Resistant to change

My company have a web application which allowing user to print a data report via an ActiveX component in the past, and due to the change of requirement from uesr, I created a new .NET control hosted in this web page with the use of crystal report today, allowing them to print the report to the printer directly.

Technical speaking, the users should never notice the change and the new report is faster and the result is exactly what they want. However, they told me that they miss the old one... as they can select printer and number of copies (that's the basic printer dialog of the browser in fact) with the old ActiveX component.  Therefore, I add a <DIV> with several buttons pretending the old printer dialog... Is it a normal behavior.. or.. an example of "Resistant to change"? :S

Colt Kwong

2 Comments

  • It's bad practice to bypass basic client dialogues. In fact, in the case of printing, the ability for the end-user to have control over printer settings (selection, copies, quality) is fundamental.



    I don't know what your situation entails but, from what you describe, it would seem that you should use the normal practice: Javascript.



    Text:

    &lt;a href=&quot;javascript:window.print()&quot;&gt;Print&lt;/a&gt;



    Image:

    &lt;a href=&quot;javascript:window.print()&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;images/printer.gif&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;



    Button:

    &lt;input type=&quot;button&quot; value=&quot;Print&quot; onClick=&quot;window.print()&quot;&gt;



    If you do not want a little Print icon or text on the printed page, you can have the printable version's page initiate the command, using onLoad of the Body tag. Or you could have the icon open a separate window and do this there.



    Page Load:

    &lt;body onLoad=&quot;window.print()&quot;&gt;



    I'm likely ignorant to the finer requirements of your project; does your web application need something more advanced? Alternatively, there's that old-fashioned browser printer button or File &gt; Print.



    ADVIZR

  • Thanks for your comment ADVIZR.



    Actually, I do allow users to input the info as parameters to my custom control, and I had handled the fundamental settings already, and I also programmatically defined the settings base on their inputs on the page as well. ;)

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