Thread: send text to printer via LPT1

hi, i'm italian.
sorry for the English is not prefect. I'm writing an application in VB.NET
I print to a printer epson tm 220 with escape commands or in other mode, without driver
you can help me to write "hello world" ?
I maybe a simple link

thanks

I'm italian too. You can't print with a printer which is not installed :O

and I don't get what you mean by "escape commands" xd

Originally Posted by Jas91

and I don't get what you mean by "escape commands" xd

I don't think you can print; it's a lpt1 printer; if you go pippo.txt > lpt1: , it's print without driver; to escape commands are commands that some printers have. you how print ?

Originally Posted by MasterX

italian:
non penso che non si possa stampare. è una stampante su lpt1. se tu da dos fai pippo.txt > lpt1: stampa senza driver ; per comandi escape ci sono dei comandi che alcune stampanti hanno. tu come stamperesti

english:
I don't think you can print; it's a lpt1 printer; if you go pippo.txt > lpt1: , it's print without driver; to escape commands are commands that some printers have. you how print ?

you answered yourself. Create a batch file (*.bat) that executes your command and run it from vb with the Shell function

Or you can use the well-known InpOut32 library... I have written a basic wrapper class for it a little while ago to communicate with a development board:

Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices



Public NotInheritable Class clsParPortControl

    Private m_bX64 As Boolean = False

    Private dwLastError As Int32

    Private tmp As Boolean = False



    Public Sub New()

        MyBase.New()

    End Sub



    Public ReadOnly Property LastError As Int32

        Get

            Return dwLastError

        End Get

    End Property



    Public ReadOnly Property Opened As Boolean

        Get

            tmp = IsParPortDriverOpen()

            Return tmp

        End Get

    End Property



    Public Function ReadByte(ByVal PortAddress As Short) As Byte                        ' ### Read a byte.

        Dim Value As Byte = Nothing

        dwLastError = Nothing

        If IsParPortDriverOpen() = True Then                                            ' Check if InpOut32 is installed and hooked

            Try                                                                         ' and set 64-bits flag if necessary.

                If m_bX64 = False Then

                    Value = Convert.ToByte(NativeMethods.Inp32(PortAddress))                          ' Read with 32-bits lib.

                Else

                    Value = Convert.ToByte(NativeMethods.Inp32_x64(PortAddress))                      ' Read with 64-bits lib.

                End If

            Catch ex As System.OverflowException                                        ' Handle the overflow exception from conversion.

            Catch ex As Exception                                                       ' Any other exception set the error code.

                dwLastError = System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.GetLastWin32Error

            End Try

        End If

        Return Value                                                                    ' Return the byte. (0 if there was an error)

    End Function



    Public Function WriteByte(ByVal PortAddress As Short, ByVal Value As Byte) As Boolean

        Dim nResult As Boolean = True

        dwLastError = Nothing

        If IsParPortDriverOpen() = True Then

            Try

                If m_bX64 = False Then

                    NativeMethods.Out32(PortAddress, CShort(Value))

                Else

                    NativeMethods.Out32_x64(PortAddress, CShort(Value))

                End If

            Catch ex As Exception

                dwLastError = System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.GetLastWin32Error

                nResult = False

            End Try

        End If

        Return nResult

    End Function



    Public Function ReadWord(ByVal PortAddress As Short) As UInt16                      ' ### Read a word.

        Dim Value As UInt16 = Nothing

        dwLastError = Nothing

        If IsParPortDriverOpen() = True Then                                            ' Check if InpOut32 is installed and hooked

            Try                                                                         ' and set 64-bits flag if necessary.

                If m_bX64 = False Then

                    Value = Convert.ToUInt16(NativeMethods.Inp32(PortAddress))                        ' Read with 32-bits lib.

                Else

                    Value = Convert.ToUInt16(NativeMethods.Inp32_x64(PortAddress))                    ' Read with 64-bits lib.

                End If

            Catch ex As Exception                                                       ' Any exception set the error code.

                dwLastError = System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.GetLastWin32Error

            End Try

        End If

        Return Value                                                                    ' Return the word. (0 if there was an error)

    End Function



    Public Function WriteWord(ByVal PortAddress As Short, ByVal Value As Short) As Boolean

        Dim nResult As Boolean = True

        dwLastError = Nothing

        If IsParPortDriverOpen() = True Then

            Try

                If m_bX64 = False Then

                    NativeMethods.Out32(PortAddress, Value)

                Else

                    NativeMethods.Out32_x64(PortAddress, Value)

                End If

            Catch ex As Exception

                dwLastError = System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.GetLastWin32Error

                nResult = False

            End Try

        End If

        Return nResult

    End Function



    Private Function IsParPortDriverOpen() As Boolean

        Dim nResult As UInt32

        dwLastError = Nothing

        Try

            nResult = NativeMethods.IsInpOutDriverOpen()

        Catch ex As Exception

            nResult = NativeMethods.IsInpOutDriverOpen_x64()

            If (nResult <> 0) Then

                m_bX64 = True

            End If

        End Try

        If nResult = 0 Then

            dwLastError = System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.GetLastWin32Error

        End If

        Return CBool(nResult)

    End Function

End Class

NativeMethods.vb:

Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices



Friend NotInheritable Class NativeMethods

    <DllImport("InpOut32.dll", CharSet:=CharSet.Auto, EntryPoint:="Inp32")> _

    Friend Shared Function Inp32(ByVal PortAddress As Short) As Short

    End Function



    <DllImport("InpOut32.dll", CharSet:=CharSet.Auto, EntryPoint:="Out32")> _

    Friend Shared Sub Out32(ByVal PortAddress As Short, ByVal Data As Short)

    End Sub



    <DllImport("InpOut32.dll", CharSet:=CharSet.Auto, EntryPoint:="IsInpOutDriverOpen")> _

    Friend Shared Function IsInpOutDriverOpen() As UInt32

    End Function



    <DllImport("InpOutx64.dll", CharSet:=CharSet.Auto, EntryPoint:="Inp32")> _

    Friend Shared Function Inp32_x64(ByVal PortAddress As Short) As Short

    End Function



    <DllImport("InpOutx64.dll", CharSet:=CharSet.Auto, EntryPoint:="Out32")> _

    Friend Shared Sub Out32_x64(ByVal PortAddress As Short, ByVal Data As Short)

    End Sub



    <DllImport("InpOutx64.dll", CharSet:=CharSet.Auto, EntryPoint:="IsInpOutDriverOpen")> _

    Friend Shared Function IsInpOutDriverOpen_x64() As UInt32

    End Function



End Class

Also, be aware that most receipt printers come with Windows drivers nowadays, and if a driver is installed you will not be able to hook with the printer via InpOut32.