Calling the printer in DOS console

I would like to print files in one of my own programs, but i dont have a clue on how to make the printer do that.
int there like a Print("This file", "on this printer"); ?
Is there a way to even do that without coding a bunch of
#define lexmarkz31 00x888ddd
#define lexmarkz33 00x000002
??

thanks in advance!

Thanks. But that looks like normal C functions to me.

I can understand a good bit of C++, but i can't stand C's printf("%this %that %thisnadthat");
it always confuses me.

Are there any C++ style functions for that?

I've had this question too, but never asked it because I don't need it with what I'm doing right now... so there isn't any simple system calls or anything?

nope, no system calls. It's like a stream/port
just stream the info through and when your done, feed the form '\f'

ex:

Code:

---

#include <iostream.h>
#include <fstream.h>
int main()
{
        ofstream printer("LPT1:");
        printer<<"This comes out of the printer"<<endl;
        printer<<"\f";//form feed (end the page)
        return 0;
}
//Don't know where your printer is?
//Press Ctrl+P RIGHT NOW and on the right side usually in a Parenthesis it tells you
//Depending on OS...
// LPT1
// LPT2
// PRNT
// Ne00
// etc.

---

-LC

Check your printer's documentation / website to see if it works with DOS. Or, open a DOS window and type DIR>PRN. (That's a DIRectory command, with the output re-directed to the printer.)

I have on of those "cheap windows GDI printers" and it ONLY works with the Windows API functions via it's windows driver. You can't send it straight ASCII.

I'll bet that all USB printers require that you print through a driver too.

My old printer worked with true-DOS applications running in a DOS-Window, but I was NEVER able to print from a Windows console application. I had to use the Windows API functions... "Get Handle To Device Context" [GetHDC() ???] ... and all that stuff I can't remember off the top of my head...

I have LPT1:

Andd windows programming? fuhggehttuhboutit

Unles i can get a good tutor on it... websites themselves NEVER help me

Code:

---

#include <iostream.h>
#include <fstream.h>
int main()
{
ofstream printer("LPT1:");
printer<<"This comes out of the printer"<<endl;
printer<<"\f";//form feed (end the page)
return 0;
}

---

just din't do anything at all...

I tried PRN, and no, no file was created.

that's really REALLY strange.
btw- nice website
-LC

does nothing at all...

is there a printfile fuction to print a made and saved text file though?

"BTW - Nice website"....
talking about mine?
Thanks.
We had a better one, but it was deleted for some reason....

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Blizzarddog
I have LPT1:

Andd windows programming? fuhggehttuhboutit

Unles i can get a good tutor on it... websites themselves NEVER help me

---

Get books. A 3 or 4 page tutorial can't replace an 800 page book, it's simply not possible.

got any suggestions?
EASY books to learn from?

Correct...
but its not even making a file...

There are no really easy books, beacuse, as you know, Windows programming is not easy!

The difficulty of Windows programming relates to the "overhead" of creating a resizable window that responds to mouse clicks, etc. For example, "Hello World" in Windows is something like 50-75 lines of code. The other thing that makes it difficult is the number of Windows API functions... maybe over a thousand... maybe a few thousand (?)

When you feel ready, Charles Petzold's "Programming Windows" is generally considered the best book on the subject.

Herhert Schildt's "Programming Windows 2000 From The Ground Up" is very similar to Petzold's.

These books don't require that you know anything about Windows programming to get started, and, they don't use any advanced C++ features, or complicated algorithms. I beleive they only use C. (I'm not absolutely sure because I have the older versions of these books.) They focus on using the Windows API functions.

Yes, i've heard Petzolds book was the best.
Im a strictly C++ person myself. Never could grasp the fancy symbols of C....
What i meant of easy is something for people that look all over the web and never find out what LPRESULT is, and in the book they learn it in 4 lines, instead of 800. For further reference, it took me nearly 2 years to learn classes.... how long until i learn windows?

will there be a C++++++ by that time?
With makewindow(thisx, thisy); and loadpicture(thisfile, atthisx, atthisy, withthiscolortransparent);?