Creating a printer friendly page
It appears that nowadays most info-centric web-sites seem to have a "Printer friendly" version of each page. Examples include Wired.com and vnunet.com. That is why I decided not long back that CodeStore.net should have its own version so as not to be out-done. Oh, and becuase it's useful too, of course. You can see the result by using the link on the right in the red table or with this link.
Ed's Notes: Since I wrote this article I have implemented a new design and chose to use CSS to control the appearance of printed articles rather than this method. However, this is still worth a read if you can't assume all visitor's browsers will support this method.
When I did this I wasn't expecting to be asked how I had done it, mainly because, as you'll see if you read all of this, it is quite a simple technique.
Form Formula. We've all heard of them, most of us know what they do but how many of us actually use them?? For those that don't know what a Form Formula is, it is a view property that will let you specify what form to use when a document is opened from a particular view. So all we need to do is create a view that uses a special print version of a form. Let's say that your database has a set of documents that use a form called "FormOrig". This is how you would go about printing them:
The Form:
- Make a copy of the form
- Rename it to "PrintForm"
- Simplify its design and layout to make it suitable for printing
The View:
- Create a view called "PrintView"
- Make sure it selects documents using the "OrigForm" form
- Give it a Form Formula of "PrintForm"
The Link:
- In the "FormOrig" form add some Computed-Text
- Give it the formula - "<a href=\"../PrintView/" + @Text(@DocumentUniqueID) + "?OpenDocument\">Print Version</a>"
...ef="/dir/db.nsf/PrintView/D4197366....
When the link is used, domino knows that it needs to open the document using the form called "PrintForm" which gives the user a customised, printable layout. Et voila...
A few suggestions:
Some sites like to open the print version in a new window. To do this simply add "target=_blank" to the link. Personally I like to think that my users have the intelligence to use the back button. You do don't you!?
In my version I have IE ask the user if they want to print the page straight away. To do this I simply place the following line of JavaScript in the onLoad event:
if ( confirm( 'I can print the page now if you want?' ) ) window.print();
Only put this line in the onload event for Internet Explorer. It doesn't work in Netscape (what does!?).
Note: In version 4 of Notes you will find the Form Formula setting in the advanced tab of the view properties dialogue box.
Another suggestion
Something I learnt the other day - If you put the following line in to the <head> tag of a page in IE4+ then choosing print from the file menu will automatically use the "Print" form from the "print" view. [<span class="html">] <link rel="alternate" media="print" href="../prnt/DocID"> [</span>] This of course assumes the user [<i>always</i>] wants to use that form.....
Jake -CodeStore
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problem with frames
I am using the 'link rel = ' to automatically print the selected document on an alternate form. This works perfectly until I put my doc in a frame of a frameset and then it seems to ignore the link completely.
Do you know how I can get round this at all? And please dont tell me to remove all the frames! I know you dont like them.....
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Printer Friendly page
Just wanted to thank you for your help on this subject. Your discussion and descriptions made the process very simple.
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Another Printer Friendly Method
Here is another method for printing pages. Build a printer friedly Response form (wPrinterVersion), enable the "Formulas inherit values from selected document" and then get the desired fields. On your documents you will have a link with a bit of computed text as follows.
db.nsf/wPrinterVersion?openform&ParentUnid=@Text(@DocumentUniqueID)
This is an EASY way of doing this, I haven't had any problems but if anybody knows why this method shouldn't be used let us know.
Jason
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Re: Another Printer Friendly Method
Estupendo,
Gracias Jake
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Hello,
I am working with a web form and trying to use your example on my project. I'm a bit confused on the instructions. I am assuming you have to save the web form first then open it with the instructions you gave? I'm trying to click a hotspot link and open a print-friendly form before the form is submitted. I'm not sure what I'm missing here. Can someone assist me please?
Thanks!
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If the document has yet to be submitted to the server then this approach won't work. You'd be better off using a JavaScript/DHTML approach and "document.write()" everything to a new window with some print CSS in it.
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