vb.net pdf printing

[ChainsawJoe]

Hi all!

I have this function which prints txt files just peachily

Sub PrintAdobePDF(ByVal Filename As String)
  Dim myProcess As New Process
  Dim i As Integer = 1
  Dim lbRunning As Boolean = True

  Try
      myProcess.StartInfo.FileName = Filename
      myProcess.StartInfo.WorkingDirectory = New FileInfo(Filename).DirectoryName
      myProcess.StartInfo.CreateNoWindow = True
      myProcess.StartInfo.WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Hidden
      myProcess.StartInfo.Verb = "print"
      myProcess.Start()

      If Not myProcess.HasExited Then
         myProcess.WaitForInputIdle(10000)
         While lbRunning And i <= 20
             System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(500)

               Select Case myProcess.HasExited
                  Case True
                      lbRunning = False
                  Case False
                      lbRunning = Not myProcess.CloseMainWindow
              End Select

              i += 1
          End While
        End If

       If lbRunning AndAlso Not myProcess.HasExited Then myProcess.Kill()
       myProcess.Dispose()

   Catch ex As System.ComponentModel.Win32Exception
        Const ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND As Integer = 2

        Select Case ex.NativeErrorCode
           Case ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND : Throw New System.IO.FileNotFoundException
           Case Else : Throw New Exception(ex.Message & " (PrintAdobePDF)")
        End Select
    Catch ex As Exception
        Throw New Exception(ex.Message & " (PrintAdobeFile)")
   End Try

but just try and give it a pdf and you'll find Acrobat reader hiding in your running processes, not doing a whole lot.

I've tried loads of different versions of this, down to the basics:

  Dim starter As Process = New Process
  Dim acroPath As String = "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\Reader\AcroRd32.exe"

  starter.Start(acroPath, "/p/h """ & Server.MapPath("testprint.pdf") & """")

I can get the commandline version to work:

"C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\Reader\AcroRd32.exe" /p/h "c:\testprint.pdf"

but it still sits around in my running processes - I guess if I could get that to work in .net, then i could probably kill the process as well... hmm..

Can anyone help? Here's what I actually want to do:
within one page I'm using dynamicpdf to create a label with a couple of barcodes on it via a web app, and need to send several labels to a label printer sitting next to each user of the app.

So presumably the commandline version might not work unless I manage to specify a network printer on a "per user" basis to define where to print to?

I've scoured google and the previous posts here and can't seem to get any of the suggestions to work - can anyone point me towards anything that might help? Even third party solutions would be appreciated - time is, as always, of the essence!

Many thanks!

 

[PGoRule]

Can you try this code...You need to kill the Adobe process after finishing the print job.
You can have a look at this also, which may help you to some extent.

Dim psi As New ProcessStartInfo
psi.UseShellExecute = True
psi.Verb = "print"
psi.WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Hidden
psi.FileName = fileName
Process.Start(psi)

Sharing the best from my side...

--Prashant--