by Jay Kreusch (6 Submissions)
Category: Windows API Call/Explanation
Compatability: Visual Basic 3.0
Difficulty: Beginner
Date Added: Wed 3rd February 2021
Rating: 
(6 Votes)
Easy code allows you to print any document on the computer using its default print handler. This is the same as if you right-click in the windows explorer and select Print. No command switches are needed. So simple I added a handy ShellExecute Error Handler.
Inputs
To make it a public function for use in a bas, I use the form's Hwnd as a parameter. This hwnd is only used to retrieve errors. So if you only care about pass/fail you could leave that part out. Just pass the function the hwnd and the path to the file and call.
API DeclarationsPrivate Declare Function ShellExecute Lib "shell32.dll" Alias "ShellExecuteA" _
(ByVal hwnd As Long, _
ByVal lpszOp As String, _
ByVal lpszFile As String, _
ByVal lpszParams As String, _
ByVal lpszDir As String, _
ByVal FsShowCmd As Long) As Long
Private Const SE_ERR_FNF = 2&
Private Const SE_ERR_PNF = 3&
Private Const SE_ERR_ACCESSDENIED = 5&
Private Const SE_ERR_OOM = 8&
Private Const SE_ERR_DLLNOTFOUND = 32&
Private Const SE_ERR_SHARE = 26&
Private Const SE_ERR_ASSOCINCOMPLETE = 27&
Private Const SE_ERR_DDETIMEOUT = 28&
Private Const SE_ERR_DDEFAIL = 29&
Private Const SE_ERR_DDEBUSY = 30&
Private Const SE_ERR_NOASSOC = 31&
Private Const ERROR_BAD_FORMAT = 11&
VBcodersPublic Function ShellPrint(jFormHwnd As Long, FilePath As String) As String
Dim Answer As Integer
Dim Msg As String
Answer = ShellExecute(jFormHwnd, "Print", FilePath, vbNullString, vbNullString, vbNormalFocus)
If Answer <= 32 Then
'There was an error
Select Case Answer
Case SE_ERR_FNF
Msg = "File not found"
Case SE_ERR_PNF
Msg = "Path not found"
Case SE_ERR_ACCESSDENIED
Msg = "Access denied"
Case SE_ERR_OOM
Msg = "Out of memory"
Case SE_ERR_DLLNOTFOUND
Msg = "DLL not found"
Case SE_ERR_SHARE
Msg = "A sharing violation occurred"
Case SE_ERR_ASSOCINCOMPLETE
Msg = "Incomplete or invalid file association"
Case SE_ERR_DDETIMEOUT
Msg = "DDE Time out"
Case SE_ERR_DDEFAIL
Msg = "DDE transaction failed"
Case SE_ERR_DDEBUSY
Msg = "DDE busy"
Case SE_ERR_NOASSOC
Msg = "No association for file extension"
Case ERROR_BAD_FORMAT
Msg = "Invalid EXE file or error in EXE image"
Case Else
Msg = "Unknown error"
End Select
End If
ShellPrint = Msg
End Function
Private Sub Command1_Click()
Dim x As String
x = ShellPrint(Me.hwnd, "C:\Bad File")
If x <> vbNullString Then
MsgBox x
End If
End Sub
