B4J Library B4j Print JavaFX8 + 17

stevel05 · Jan 25, 2015

Here is a B4j library written in B4j to access the full Printer modules provided with JavaFX8. Full source code is available.

At it's simplest, you can print a node using:

B4X:

    Dim P As Printer = Printer_Static.GetDefaultPrinter
    Dim PJ As PrinterJob = PrinterJob_Static.CreatePrinterJob2(P)
    PJ.PrintPage(lblTest)
    PJ.EndJob

Or with dialogs:

B4X:

    Dim PJ As PrinterJob = PrinterJob_Static.CreatePrinterJob
    PJ.ShowPageSetupDialog(Null)
    PJ.ShowPrintDialog(Null)
    PJ.PrintPage(MainForm.RootPane)
    PJ.EndJob

Code to scale a view to print on a single page.

Scale output:

Sub ScaleOutput(P As Printer,N As Node) As Node
    Dim PL As PageLayout = P.GetDefaultPageLayout
    Dim ScaleX,ScaleY As Double
    Dim NJO As JavaObject = N
    Dim JO As JavaObject = N
    ScaleX = PL.GetPrintableWidth / JO.RunMethodJO("getBoundsInParent",Null).RunMethod("getWidth",Null)
    ScaleY = PL.GetPrintableHeight / JO.RunMethodJO("getBoundsInParent",Null).RunMethod("getHeight",Null)
    Dim SJO As JavaObject
    SJO.InitializeNewInstance("javafx.scene.transform.Scale",Array(ScaleX,ScaleY))
    NJO.RunMethodJO("getTransforms",Null).RunMethod("add",Array(SJO))
    Return NJO
End Sub

Usage:

    'Print with dialogs
    Dim PJ As PrinterJob = PrinterJob_Static.CreatePrinterJob
    If PJ.ShowPageSetupDialog(Null) Then
        If PJ.ShowPrintDialog(Null) Then
'            PJ.PrintPage(MainForm.RootPane)
            PJ.PrintPage(ScaleOutput(PJ.GetPrinter,MainForm.RootPane))
            PJ.EndJob
        Else
            PJ.CancelJob
        End If
    Else
        PJ.CancelJob
    End If

    'Removes transforms added by ScaleOutput
    MainForm.RootPane.As(JavaObject).Runmethod("getTransforms",Null).as(List).Clear

Reset node size after scaling:

'where N would be MainForm.Rootpane in the above example
N.As(JavaObject).Runmethod("getTransforms",Null).as(List).Clear

Depends on: JavaFX8, JavaObject

Documentation (apart from that in the library) is available here: http://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/javafx/api/index.html?javafx/print/Printer.html
Click on javafx.print in the All Classes Packages frame to see all the relevant classes.

I've ignored Enums where strings are acceptable for simplicity's sake.

V0.6 fix improperly formed XMLmessage displayed in IDE help (post #6)
V0.7 added #RaisesSynchronousEvents to PrinterJob module as described here : https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/t...ble-getting-jfx8print-dialogs-to-work.133964/
V 0.8 Released as a B4xLib Enums now return string values instead of ENum objects.
V0.9

Added JobSettings.SetOutputPath (Javafx 17+)
GetPrinterByName to Printer_Static
SearchPrinters to Printer_Static
Added MaintainAspectRatio to the ScaleOutput example method

Full code is in Printer.zip if you just want to look at the project without unzipping the B4xlib
Enjoy

Update V0.9

JavaFX17 adds SetOutputFile to JobSettings, which means you can now print to PDF without dialogs while setting the target filepath. Something like this:

JavafX 17+:

    Dim P As Printer = Printer_Static.GetPrinterByName("Microsoft Print to PDF")
    If Initialized(P) Then
        Dim PJ As PrinterJob = PrinterJob_Static.CreatePrinterJob2(P)
        PJ.GetJobSettings.SetOutputFile("D:\Test.pdf")
        PJ.PrintPage(ScaleOutput(P,MainForm.RootPane, True))
        PJ.PrintPage(lblTest)
        PJ.EndJob
    Else
        Log("Printer Not found")
    End If

    'Removes transforms added by ScaleOutput
    MainForm.RootPane.As(JavaObject).Runmethod("getTransforms",Null).as(List).Clear

This is intended to work with print drivers that allow redirecting the print to a file. Tested with Microsoft Print to PDF driver.

