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Printers In MLS

Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2014 5:43 pm
by ewillie
A slight quirk that I've noticed with MLS, is that it never references the default printer of the computer. It will always refer to the most recent printer that was used in MLS.

Normally, this isn't a problem, but every once in a while, I'll print some forms to pdf instead of the normal printer. I then have to print some page back on the normal printer, so that MLS will "remember" to default to the normal printer instead of the PDF. (Leaving it on the PDF confuses some of the other users on our machine.....)

Any tips on getting MLS to just reference the individual machine's default printer, and not just the last one used?


Thanks

Re: Printers In MLS

Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2014 7:18 pm
by jdlessley
ewillie wrote:Any tips on getting MLS to just reference the individual machine's default printer, and not just the last one used?
Unfortunately no one has found a solution other than to be vigilant to the popup print dialogue box. This has been an issue discussed in other forum threads. It is particularly irksome when attempting to print checks.

Re: Printers In MLS

Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2014 10:04 pm
by aebrown
You could remove the PrinterName property from print.properties before you start up MLS by running a batch file such as this:

Code: Select all

find/v "PrinterName" < print.properties > temp
del print.properties
rename temp print.properties
You could follow that with the command to run MLS, and then use that batch file to start MLS instead of the normal shortcut.

Re: Printers In MLS

Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2014 10:17 pm
by jdlessley
aebrown wrote:You could follow that with the command to run MLS, and then use that batch file to start MLS instead of the normal shortcut.
That would work for each time MLS is started. But it does not solve the problem when another printer is used during an MLS session and then the default Windows printer is needed on the next print job during that same MLS session.

Re: Printers In MLS

Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 7:38 am
by aebrown
jdlessley wrote:
aebrown wrote:You could follow that with the command to run MLS, and then use that batch file to start MLS instead of the normal shortcut.
That would work for each time MLS is started. But it does not solve the problem when another printer is used during an MLS session and then the default Windows printer is needed on the next print job during that same MLS session.
That's true, but then again, that's the way most applications work. If I print from Microsoft Office applications, for example, and choose a different printer, that printer selection is retained as long as I keep that application open, or until I select a different printer.

The question was about non-standard behavior of MLS regarding printer selection. I didn't think it was necessary to address standard behavior.

Re: Printers In MLS

Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 12:49 pm
by jdlessley
aebrown wrote:If I print from Microsoft Office applications, for example, and choose a different printer, that printer selection is retained as long as I keep that application open, or until I select a different printer.
For application suites like MS Office and LibreOffice the printer selected remains the same for the open file (document, workbook, etc.) . But then again when two word documents are opened then two instances of the application are running. There is an appearance that there is one session of the application or one user interface for both open files. I think that type of behavior is what most users want to see in MLS - that is to have each output format (menu function that opens a tab) to have the printer settings for that output format default to the system default printer.

Office suite programs, other than database programs, for the most part have only one output format at a time. The problem is that MLS has many output formats as well as the functionality to have not only the database but multiple free standing PDF files open at once from the single user interface. This single interface then applies one printer setting to all the formats and files. Having each ouput format with a printer setting that defaulted to the system default printer when the output format is opened would solve most of the problem.

Other database applications like MS Access solve the multiple output issue with print settings for each output object. When the print function for the object is run then the print settings for the object are used and the system default printer or aother printer used. This is the functionality I think would work for MLS.

The programming priority is to get MLS moved to the online environment. With the programming resources and priority there I don't think any changes for MLS print functionality will be made.

Re: Printers In MLS

Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 3:03 pm
by aebrown
jdlessley wrote:I think that type of behavior is what most users want to see in MLS - that is to have each output format (menu function that opens a tab) to have the printer settings for that output format default to the system default printer.
That's certainly not the behavior I want. If I'm printing to PDF, it's very common that I am printing multiple reports to PDF. It would be tedious for me to have to select the printer again for every report.

But regardless of our difference of opinion on this point, it's really immaterial. As you pointed out, it's unlikely that this kind of programming detail will be changed in MLS.