New commands to save and restore print settings

This feature allows users to save and restore print settings (even those that cannot be set using 4D Get print option and SET PRINT OPTION commands) quickly and efficiently, whether on Windows or Mac OS in both 32 and 64 bits environments.

Office printers supports a large set of features, duplex, staple, punch, watermark, ink saving, color calibration, just a name some. The new commands BLOB to print settings and Print settings to BLOB supports to save and restore the whole set of information available via printer dialogs, allowing fully automatic (and faceless) print jobs.

The new feature allows improved automatic print job supports in business applications. As 4D developer, allow the user to save all settings of the printer dialog, including all custom settings of the used printer, for specific jobs such as invoices, quotes, labels, reports and so on. Later, just reuse this settings, without showing the dialog.

While staying compatible with the previous 4D Pack plugin AP BLOB to print settings and AP Print settings to BLOB commands and allowing to reuses previously saved blobs, the new commands overcome the limited set of supported printer features of the old 4D Pack commands.

The new BLOB to print settings command will also allow to detect when the printer has been changed since the last saving of print parameters.

It is already possible to set and read some of the parameters concerned using specific 4D commands, but others, more complex or specific to printers and their drivers, are only available through settings dialog boxes. Using this feature helps avoid repetitive access to these dialog boxes and facilitates the work of both 4D developers and end-users.

An example illustrating the use of these new commands is available: Example Database.

For more details, please refer to the Print settings to BLOB and BLOB to print settings command documentation from 4D v16 language reference manual in Doc Center.