JAVA virtual printer

[dyanamo]

Basically what I want to do is write a java printer driver (so it appears in windows printers) that programs can print to. What I want to do is capture the output of accounting programs like Pastel and Quickbooks (that would otherwise go to the printer and get printed) and instead redirect the output to a JAVA program (the java printer driver) and treat it like a file (PDF).
Anybody know of any classes or ways of creating such a printer driver (Same principle as PDF creator just different application.)

Thanks

 

[FarligOpptreden]

Why specifically Java?

 

[Bcm]

Already done and free.
http://www.cutepdf.com/products/cutepdf/Writer.asp

Number 1 rule of the interwebs! - if you think of a brand new original idea, somebody has already done it.

 

[FarligOpptreden]

I'm not too sure he actually wants to print to PDF files. He said SIMILAR IDEA to PDF creator, just a different application.

So, OP, what is it exactly you want to achieve with your application? What should it do with the accounting data?

 

[Deenem]

Basically what I want to do is write a java printer driver (so it appears in windows printers) that programs can print to. What I want to do is capture the output of accounting programs like Pastel and Quickbooks (that would otherwise go to the printer and get printed) and instead redirect the output to a JAVA program (the java printer driver) and treat it like a file (PDF).
Anybody know of any classes or ways of creating such a printer driver (Same principle as PDF creator just different application.)

Thanks

Short Answer: You can't write Windows drivers in anything but C/C++.

Long Answer: If you want a Windows Device Driver written in Java, you'll have to get a Java Virtual Machine running in the Windows Kernel. Good luck with that

 

[dyanamo]

What I would like to do is instead of say Pastel printing to the printer it "prints" to my application which then captures the data, makes a file of it and sends it via FTP to a server. Doesnt have to be in JAVA but thats what im good at. Can also be VB which btw PDF creator is made in.

 

[PsyWulf]

So automate the pdf output,then run a batch file that just ftps the pdf? Should be doable with minimum hassle

*Edit Infact - my PDFCreator supports automatic file output

So set the printer to auto-output
Make a folder called to-upload
Make a folder called Uploaded

Batch file that uploads content from "to-upload" folder,then moves the pdf to "Uploaded"

Use task scheduler to run the batch file every 10mins

 

[dyanamo]

So automate the pdf output,then run a batch file that just ftps the pdf? Should be doable with minimum hassle

*Edit Infact - my PDFCreator supports automatic file output

So set the printer to auto-output
Make a folder called to-upload
Make a folder called Uploaded

Batch file that uploads content from "to-upload" folder,then moves the pdf to "Uploaded"

Use task scheduler to run the batch file every 10mins

Thats what it does currently but I wanted a process of making it easier and 1 less step. People dont have to change their routine.

 

[Dark Agent]

What I would like to do is instead of say Pastel printing to the printer it "prints" to my application which then captures the data, makes a file of it and sends it via FTP to a server. Doesnt have to be in JAVA but thats what im good at. Can also be VB which btw PDF creator is made in.

Do you mean filestream the data to another pastel / quickbooks program.

 

[PsyWulf]

Do you mean filestream the data to another pastel / quickbooks program.

Read again

What I would like to do is instead of say Pastel printing to the printer it "prints" to my application which then captures the data, makes a file of it and sends it via FTP to a server. Doesnt have to be in JAVA but thats what im good at. Can also be VB which btw PDF creator is made in.

 

[Dark Agent]

Read again

What I would like to do is instead of say Pastel printing to the printer it "prints" to my application which then captures the data, makes a file of it and sends it via FTP to a server. Doesnt have to be in JAVA but thats what im good at. Can also be VB which btw PDF creator is made in.

what must the file contain....
Must it contain files that must be printed?
like spool files?

 

[dyanamo]

Read again



what must the file contain....
Must it contain files that must be printed?
like spool files?

No. Im assuming the programs I want to capture the output of send there documents to the printer driver (spooler) in the format PDF (As thats there default save as option).
So to answer your question the file must contain PDF data.

 

[PsyWulf]

Thats what it does currently but I wanted a process of making it easier and 1 less step. People dont have to change their routine.

They dont really have to change their routine do they?
It really is they click print and continue their day in peace...Sounds like you're trying to simplify it for yourself,while developing a brand new PDFPrinter driver and interface - in java no less,is a helluva task as explained earlier,while the interface is made in VB for PDFCreator et al. the actual Printer driver is done in C or done using an API like Ghostscript to process the output

 

[PsyWulf]

Anyway..back to the topic on hand

http://www.planet-source-code.com/v...lnResetAllVariables=TRUE&optSort=Alphabetical

Gives a nice open-source VB file that can output files to pdf using Ghostscript
http://www.planet-source-code.com/vb/scripts/ShowCode.asp?txtCodeId=40583&lngWId=1

From this you should be able to garner how to use the ghostscript dll to convert postscript files and create your own app to call and output it to ftp. Don't know how elegant this would be but hey,its a start

 

[dyanamo]

I know but thats what my boss wants. Ill have a look if theres any C classes I can use with my JAVA that does it. Thanks for advice.

 

[PsyWulf]

Or infact

http://sourceforge.net/projects/pdfcreator/

Source code