Need Help Sending a Variable to Printer

[vozzek]

Hi all,

 

I've got a php script that builds a nice (html formatted) $message variable and sends it to the customer via email.  This is basically an invoice.

 

What I'd like is to send that exact invoice to my local printer.  Nothing fancy, I just want to shoot that variable to my printer.  I've tried the following:

 

$handle = printer_open();
printer_set_option($handle, printer_MODE, "raw"); 
printer_write($handle, $message);
printer_close($handle);

 

It doesn't print, instead I get: Fatal error: Call to undefined function printer_open()

 

I thought maybe I needed to name the printer, so I replaced the first line with:

 

$handle = printer_open("HP LaserJet 3050 Series PCL 6");

 

Still no dice.

 

I was reading somewhere that I might need to install a .dll file or change my php.ini?  I'm not sure how to do this.  Is there a simple way to do what I'm looking for?  Thanks in advance.

 

 

 

[discomatt]

http://php.net/manual/en/printer.installation.php

[vozzek]

Okay, thanks.  How do I access my php.ini file, and is it possible to do this if my site is being hosted by HostGator?

 

[kenrbnsn]

The printer functions only work on Windows servers. They do not print to your local printer, but to printers attached to the server.

 

Ken

[DarkWater]

Or just:

 

`lpr '$filename'`

[DyslexicDog]

You could just email a copy to yourself and print if necessary.

[vozzek]

You could just email a copy to yourself and print if necessary.

 

A good idea, and this is what I'm doing now.

 

I just kinda thought this would be a lot simpler than it is.

 

[DarkWater]

Are you on Windows or Linux?

[vozzek]

I'm working on Windows XP.

 

[DarkWater]

I'm working on Windows XP.

 

 

Never mind then.

 

<subliminal>P.S: Switch to Linux</subliminal>

[discomatt]

You can use javascript to bring up the print dialog. Simply output the 'pretty email' content to the browser, and call the javascript function.

[vozzek]

Can't talk right now...  gotta go get Linux...