We have few printers connected in the network (LAN) setup with no domain controller. The printers are given specific IP addresses. I wish to log all the printer activities to a database (or file-system). Also I want to control the printers, for example, if any user (from a IP address) wishes to print in landscape but one my printers is configured only for printing in portrait, the printer should reject the print. Another example is that if a user has exceeded the print limit (number of pages), the printer should not print the next page.
I have no idea of achieving this. Kindly give your valuable suggestions. Code snippets, ideas are most welcome.
Please check out the Print Spooler API Functions over at MSDN: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd162861(v=VS.85).aspx
How To Call Win32 Spooler Enumeration APIs Properly: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/158828
How to get the status of a printer and a print job: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/160129
Sample Code:
BOOL GetJobs(HANDLE hPrinter, /* Handle to the printer. */
JOB_INFO_2 **ppJobInfo, /* Pointer to be filled. */
int *pcJobs, /* Count of jobs filled. */
DWORD *pStatus) /* Print Queue status. */
{
DWORD cByteNeeded,
nReturned,
cByteUsed;
JOB_INFO_2 *pJobStorage = NULL;
PRINTER_INFO_2 *pPrinterInfo = NULL;
/* Get the buffer size needed. */
if (!GetPrinter(hPrinter, 2, NULL, 0, &cByteNeeded))
{
if (GetLastError() != ERROR_INSUFFICIENT_BUFFER)
return FALSE;
}
pPrinterInfo = (PRINTER_INFO_2 *)malloc(cByteNeeded);
if (!(pPrinterInfo))
/* Failure to allocate memory. */
return FALSE;
/* Get the printer information. */
if (!GetPrinter(hPrinter,
2,
(LPSTR)pPrinterInfo,
cByteNeeded,
&cByteUsed))
{
/* Failure to access the printer. */
free(pPrinterInfo);
pPrinterInfo = NULL;
return FALSE;
}
/* Get job storage space. */
if (!EnumJobs(hPrinter,
0,
pPrinterInfo->cJobs,
2,
NULL,
0,
(LPDWORD)&cByteNeeded,
(LPDWORD)&nReturned))
{
if (GetLastError() != ERROR_INSUFFICIENT_BUFFER)
{
free(pPrinterInfo);
pPrinterInfo = NULL;
return FALSE;
}
}
pJobStorage = (JOB_INFO_2 *)malloc(cByteNeeded);
if (!pJobStorage)
{
/* Failure to allocate Job storage space. */
free(pPrinterInfo);
pPrinterInfo = NULL;
return FALSE;
}
ZeroMemory(pJobStorage, cByteNeeded);
/* Get the list of jobs. */
if (!EnumJobs(hPrinter,
0,
pPrinterInfo->cJobs,
2,
(LPBYTE)pJobStorage,
cByteNeeded,
(LPDWORD)&cByteUsed,
(LPDWORD)&nReturned))
{
free(pPrinterInfo);
free(pJobStorage);
pJobStorage = NULL;
pPrinterInfo = NULL;
return FALSE;
}
/*
* Return the information.
*/
*pcJobs = nReturned;
*pStatus = pPrinterInfo->Status;
*ppJobInfo = pJobStorage;
free(pPrinterInfo);
return TRUE;
}
BOOL IsPrinterError(HANDLE hPrinter)
{
JOB_INFO_2 *pJobs;
int cJobs,
i;
DWORD dwPrinterStatus;
/*
* Get the state information for the Printer Queue and
* the jobs in the Printer Queue.
*/
if (!GetJobs(hPrinter, &pJobs, &cJobs, &dwPrinterStatus))
return FALSE;
/*
* If the Printer reports an error, believe it.
*/
if (dwPrinterStatus &
(PRINTER_STATUS_ERROR |
PRINTER_STATUS_PAPER_JAM |
PRINTER_STATUS_PAPER_OUT |
PRINTER_STATUS_PAPER_PROBLEM |
PRINTER_STATUS_OUTPUT_BIN_FULL |
PRINTER_STATUS_NOT_AVAILABLE |
PRINTER_STATUS_NO_TONER |
PRINTER_STATUS_OUT_OF_MEMORY |
PRINTER_STATUS_OFFLINE |
PRINTER_STATUS_DOOR_OPEN))
{
free( pJobs );
return TRUE;
}
/*
* Find the Job in the Queue that is printing.
*/
for (i=0; i < cJobs; i++)
{
if (pJobs[i].Status & JOB_STATUS_PRINTING)
{
/*
* If the job is in an error state,
* report an error for the printer.
* Code could be inserted here to
* attempt an interpretation of the
* pStatus member as well.
*/
if (pJobs[i].Status &
(JOB_STATUS_ERROR |
JOB_STATUS_OFFLINE |
JOB_STATUS_PAPEROUT |
JOB_STATUS_BLOCKED_DEVQ))
{
free( pJobs );
return TRUE;
}
}
}
/*
* No error condition.
*/
free( pJobs );
return FALSE;
}