SATO USB printing in C#

Question

I have been trying to print to a SATO GL408e printer. I am trying to send the data via USB interface but have no example code to do that with. I tried to use the example code from here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322091 but it runs with no errors and no printing. Does anyone out there know how to send the data to the SATO printer?

Thanks!

(Here is the code I am using)

private void PrintLabels_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    string PrintCommand = "";

    string EmployeeNo = EmployeeList.SelectedRows[0].Cells[0].Value.ToString();
    string YearNumber = EmployeeList.SelectedRows[0].Cells[7].Value.ToString();
    string FirstTraceCode = (int.Parse(EmployeeList.SelectedRows[0].Cells[5].Value.ToString()) + 1).ToString();
    string SecondTraceCode = (int.Parse(EmployeeList.SelectedRows[0].Cells[5].Value.ToString()) + 2).ToString();
    string LabelQuantity = "15";

    MessageBox.Show(EmployeeNo.Substring(0, 2) + "-" + EmployeeNo.Substring(2, 4) + "-" + YearNumber + "-" + FirstTraceCode);
    PrintCommand = "\x02\x1bA\x1bIG1\x1bZ\x03\x02\x1bA\x1b#E3\x1bZ\x03\x02\x1bA\x1bCS5\x1bZ\x03\x02\x1bA\x1bEX0\x1bZ\x03\x02\x1bA\x1b*&\x1bZ\x03\x02\x1bA\x1bA3H0001V0001\x1bZ\x03\x02\x1bA\x1bV0000\x1bH0259\x1bF001+002\x1bD202099" + EmployeeNo + YearNumber + FirstTraceCode + "\x1bL0203\x1bH0247\x1bV0114\x1bF001+002\x1bU" + EmployeeNo.Substring(0, 2) + "-" + EmployeeNo.Substring(2, 4) + "-" + YearNumber + "-" + FirstTraceCode + "\x1bV0000\x1bH0589\x1bF001+002\x1bD202099" + EmployeeNo + YearNumber + SecondTraceCode + "\x1bL0203\x1bH0577\x1bV0114\x1bF001+002\x1bU" + EmployeeNo.Substring(0, 2) + "-" + EmployeeNo.Substring(2, 4) + "-" + YearNumber + "-" + SecondTraceCode + "\x1bQ" + LabelQuantity + "\x1b 00\x1bZ\x03   ";
    // Allow the user to select a printer.
    PrintDialog pd = new PrintDialog();
    pd.PrinterSettings = new PrinterSettings();
    if (DialogResult.OK == pd.ShowDialog(this))
    {
        // Print the file to the printer.
        RawPrinterHelper.SendStringToPrinter(pd.PrinterSettings.PrinterName, PrintCommand);
    }
}

public class RawPrinterHelper
{
    // Structure and API declarions:
    [StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential, CharSet = CharSet.Ansi)]
    public class DOCINFOA
    {
        [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPStr)]
        public string pDocName;
        [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPStr)]
        public string pOutputFile;
        [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPStr)]
        public string pDataType;
    }

    [DllImport("winspool.Drv", EntryPoint = "OpenPrinterA", SetLastError = true, CharSet = CharSet.Ansi, ExactSpelling = true, CallingConvention = CallingConvention.StdCall)]
    public static extern bool OpenPrinter([MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPStr)] string szPrinter, out IntPtr hPrinter, IntPtr pd);

    [DllImport("winspool.Drv", EntryPoint = "ClosePrinter", SetLastError = true, ExactSpelling = true, CallingConvention = CallingConvention.StdCall)]
    public static extern bool ClosePrinter(IntPtr hPrinter);

    [DllImport("winspool.Drv", EntryPoint = "StartDocPrinterA", SetLastError = true, CharSet = CharSet.Ansi, ExactSpelling = true, CallingConvention = CallingConvention.StdCall)]
    public static extern bool StartDocPrinter(IntPtr hPrinter, Int32 level, [In, MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPStruct)] DOCINFOA di);

    [DllImport("winspool.Drv", EntryPoint = "EndDocPrinter", SetLastError = true, ExactSpelling = true, CallingConvention = CallingConvention.StdCall)]
    public static extern bool EndDocPrinter(IntPtr hPrinter);

    [DllImport("winspool.Drv", EntryPoint = "StartPagePrinter", SetLastError = true, ExactSpelling = true, CallingConvention = CallingConvention.StdCall)]
    public static extern bool StartPagePrinter(IntPtr hPrinter);

    [DllImport("winspool.Drv", EntryPoint = "EndPagePrinter", SetLastError = true, ExactSpelling = true, CallingConvention = CallingConvention.StdCall)]
    public static extern bool EndPagePrinter(IntPtr hPrinter);

    [DllImport("winspool.Drv", EntryPoint = "WritePrinter", SetLastError = true, ExactSpelling = true, CallingConvention = CallingConvention.StdCall)]
    public static extern bool WritePrinter(IntPtr hPrinter, IntPtr pBytes, Int32 dwCount, out Int32 dwWritten);

