Printing Multiple Pages using FlexReport
What is the problem
In the previous tutorial, we saw How to Print Multiple Pages Using Flex PrintDataGrid. It works fine when your application just contains one big DataGrid. In the real world, however, you often need a combination of contains and controls like VBox, HBox, Text, Image, plus DataGrid. Then guess what? You still have trouble with the Flex print job.
In fact, this is not the only challenge you are facing… How about the Print Preview function? Why do you need it? Because we are in recession! Oh, yeah, your boss would try to squeeze every penny for the sake of Cost Reduce. No one likes to see you print 100 pages then realize it is a wrong report. Plus saving paper is good for our mother earth.
Unfortunately, till Flex 3, Adobe has not provided a good solution to either Multiple Pages Printing or Print Preview (without client-side installation like PDF Printer).
Posted by: Bryan Date: Tuesday, June 2, 2009 Comments: 55
How to Print in Adobe Flex
Believe it or not, my first Flex job had nothing to do with even 1% of Rich Internet Application. It was to print multiple pages in Flex.
I know what you are thinking right now. Why should I care printing in Flex? Is Flex supposed to be used for creating cool stuffs rather than this kind of low-level system function? That was exactly what I thought at that time. But job is job, especially when the pay is good.
The interesting thing is I actually learned a lot from this printing job. Because it touched many key areas of Flex framework, such as: Container Framework, Component Construction, and Layout Management. The fact is, once you know something from inside out, you will feel some fun of doing it.
Posted by: Bryan Date: Thursday, May 21, 2009 Be the first to comment
