Recommend me a solution for generating print preview and printing

Question

INTRODUCTION AND RELEVANT INFORMATION:

I am maintaining an old application and I need to implement feature that generates reports based on data calculated from a database. User must also have an additional option of printing the file ( user must be able to choose printer, and must be able to see print preview ).

To improve my chances of getting satisfactory answer, allow me to additionally clarify matters with a small "example":

• User presses a button -> application calculates data; // Done

• Application creates file and populates it with the result; // Done

• User gets informed that report is generated; // Done

• User presses another button that is charged for printing; // Stuck here!

• Print preview pops up and an option to run print dialog. // Stuck here

• User starts the print dialog, chooses the printer and application prints the file;

The application is coded in C++ using raw WinAPI ( no MFC ). I am working on Windows XP.

PROBLEM:

I was able to successfully use OLE Automation to generate/save Word and Excel reports but I can not create print preview that matches exactly the print preview Word would create.

If I use OLE Automation to show Excel's print dialog/print preview, there is a following problem that might occur :

User can simply click "Close Print Preview", or can simply close print property sheet ( please see picture below ) and return to the document which might compromise document's data.

My employers do not like this ( they have no software engineering / developing background, so no matter what I say it will end up as an "echo in the wind"... ) and they wish that my print preview matches exactly the print preview Word generates.

Therefore, I need a solution for generating a print preview for the user, in a way that matches exactly print preview Word would create. Furthermore, user should be able only to see how this looks like, but not to be able to open the file from my application. User should be able to choose the printer that will print the file.

An implementation similar to the one from the picture would be fine.

QUESTION:

INTRODUCTORY NOTES:

The question is too broad to be answered in one post so I must limit myself only for seeking advice / general concept / pointing in the right direction.

THE ACTUAL QUESTIONS :

I did the best I could with the OLE Automation and Excel / Word files, but as you can see there are problems with generating a print preview, hence the following questions :

1. Since this is my first time to tackle this kind of task, can you recommend me the proper way to handle it ( general concepts of course )?

2. Is there a chance that there is a workaround for my printing problem ( like sending WM_PRINTCLIENT message to the Word / Excel or something like that )?

REMARKS :

Again, I realize the question is too broad so just give me general concepts / pointers, so I could post separate questions if I get stuck somewhere in the way.

I do not need to use Word / Excel and OLE Automation, it was my choice at the moment.

If you can recommend better solution I will gladly accept. I do not wish to use libraries.

If additional information is required, ask and I will edit my post.

Answer 1

You would need to bring up a dialog box when the user clicks the print button, the dialog box would contain a control that shows the preview for the default printer and three buttons to select another printer, print and exit.

The preview control could be a static control where the WM_PAINT handler would draw the preview (alternatives: a Web Browser control which is fed html text or a RichText control which is fed RTF text, but then you are constrained by the functionality of these controls).

Quote: Print preview isn't that special. It just means that you have to render to screen (or bitmap) what you'd otherwise would render to the printer DC. This primarly means using the page size, and providing a UI control for the prev/next page.

This SO Answer describes in detail the work you need to do to paint the preview.

This CodeProject article has some simple code for print-preview; it's in simple MFC which should not be too difficult to translate to plain C++/WinAPI.