BULLZIP PDF PRINTER as COM Object
Bullzip PDF Printer is one of the most complete and advanced tools to convert any printable document into PDF or into various image file formats. This tool is compatible with all Windows versions available, and you can use it for free for personal and non-commercial purposes. Bullzip is COM object( works with createObject or NewObject objects reside in registry and installed by bullzip application). it works with a runOnce, an INI file configurating all parameters programmatly or manually by visual interface (gui.exe shipped with). Configuration files are basically text files similar to INI files in structure. They can be modified using the Options dialog or the Printer API. You can also open and edit the files using Notepad or any other suitable editor. The files can be saved using Unicode, UTF-8, or just plain ANSI encoding. When a print job is sent to the program it will look for a runonce file. The runonce setting file is used to control the PDF creation from another program. A runonce settings file is only valid for one print job and will be removed automatically when it is read. All other settings files are ignored if a runonce file exists. the free part of Bullzip is shipped under conditions (10 users max for personal use only). for vfp files as prg,mpr,h,dbf must convert these files to a txt temp file accepted and convert to pdf. see below how to find the locations of all configuration,status and log files set or retrieved by Bullzip app. Bullzip supports as well unicode and ANSII.unicode can be (unicoe,UTF-8) must prefix the file content with a signature that identifies the encoding. Only ANSI files do not require any encoding. However, ANSI files cannot contain any international characters. When you use the printer API the encoding will be done by the API itself. Unicode files are prefixed with two bytes 0xFF and 0xFE. This signature is for Little Endian Unicode. The other type of Unicode is named Big Endian Unicode and is prefixed with 0xFE followed by 0xFF. Little endian is preferred over big endian. UTF-8 encoded files must be prefixed with the byte sequence 0xEF, 0xBB, 0xBF. the settings.ini must have this parameter if unicode. -Bullzip accepts also command line (read the documentation for this purpose).
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*1*
*download the free Bullzip PDF printer at :http://www.bullzip.com/products/pdf/info.php#download
*Install exe: Setup_BullzipPDFPrinter_10_24_0_2543_FREE (10.7Moctets).install only bulzip needed (there is also ghostScript shipped with installation) .
*warning: the print dialog fired is localized (french:"iprimer",english "print"..must set in code before run.
Clea All
Close Data All
Set Safe Off
Local m.yrep
m.yrep=Addbs(Justpath(Sys(16,1)))
Set Defa To (yrep)
Local lcPath,lcCurDir,lcDest,upr As String
Declare Integer SetDefaultPrinter In winspool.drv String pszPrinter
Local m.upr
m.upr='Bullzip PDF Printer'
SetDefaultPrinter(m.upr)
Local m.cfilename,m.filter
m.filter="frx|prg|mpr|h|dbf|html|htm|jpg|bmp|png|gif|txt|pdf|doc|docx|rtf|xls|*" &&...should be any printable file
m.cfilename = Getfile(m.filter) && HOME(2)+'solution\reports\colors.frx' && Adding report &&try
If Empty(m.cfilename)
Return .F.
Endi
If Inlist(Lower(Justext(m.cfilename)),"prg","mpr","h") &&files dont accepted--coberted to txt files
Strtofile(Filetostr(m.cfilename),Addbs(Sys(2023))+"ytemp.txt")
m.cfilename=Addbs(Sys(2023))+"temp.txt"
Endi
if Lower(Justext(m.cfilename))=="dbf"
local m.oo
m.oo=addbs(sys(2023))+"ytemp.txt"
sele * from (m.cfilename) into cursor ycurs
sele ycurs
copy to (m.oo) sdf
use in select("ycurs")
run/n notepad &oo
endi
Local m.xtype,m.xfilter
m.xfilter="PDF,EPS,PS,DOC,TXT,PCX,JPG,BMP,PNG,TIFF"
m.xtype=Inputbox("Output to "+m.xfilter,"","PDF")
If Empty(m.xtype) Or ! Inlist(Lower(m.xtype),"pdf","eps","ps","doc","docx","txt","pcx","jpg","bmp","png","tiff")
m.xtype="PDF"
Endi
m.lcDest=m.yrep+Juststem(m.cfilename)+"."+m.xtype
Set Defa To (yrep)
m.lcPath=Putfile("File Name",m.lcDest,m.xtype)
m.lcDest=Addbs(Justpath(m.lcPath))+Justfname(lcPath)
Local m.oo
oo=.T.
