advice for creating document on server

[Franck]

Hello,
I need to implement the following features:
I need to create a document on whatever format word, pdf …
A simple one; few field taken from a DB.
This document should be printed on a client specified printer (on intranet)
and may not be stored.
I thought about going on to crystal report but it seems sort of
complicated as I start from scratch

I also thought about generate de file on a server directory,
Command the printing choosing in a list of client’s printer as I’m on
the same intranet network.
But is it possible to get the list of the available printer on client side?

Thank you for your advice

 

[Kevin Spencer]

Hi Franck,

I need to create a document on whatever format word, pdf …
A simple one; few field taken from a DB.

A simple document is a text document. For anything else, you either need a
..Net class or COM object to create the document, or you need to know the
document file format and create it from scratch.

This document should be printed on a client specified printer (on
intranet)
and may not be stored.

To do this without a client app would not be possible. Browsers download
documents. An ActiveX control, embedded Windows form control, Java applet,
or SWF, hosted in the client browser could do this.

I thought about going on to crystal report but it seems sort of
complicated as I start from scratch

According to your requirements, it's going to be complicated regardless.

I also thought about generate de file on a server directory,
Command the printing choosing in a list of client’s printer as I’m on the
same intranet network.

If your server machine has access to the printer, you could certainly print
the document directly to the printer. You would not need to save the
document to disk. This would be an additional unnecessary step. Documents
are not sent to printers; streams are.

But is it possible to get the list of the available printer on client
side?

You would have to ask your Network Administrator that question.

--
HTH,

Kevin Spencer
Microsoft MVP
..Net Developer
Ambiguity has a certain quality to it.