You will get an entry in the Logs if you try to use this with JavaFX < 17.

For convenience I have added Printer_Static.GetPrinterByName method as in the example code, and a Printer_Static.SearchPrinters("PDF"). See post #142 for an example.

Also added MaintainAspectRatio to the ScaleOutput Method:

Scale Output:

Sub ScaleOutput(P As Printer, N As Node, MaintainAspectRatio As Boolean) As Node
    Dim PL As PageLayout = P.GetDefaultPageLayout
    Dim ScaleX,ScaleY As Double
    Dim NJO As JavaObject = N
    Dim JO As JavaObject = N
    ScaleX = PL.GetPrintableWidth / JO.RunMethodJO("getBoundsInParent",Null).RunMethod("getWidth",Null)
    ScaleY = PL.GetPrintableHeight / JO.RunMethodJO("getBoundsInParent",Null).RunMethod("getHeight",Null)
    If MaintainAspectRatio Then
        ScaleX = Min(ScaleX, ScaleY)
        ScaleY = ScaleX
    End If
    Dim SJO As JavaObject
    SJO.InitializeNewInstance("javafx.scene.transform.Scale",Array(ScaleX,ScaleY))
    NJO.RunMethodJO("getTransforms",Null).RunMethod("add",Array(SJO))
    Return NJO
End Sub

stevel05 · Aug 8, 2025

Peter Simpson said:
V0.9 installed and everything is still working great.

Thanks for letting me know Peter. It can be a bit nerve wracking when updating a library that has been stable for a few years.

stevel05 · Aug 8, 2025

Example of using PrinterStatic.SearchPrinters:

B4X:

'    Search Printer Example

    Dim L As List = Printer_Static.SearchPrinters("PDF")
    

    If L.Size = 0 Then
        Log("Printer Not found")
    Else If L.Size > 1 Then


'        Could offer selection
'        Alternatively you could Select the first printer in the list
'        If you don't care which printer driver is used.

        Log("Multile Printers found")
        
    Else
        Dim P As Printer = L.Get(0)
        If Initialized(P) Then
            Dim PJ As PrinterJob = PrinterJob_Static.CreatePrinterJob2(P)
            PJ.GetJobSettings.SetOutputFile("D:\Test.pdf")
            PJ.PrintPage(ScaleOutput(P,MainForm.RootPane, True))
            PJ.PrintPage(lblTest)
            PJ.EndJob
        Else
            Log("Printer Not found")
        End If
    End If

Peter Simpson · Aug 8, 2025

Hmm,

I currently use the following to get all printers.

What I currently use:

    Dim Printers As List = Printer_Static.GetAllPrinters
    For Each P As Printer In Printers
        If P.GetName.StartsWith(PrinterName) Then Return P
    Next

OR

    'Printers
    For Each P As Printer In Printer_Static.GetAllPrinters
        CmbPrinters.Items.Add(P.GetName)
    Next

I then start printing documents.

I lean heavily on your library for all client projects, so the first thing that I'll do is to test your library and also xCharts if that has an updated.

Okay @stevel05, this is very nice indeed, thank you for the update

stevel05 said:

Example of using PrinterStatic.SearchPrinters:

B4X:

'    Search Printer Example

    Dim L As List = Printer_Static.SearchPrinters("PDF")
   

    If L.Size = 0 Then
        Log("Printer Not found")
    Else If L.Size > 1 Then


'        Could offer selection
'        Alternatively you could Select the first printer in the list
'        If you don't care which printer driver is used.

        Log("Multile Printers found")
       
    Else
        Dim P As Printer = L.Get(0)
        If Initialized(P) Then
            Dim PJ As PrinterJob = PrinterJob_Static.CreatePrinterJob2(P)
            PJ.GetJobSettings.SetOutputFile("D:\Test.pdf")
            PJ.PrintPage(ScaleOutput(P,MainForm.RootPane, True))
            PJ.PrintPage(lblTest)
            PJ.EndJob
        Else
            Log("Printer Not found")
        End If
    End If

Cheers

stevel05 · Aug 8, 2025

Peter Simpson said:
I currently use the following to get all printers.

I only added it for convenience, thought it may help some. Of course, as always, using str.contains could return some unexpected results. But there if it's useful.

B4J Library B4j Print JavaFX8 + 17

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