Try
lcObj = Createobject("BullZIP.PDFPrinterSettings")
*should be also: CreateObject("bioPDF.PDFPrinterSettings")
Catch
Messagebox("Bullzip printer not installed",16+4096,"Bullzip install Error")
oo=.F.
Endtry
If m.oo=.F.
Return .F.
Endi
Local m.multi
m.multi=.F.
If Lower(Justext(m.lcDest))=="tiff"
m.multi=.T. &&set one tiff multipage (otherwise separate pages)-can set this in settings dialog appearing
Endi
*this is exhaustive printer settings can config with COM automation
*see the ini file created automatically to get all object properties and what you have set.
With lcObj
Do Case
Case Inlist(Lower(Justext(m.lcDest)),"jpg","png","bmp","pcx","tiff")
.SetValue("resx",150)
.SetValue("resy",150)
.SetValue("textalphabits",4)
.SetValue("graphicsalphabits",4)
.SetValue("ShowSettings" ,"YES") &&"NEVER") &&otherwise 1 page is pinted only.
If m.multi=.F.
.SetValue("output",Addbs(Justpath(m.lcDest))+Juststem(m.lcDest)+"<pageno>"+"."+m.xtype)
Else
.SetValue("output",m.lcDest)
Endi
Otherwise
If Lower(Justext(m.lcDest))=="txt"
.SetValue("ShowSettings" ,"YES")
.SetValue("output",Addbs(Justpath(m.lcDest))+Juststem(m.lcDest)+"<pageno>"+"."+m.xtype)
Else
.SetValue("ShowSettings" ,"NEVER")
.SetValue("output",m.lcDest)
Endi
Endcase
.SetValue("WatermarkText" ,"Visual Foxpro Rock")
.SetValue("WatermarkColor","") &&"#FF8000") &&"COCOCO") or "#FF9900") ...
.SetValue("WatermarkTransparency",70) &&0 to 100 (normal values:70-90)
.SetValue("WatermarkRotation","c2c") &&0-360 degrees
.SetValue("WatermarkSize",6) &&1-100 normal=6
.SetValue("watermarkoutlinewidth",2)
* Place a stamp in the lower right corner
* .SetValue( "WatermarkText", "Yousfi.over-blog.com")
* .SetValue( "WatermarkVerticalPosition", "bottom")
* .SetValue( "WatermarkHorizontalPosition", "right")
* .SetValue( "WatermarkVerticalAdjustment", "3")
* .SetValue( "WatermarkHorizontalAdjustment", "1")
* .SetValue( "WatermarkRotation", "90")
* .SetValue ("WatermarkColor", "#ff0000")
* .SetValue ("WatermarkOutlineWidth", "1")
.SetValue("ShowPDF" ,"yes")
.SetValue("AutoRotatePages" ,"none")
.SetValue("Orientation", "portrait") &&landscape
.SetValue("ShowProgress", "yes")
.SetValue("ShowProgressFinished", "yes")
.SetValue("zoom","default") &&"50%" && "fitall"
.SetValue ("ConfirmOverwrite", "no")
.SetValue ("ShowSaveAS", "never" )
.SetValue("StatusFileEncoding", "unicode") &&ASCII
.Setvalue("icc","yes") && color print ?
