Collating

[Richard West]

Hi everyone,

I have a question about the java multi-platform print dialog.

My question is on collating the output of my print out using the java multi-platform print dialog. The thing is no matter even if i select the collate check box or not the output of the print out is always printed uncollated.

When i use the platform specific print dialog(windows in my case) the output can be printed collated or uncollated.

This is what i am doing to call the multi-platform dialog to print collated print-outs

The below is sun's simple printing program but when i test this programming(when i switch the aset variable between collating and uncollating) the problem also arises.

This is the compilable program

import java.awt.*; 
import java.awt.print.*;
import javax.print.attribute.standard.*;
 
public class PrintBook {
    public static void main(String[] args) { 
 
      javax.print.attribute.PrintRequestAttributeSet aset;
      aset = new javax.print.attribute.HashPrintRequestAttributeSet();
 
    aset.add(new Copies(2));
      //aset.add(SheetCollate.UNCOLLATED);
      aset.add(SheetCollate.COLLATED);
    
    // Get a PrinterJob     
    PrinterJob job = PrinterJob.getPrinterJob();     
    // Create a landscape page format    
    PageFormat pfl = job.defaultPage();  
    pfl.setOrientation(PageFormat.LANDSCAPE);     
    // Set up a book     
    Book bk = new Book();     
    bk.append(new PaintCover(), pfl);     
    bk.append(new PaintContent(), job.defaultPage());     
    // Pass the book to the PrinterJob     
    job.setPageable(bk);     
    // Put up the dialog box     
    if (job.printDialog(aset)) { 
         // Print the job if the user didn't cancel printing
         try { job.print(aset); } 
         catch (Exception e) {e.printStackTrace();}     
    }     
  System.exit(0);   
     } 
}
 
class PaintCover implements Printable {   
     Font fnt = new Font("Helvetica-Bold", Font.PLAIN, 72);
 
     public int print(Graphics g, PageFormat pf, int pageIndex)
  throws PrinterException {     
    g.setFont(fnt);     
    g.setColor(Color.black);     
 int yc = (int) (pf.getImageableY() + 
                 pf.getImageableHeight()/2);
    g.drawString("Widgets, Inc.", 72, yc+36);     
    return Printable.PAGE_EXISTS;   
     } 
}
class PaintContent implements Printable {   
     public int print(Graphics g, PageFormat pf, int pageIndex)
  throws PrinterException {    
    Graphics2D g2 = (Graphics2D) g;     
    int useRed = 0;     
   int xo = (int) pf.getImageableX();
int yo = (int) pf.getImageableY(); 
    // Fill page with circles or squares, alternating red & green
for (int x = 0; x+28 < pf.getImageableWidth(); x += 36)
    for (int y = 0; y+28 < pf.getImageableHeight(); y += 36){ 
         if (useRed == 0) g.setColor(Color.red);
         else g.setColor(Color.green);
         useRed = 1 - useRed;
         if (pageIndex % 2 == 0) g.drawRect(xo+x+4, yo+y+4, 28, 28);
         else g.drawOval(xo+x+4, yo+y+4, 28, 28);
    }     
    return   Printable.PAGE_EXISTS;   
     } 
}

It seems strange to me that if i use the sytem specific print dialog i can print both collated and uncollated printouts but if i use the java multi-platform print dialog the print out is always printed uncollated even when i specify it to be printed collated

There are no exceptions thrown and the program compiles with no errors.

Am i calling java multi-platform print dialog and adding the
attributes correctly?

Is this a bug or am i missing something for both my questions?

This program was run on java 1.4.6 and 1.5.0_06 with both producing the same results

I really hope someone can help me with this problem

Any help is greatly appreciated

Thank You

Yours Sincerely

Richard West