How to send to printer or COM port from browser

[WannaFly]

This is an internal only application, so I can change security settings/etc.

i'd like to re-write one of my programs to be web based (currently web based), but there are 2 small parts that i'm not sure how i'd do. The program interacts with a receipt printer via COM port and a 2nd printer via USB (without interaction).

How can I perform these two tasks if I chose to do a web based client? I think ActiveX USED to do it, but i'm not even sure where to start with that and not sure if it's a "current" technology any longer.

any suggestions? I can give more info if needed

 

[Markbnj]

There's a javascript call to print a page.

http://www.htmlgoodies.com/bey...pt/article.php/3471121

However, this will print the entire browser window to the default printer, or one the user selects interactively. If you want to interface with a device over a local com port you'll probably need to write an active X control.

 

[Crusty]

Originally posted by: Markbnj
There's a javascript call to print a page.

http://www.htmlgoodies.com/bey...pt/article.php/3471121

However, this will print the entire browser window to the default printer, or one the user selects interactively. If you want to interface with a device over a local com port you'll probably need to write an active X control.

This, years ago I had to write a referral system written in classic ASP and one of the requirements was being able to print automatically for customers visiting the kiosk. You can use separate CSS files for print and browser viewing and with an ActiveX control you can embed the print button on the page making sure to use your print.css file to make it hidden so it won't show up on printing.

 

[WannaFly]

Crusty & Markbnj, thanks for confirming what I thought...I've never done anything ActiveX so i'll have to look into it.

 

[Crusty]

Originally posted by: WannaFly
Crusty & Markbnj, thanks for confirming what I thought...I've never done anything ActiveX so i'll have to look into it.

That's exactly the boat I was in last time, I ended up finding a fairly cheap one to license, since it was only going on a Kiosk machine one license was cheap enough to justify not writing it myself.

You might want to dig around though, there might even be a free open source solution now.