.SetValue ("RememberLastFileName", "no")
.SetValue ("RememberLastFolderName", "no")
.SetValue("usedefaultauthor","no")
.SetValue("title","") &&no title
.SetValue("usedefaulttitle","yes")
.SetValue("UseThumbs","yes") &&"no"
.WriteSettings(.T.) &&Write the settings to the runonce.ini file
Endwith
If Lower(Justext(m.cfilename))=="frx"
Use (m.cfilename) Alias ycurs
Sele ycurs
Locate For objtype=1 And objcode=53
If Found()
Repl Expr With Strtran(Expr,"COLOR=1","") &&to avoid black & white in some cases
Repl Tag With "",tag2 With ""
*brow
Endi
Use In Select("ycurs")
*set reportbehavior 90
Repo Form (m.cfilename) Noconsole To Print
Set Printer To
lcObj=Null
Release lcObj
Clea Dlls
Return
Endi
_Screen.WindowState=0
Local m.upr
m.upr="Bullzip PDF Printer"
Local m.myvar
TEXT to m.myvar textmerge noshow
rundll32.exe PRINTUI.DLL,PrintUIEntry /y /n "<<m.upr>>"
rundll32.exe %windir%\system32\mshtml.dll,PrintHTML "<<m.cfilename>>"
ENDTEXT
Strtofile(m.myvar,"ybat.bat")
Local oshell
oshell=Newobject("wscript.shell")
oshell.Run("ybat.bat",0,.F.) &&dont wait and cmd.exe invisible
Inke(3)
*this function find the print wndow (localized) and send a return to it to pass.
=yhierarchy ( "imprimer") &&localized in english:print
Dele File ybat.bat"
Try
Erase Addbs(Sys(2023)+"ytemp.txt" &&clean
Catch
Endtry
lcObj=Null
Release lcObj
Clear Dlls
********
Return
Function yhierarchy()
Lparameters tcTitle
* tcTitle="Imprimer"
#Define WM_CLOSE 0x0010
Do Decl
Local hParent, hWindow, cTitle, cRect
hParent = GetDesktopWindow()
hWindow = 0
Create Cursor cs (winhandle I,;
x0 I, y0 I, x1 I, y1 I, wintitle C(200))
Do While .T.
Store Replicate(Chr(0),255) To cClass, cTitle
hWindow = FindWindowEx(hParent, hWindow,;
Null, Null)
If hWindow = 0
* 123=ERROR_INVALID_NAME
* 127=ERROR_PROC_NOT_FOUND
*? "Exit on error:", GetLastError()
Exit
Else
cTitle = GetWinText(hWindow)
cRect = GetWinRect(hWindow)
Insert Into cs Values (hWindow,;
buf2dword(Substr(cRect, 1,4)),;
buf2dword(Substr(cRect, 5,4)),;
buf2dword(Substr(cRect, 9,4)),;
buf2dword(Substr(cRect, 13,4)),;
cTitle)
Endif
Enddo
Select cs
Locate
#Define WM_ACTIVATE 0x0006
Scan
If Lower(tcTitle) $ Lower(wintitle)
SendMessage(winhandle,WM_ACTIVATE,0,0)
Local xoshell
xoshell=Newobject("wscript.shell")
xoshell.sendkeys("{ENTER}")
xoshell=Null
Endi
Endscan
* end
Function GetWinText(hWindow)
Local cBuffer
cBuffer = Replicate(Chr(0), 255)
= GetWindowText(hWindow, @cBuffer, Len(cBuffer))
Return Strtran(cBuffer, Chr(0), "")
Function GetWinRect(hWindow)
Local cBuffer
cBuffer = Replicate(Chr(0), 16)
= GetWindowRect(hWindow, @cBuffer)
Return cBuffer
Procedure Decl
Declare Integer GetLastError In kernel32
Declare Integer GetDesktopWindow In user32
Declare Integer FindWindowEx In user32;
INTEGER hwndParent, Integer hwndChildAfter,;
STRING @lpszClass, String @lpszWindow
Declare Integer GetWindowText In user32;
INTEGER HWnd, String @lpString, Integer nMaxCount
Declare Integer GetWindowRect In user32;
INTEGER HWnd, String lpRect
Declare Integer SendMessage In Win32API;
INTEGER HWnd,;
INTEGER uMsg,;
INTEGER wParam,;
INTEGER Lparam
Function buf2dword(lcBuffer)
Return Asc(Substr(lcBuffer, 1,1)) + ;
BitLShift(Asc(Substr(lcBuffer, 2,1)), 8) +;
BitLShift(Asc(Substr(lcBuffer, 3,1)), 16) +;
BitLShift(Asc(Substr(lcBuffer, 4,1)), 24)
Endfunc
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-bullzip generates an INI file (called runOnce) and its configuration is executed before printing.
