, StringFormat.GenericTypographic)
' Remove the portion of the string that has been printed.
stringToPrint = stringToPrint.Substring(charactersOnPage)
' Check to see if more pages are to be printed.
e.HasMorePages = stringToPrint.Length > 0
End Sub
Private Sub printButton_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)
ReadFile()
printDocument1.Print()
End Sub
<STAThread()> _
Shared Sub Main()
Application.EnableVisualStyles()
Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(False)
Application.Run(New Form1())
End Sub
End Class
using System;
using System.Drawing;
using System.IO;
using System.Drawing.Printing;
using System.Windows.Forms;
namespace PrintApp
{
public class Form1 : Form
{
private Button printButton;
private PrintDocument printDocument1 = new PrintDocument();
private string stringToPrint;
public Form1()
{
this.printButton = new System.Windows.Forms.Button();
this.printButton.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(12, 51);
this.printButton.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(75, 23);
this.printButton.Text = "Print";
this.printButton.Click += new System.EventHandler(this.printButton_Click);
this.ClientSize = new System.Drawing.Size(292, 266);
this.Controls.Add(this.printButton);
// Associate the PrintPage event handler with the PrintPage event.
printDocument1.PrintPage +=
new PrintPageEventHandler(printDocument1_PrintPage);
}
private void ReadFile()
{
string docName = "testPage.txt";
string docPath = @"c:\";
printDocument1.DocumentName = docName;
using (FileStream stream = new FileStream(docPath + docName, FileMode.Open))
using (StreamReader reader = new StreamReader(stream))
{
stringToPrint = reader.ReadToEnd();
}
}
private void printDocument1_PrintPage(object sender, PrintPageEventArgs e)
{
int charactersOnPage = 0;
int linesPerPage = 0;
// Sets the value of charactersOnPage to the number of characters
// of stringToPrint that will fit within the bounds of the page.
e.Graphics.MeasureString(stringToPrint, this.Font,
e.MarginBounds.Size, StringFormat.GenericTypographic,
out charactersOnPage, out linesPerPage);
// Draws the string within the bounds of the page
e.Graphics.DrawString(stringToPrint, this.Font, Brushes.Black,
e.MarginBounds, StringFormat.GenericTypographic);
// Remove the portion of the string that has been printed.
stringToPrint = stringToPrint.Substring(charactersOnPage);
// Check to see if more pages are to be printed.
e.HasMorePages = (stringToPrint.Length > 0);
}
private void printButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
ReadFile();
printDocument1.Print();
}
[STAThread]
static void Main()
{
Application.EnableVisualStyles();
Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(false);
Application.Run(new Form1());
}
}
}
Compiling the Code
This example requires:
References to the System, System.Windows.Forms, System.Drawing assemblies.
For information about building this example from the command line for Visual Basic or Visual C#, see Building from the Command Line (Visual Basic) or Command-line Building With csc.exe. You can also build this example in Visual Studio by pasting the code into a new project. For more information, see How to: Compile and Run a Complete Windows Forms Code Example Using Visual Studio and How to: Compile and Run a Complete Windows Forms Code Example Using Visual Studio and How to: Compile and Run a Complete Windows Forms Code Example Using Visual Studio and How to: Compile and Run a Complete Windows Forms Code Example Using Visual Studio.