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Screen To Text File

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15 replies

by gary.wong

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We are using a proprietary software which will only allow us to print directly to any select printer. The normal Windows printer options doesn't appear to allow me to select "Print To File".

The OS we are using is Win 2000. The proprietary software generate a spreadsheet like screen with data on it. It will print directly to a printer.

Does anyone have a way for me to generate a text file of this screen. On the printout, the menu also appears which gives the impression its like the "print to screen", but the spreadsheet can span more than one screen worth of image.

If I can get a file, I could write a program to parse the file and get the require information I am looking for.

Any suggestions??????

Thanks You.

Gary

15 replies

by isys

What prevents you from changing the printer port from LPT1 (or whatever) to File in the printer's properties?

by rmacys

I would say just to create a printer the machine. That would allow you to have the little check box that shows up in the printer settings that allows you to print to file. Hope this helps.

by joseph moore

This might not be the approach you are looking for, but you do a screen capture.
When the report window is up and is the active window, press CTRL+PRINT SCREEN.
That saves the active window in the Clipboard.
You could then Paste the image in a Word doc, or just open up Paintbrush and Paste there.
Then just print the image.

hope this helps

by gigelul

About "Print to file". You said that you can print to any selected printer.
You can add/install in yours windows printers a GENERIC printer with FILE port (not lpt) selected in instalation wizard.
Then you can print from your app to this printer and you will obtain a file on your HDD.
But the format of this file is unreadable. The file is formated for print. Maybe you can have a ideea about how you can use this file.

by kees.valkenswaard

Answer #4 is perhaps too pessimistic. Really add the simplest generic printer. Print. You will be asked for a filename. It will probably be saved in your default location with the extension .prn
Depending on the content just open it in Word or Excel.
Realise that blanks [spaces] will have been added. You may have to replace these by multiple replacements of two blanks by one. [in Word]
If it is more table like, open in Excel. You should have converters for text installed. Excel will probablyask how to convert, fix width or separated text. If it would load immediately and everything is in column A, use Data, Text to Columns.
There may be funny squares in some cells. These are print control characters.
There is a function, see under text, to remove control characters. Copy and paste special..., values would do the trick to get something nice.
Good luck
If you want to mail me a sample .prn file, put also Q&A in the subject field, else the message will be deleted.

by kees.valkenswaard

NOTE: As margins would be added you may have to scroll down in the Excel conversion dialogue box to see the first line of data.

by kees.valkenswaard

Just to be clear. You do not connect the generic text printer to a port, but to FILE. Once you start printing it will ask for the name of the file which gets the extension .prn [you will have to specify a name]
Depending on which program you use toprint it is possible to specify the directory also. Else it will use a default directory, probably My Documents. As there could be several My Documents on one PC and you do not see the file, perform a file search. As explained above the file can be opened in Word or [likely better in this case] Excel. Do not forget to choose all files for file type when trying to open it.

by fenaikh

Hi
As you said printscreen will give you only one screen.There are third party software such as these which give you more flexiblity.

HyperSnap-DX
http://www.hyperionics.com/hsdx/

A temporary one week license will be sent to you by email only.
http://www.hyperionics.com/hsdx/license.asp

Snagit version 6.1
http://www.techsmith.com/products/snagit/default.asp

Snagit freetrial
http://www.techsmith.com/freetrials.asp#snagit

Good luck

Mohamed

***Very Important NOTE *********
After you copy the URL a space or a %20 maybe gets inserted in the URL when you paste it into your browser. Delete any spaces or such characters from the URL for the page to be loaded.

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