of course there is default configuration lines but can make programmatly each parameter of the ini file.See the code above with [.setvalue(any parameter,valid value])...
when you set configuration programmatly( as the code above) you can see your seetings in this ini file:
C:\Users\yousfi\AppData\Roaming\PDF Writer\Bullzip PDF Printer\settings.ini (in my windows 10)
when run Bullzip , it retrieves a status.ini and job.ini located in temp folder.
-for more knowledge, can read Bullzip documentation as follow:
PDF Printer - User Guide : http://www.bullzip.com/products/pdf2/doc/info.php
configuration: http://wiki.bullzip.com/pdf-printer/documentation/reference/configuration-files
http://www.biopdf.com/guide/configuration_files.php
Settings: http://www.biopdf.com/guide/settings.php
macro tags:http://www.biopdf.com/guide/macro_tags.php#docname
Note : all the ini file can be set manually with the GUI.exe shipped with the Bullzip download.
Run C:\Program Files\Bullzip\PDF Printer\gui.exe and you can set manually all settings.ini parameters.
from vfp type in command window+return:
run/n "C:\Program Files\Bullzip\PDF Printer\gui.exe"
to locate configurations files and result files returned run this in command window:
run/n "C:\Program Files\Bullzip\PDF Printer\gui.exe" info printer="Bullzip PDF Printer"
these files are simple txt ones (notepad).open ans see what it returns.
*notes
*http://www.biopdf.com/guide/settings.php
*<pageno> macro Page number for use in image creation. When creating images there will typically be one
*output file for each page in the original document. By using additional information in the <pageno>
*macro, you can control the padding width and character. <pageno,3> will pad the page number to a
*width of 3 characters (001, 002, etc.). <pageno,3,-> will use a dash as padding character and
*produce a different result (--1, --2, etc.). more...
*note: can configure other macros
*Format
*version 6.0.0.865 Use this setting to make the resulting PDF document PDF/A-1B compliant. The default
* value is blank. If you change the value to pdfa1b it will try to make the document PDF/A-1b compliant.
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[ PDF Printer ]
output=<desktop>\<smarttitle>.pdf
confirmoverwrite=yes
confirmnewfolder=yes
appendifexists=no
rememberlastfilename=no
rememberlastfoldername=yes
openfolder=no
showpdf=ask
showsaveas=nofile
showsettings=never
suppresserrors=yes
device=pdfwrite
resx=150
resy=150
textalphabits=4
graphicsalphabits=4
author=
title=
subject=
keywords=
usedefaultauthor=no
usedefaulttitle=no
target=default
compatibilitylevel=1.5
zoom=default
format=
imagecompression=yes
linearize=no
usethumbs=no
watermarktext=
watermarkfontsize=45
watermarkrotation=c2c
watermarkcolor=#D9D9D9
watermarkfontname=arial.ttf
watermarkoutlinewidth=2
watermarklayer=top
watermarkverticalposition=center
watermarkhorizontalposition=center
watermarkverticaladjustment=
watermarkhorizontaladjustment=
mergefile=
mergeposition=bottom
superimpose=
superimposeresolution=
superimposelayer=bottom
ownerpassword=
userpassword=
keylength=128
permissions=
uploadprotocol1=
uploadserveraddress1=
uploadserverport1=
uploadusername1=
uploadpassword1=
uploadremotefile1=
uploadlservervalidationtype1=none
uploadknownhosts1=
uploadauthenticationtype1=password
uploadprivatekeyfile1=
uploadprivatekeypassword1=
deleteoutput=no
signstorelocation=none
signcertificate=
signthumbprint=
signstorename=my
signpassword=
signreason=
showsignature=no
runonsuccess=
runonsuccessdir=
runonsuccessmode=normal
runonerror=
runonerrordir=
runonerrormode=normal
afterprintprogram=
afterprintprogramdir=
afterprintprogrammode=normal
colormodel=
embedallfonts=yes
subsetfonts=yes
autorotatepages=
orientation=
showprogress=yes
showprogressfinished=yes
images are printed as one page by default.check for multi pages file conversion as images or set macro param <pageno>.
