JavaScript features a method that enables you to print the content of the browser window. The window.print() method in Navigator 4.0x+ and Internet Explorer 5.0x+ activates the Print dialog box, prompting the user to change print settings. We'll use object detection to determine if the user's browser supports this method:
if (window.print) window.print();
You could apply this statement to a link that enables the user to print your Web page:
<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript">
<!--
function printPage() {
if (window.print)
window.print()
else
alert("Sorry, your browser doesn't support this feature.");
}
// -->
</SCRIPT>
<A HREF="javascript:printPage()">Print</A>
Click the following link to see this script in action: Print. Note that the print() method prints the content of the specified window object. In a frame-based document, you can invoke the method on any of the frames in the document. For example, use the following statement in the document's first frame to print the content of the second frame:
if (window.print) parent.frames[1].print();
Even though the print() method isn't supported by Internet Explorer 4.0x, it is possible to perform the same action with a simple workaround. We'll use the ExecWB() method in VBScript, which executes a command on an OLE object and returns the status of the command execution using the IOLECommandTarget interface. This method is far beyond the scope of this tip. We'll show you a final solution for a cross-browser (IE4, NS4) printing function:
<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript">
<!--
var da = (document.all) ? 1 : 0;
var pr = (window.print) ? 1 : 0;
var mac = (navigator.userAgent.indexOf("Mac") != -1);
function printPage() {
if (pr) // NS4, IE5
window.print()
else if (da && !mac) // IE4 (Windows)
vbPrintPage()
else // other browsers
alert("Sorry, your browser doesn't support this feature.");
return false;
}
if (da && !pr && !mac) with (document) {
writeln('<OBJECT ID="WB" WIDTH="0" HEIGHT="0" CLASSID="clsid:8856F961-340A-11D0-A96B-00C04FD705A2"></OBJECT>');
writeln('<' + 'SCRIPT LANGUAGE="VBScript">');
writeln('Sub window_onunload');
writeln(' On Error Resume Next');
writeln(' Set WB = nothing');
writeln('End Sub');
writeln('Sub vbPrintPage');
writeln(' OLECMDID_PRINT = 6');
writeln(' OLECMDEXECOPT_DONTPROMPTUSER = 2');
writeln(' OLECMDEXECOPT_PROMPTUSER = 1');
writeln(' On Error Resume Next');
writeln(' WB.ExecWB OLECMDID_PRINT, OLECMDEXECOPT_DONTPROMPTUSER');
writeln('End Sub');
writeln('<' + '/SCRIPT>');
}
// -->
</SCRIPT>
<A HREF="#" onClick="return printPage()">Print</A>
Click the following link to see this script in action: Print.
This script isn't supported by the Macintosh version of Internet Explorer 4.0x, because it doesn't support VBScript. Note that you can also use a standard form button to implement this script:
<FORM>
<INPUT TYPE="button" VALUE="Print" onClick="printPage()">
</FORM>
For more information about other menu commands, check out Microsoft Internet Developer (MIND).
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