    // SendBytesToPrinter()
    // When the function is given a printer name and an unmanaged array
    // of bytes, the function sends those bytes to the print queue.
    // Returns true on success, false on failure.
    public static bool SendBytesToPrinter(string szPrinterName, IntPtr pBytes, Int32 dwCount)
    {
        Int32 dwError = 0, dwWritten = 0;
        IntPtr hPrinter = new IntPtr(0);
        DOCINFOA di = new DOCINFOA();
        bool bSuccess = false; // Assume failure unless you specifically succeed.

        di.pDocName = "My C#.NET RAW Document";
        di.pDataType = "RAW";

        try
        {
            // Open the printer.
            if (OpenPrinter(szPrinterName.Normalize(), out hPrinter, IntPtr.Zero))
            {
                // Start a document.
                if (StartDocPrinter(hPrinter, 1, di))
                {
                    // Start a page.
                    if (StartPagePrinter(hPrinter))
                    {
                        // Write your bytes.
                        bSuccess = WritePrinter(hPrinter, pBytes, dwCount, out dwWritten);
                        EndPagePrinter(hPrinter);
                    }
                    EndDocPrinter(hPrinter);
                }
                ClosePrinter(hPrinter);
            }
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            MessageBox.Show(ex.Message);
        }
        // If you did not succeed, GetLastError may give more information
        // about why not.
        if (bSuccess == false)
        {
            dwError = Marshal.GetLastWin32Error();
        }
        return bSuccess;
    }

    public static bool SendFileToPrinter(string szPrinterName, string szFileName)
    {
        // Open the file.
        FileStream fs = new FileStream(szFileName, FileMode.Open);
        // Create a BinaryReader on the file.
        BinaryReader br = new BinaryReader(fs);
        // Dim an array of bytes big enough to hold the file's contents.
        Byte[] bytes = new Byte[fs.Length];
        bool bSuccess = false;
        // Your unmanaged pointer.
        IntPtr pUnmanagedBytes = new IntPtr(0);
        int nLength;

        nLength = Convert.ToInt32(fs.Length);
        // Read the contents of the file into the array.
        bytes = br.ReadBytes(nLength);
        // Allocate some unmanaged memory for those bytes.
        pUnmanagedBytes = Marshal.AllocCoTaskMem(nLength);
        // Copy the managed byte array into the unmanaged array.
        Marshal.Copy(bytes, 0, pUnmanagedBytes, nLength);
        // Send the unmanaged bytes to the printer.
        bSuccess = SendBytesToPrinter(szPrinterName, pUnmanagedBytes, nLength);
        // Free the unmanaged memory that you allocated earlier.
        Marshal.FreeCoTaskMem(pUnmanagedBytes);
        return bSuccess;
    }

    public static bool SendStringToPrinter(string szPrinterName, string szString)
    {
        IntPtr pBytes;
        Int32 dwCount;
        // How many characters are in the string?
        dwCount = szString.Length;
        // Assume that the printer is expecting ANSI text, and then convert
        // the string to ANSI text.
        pBytes = Marshal.StringToCoTaskMemAnsi(szString);
        // Send the converted ANSI string to the printer.
        SendBytesToPrinter(szPrinterName, pBytes, dwCount);
        Marshal.FreeCoTaskMem(pBytes);
        return true;
    }
}

Answer 1

I have solved this issue. The Microsoft code worked great. The issue was with the string I was sending to the printer. The escape codes were not working. Instead I replaced the escape codes with the command names and then did a substitute with characters. Thanks to all who attempted to help!

Here is the code I replaced:

PrintCommand = "<STX><ESC>A<ESC>IG1<ESC>Z<ETX><STX><ESC>A<ESC>#E3<ESC>Z<ETX><STX><ESC>A<ESC>CS5<ESC>Z<ETX><STX><ESC>A<ESC>EX0<ESC>Z<ETX><STX><ESC>A<ESC>*&<ESC>Z<ETX><STX><ESC>A<ESC>A3H0001V0001<ESC>Z<ETX><STX><ESC>A<ESC>V0000<ESC>H0259<ESC>F001+002<ESC>D202099" + EmployeeNo + YearNumber + FirstTraceCode + "<ESC>L0203<ESC>H0247<ESC>V0114<ESC>F001+002<ESC>U" + EmployeeNo.Substring(0, 2) + "-" + EmployeeNo.Substring(2, 4) + "-" + YearNumber + "-" + FirstTraceCode + "<ESC>V0000<ESC>H0589<ESC>F001+002<ESC>D202099" + EmployeeNo + YearNumber + SecondTraceCode + "<ESC>L0203<ESC>H0577<ESC>V0114<ESC>F001+002<ESC>U" + EmployeeNo.Substring(0, 2) + "-" + EmployeeNo.Substring(2, 4) + "-" + YearNumber + "-" + SecondTraceCode + "<ESC>Q" + LabelQuantity + "<ESC>00<ESC>Z<ETX>";
PrintCommand = PrintCommand.Replace("<STX>", ((char)02).ToString());
PrintCommand = PrintCommand.Replace("<ETX>", ((char)03).ToString());
PrintCommand = PrintCommand.Replace("<ESC>", ((char)27).ToString());