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*2*
* Create the objects to control the printer settings.
*set default printer to Bullzip
Local lcobj
lcobj = Createobject("BullZIP.PDFPrinterSettings")
with lcObj
text to m.myvar textmerge noshow
-printer name :<<.GetPrinterName()>>
-Filename: <<.GetsettingsFilename>>
-Version: <<.GetVersion()>>
endtext
endwith
messagebox(m.myvar)
lcObj=null
* Get default printer name
oPrinterSettings = CreateObject("bullzip.PdfSettings")
oPrinterUtil = CreateObject("bullzip.PdfUtil")
sPrinterName = oPrinterUtil.DefaultPrintername
oPrinterSettings.Printername = sPrinterName
Declare Integer SetDefaultPrinter In winspool.drv String pszPrinter
SetDefaultPrinter(m.sPrinterName )
oPrinterSettings=null
oPrinterUtil =null
messagebox("default printer set="+sprinterName)
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*3*
*the Bullzip com object cannot be seen in vfp/options\controls as activex /com object.its interface are set on registry.
*that why cannot embed the com object on vfp object browser to see its PEM and interfaces (to confirm).
*can use the Amembers function to retrieve its PEM as follow:
*this object have not visible properties (all are set in settingd.INI file) but have some methods.
Local lcobj
lcobj = Createobject("BullZIP.PDFPrinterSettings")
N= Amembers(gaPropArray, lcobj,3 )
Create Cursor ycurs ( col1 c(50),col2 c(8),col3 c(80),col4 M)
For i=1 To N
Insert Into ycurs Values (gaPropArray(i,1),gaPropArray(i,2),gaPropArray(i,3),gaPropArray(i,4))
Endfor
lcobj=Null
Browse Name ybrow Title Trans(Reccount())+" Bullzip )" Nowait &&window as oop object
With ybrow
.DeleteMark=.F.
.GridLines=0
.FontBold=.T.
.Themes=.F.
.RecordMark=.F.
.SetAll("forecolor",255,"header")
.SetAll("backcolor",Rgb(0,255,0),"header")
.Columns(4).Width=100
.Columns(1).DynamicBackColor="RGB(128,128,128)"
.Columns(2).DynamicBackColor="RGB(100,140,240)"
.Columns(3).DynamicBackColor="RGB(201,239,180)"
.Columns(4).DynamicBackColor="RGB(120,140,40)"
.HeaderHeight=24
For i=1 To .ColumnCount
.Columns(i).header1.FontSize=14
Endfor
Endwith
locate
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if Bullzip seems to be a perfect com tool to generate PDFs and make some utility conversions there is some dark points not solved as:
1-the settings dialog must appear to render multi pages for conversion to images or even txt files.
the format is not set on this dialog and must be clicked manually to access to the follow.
i suppose if i am not wrong that its made for commercial purpose to limit the free version.
if this dialog is avoided the image are not readable at all.
2-its free tool with conditions (personal use)-must purchase commercial product for large use.
3-conversion from doc,docx ,xls to pdf fails with com object.Tiff (see the code) can be separate files (one image per page) or multi TIFF (1 navigable file,1 page).
4-time to time i encountered bullzip fails problems(blank pages).
-the code above is a first try and yet to perform with some additive tests.
Note:
to correct some problems relative to runonce ini file, must reset in the gui.exe (shipped with bullzip installation) to the default(can be done programmatly also).
to make Bullzip print to pdf any printable file, open this file and issue print in file menu (or CTRL+P).the printer dialog appears with selected default printer (choose Bullzip if not selected) .
a new dialog appears for saving the destination pdf file to select and its all.the pdf is printed as well
Important:All Codes above are tested on VFP9SP2 & windows 10 pro and Bullzip PDF Printer 10.24.2543.
Please come back with any bug.correcting code is usefull to all readers.