Printer - Get Printers

Declaration

<AMPRINTER RESULTVARIABLE="text" RESULTDATASET="text" 
REMOTE="yes/no" REMOTEMACHINE="text" REMOTEDOMAIN="text" 
REMOTEUSERNAME="text" REMOTEPASSWORD="text (encrypted)" />

Description: Retrieves a list of printers connected locally or on a remote computer and populates an existing variable with the printer currently set as default. In addition, it can also create and populate a dataset with information about each printer, such as printer name, status, device ID, etc.

Practical Usage

Ideal for retrieving status and other printer related information as a way to manage which printers and at what time print jobs should take place.

General Parameters

Property	Type	Required	Default	Markup	Description
Populate variable with default printer name	Text	Yes	(Empty)	RESULTVARIABLE="printerName"	The name of an existing variable to be populated with the name of the printer currently set as default.
Create and populate dataset	Text	No	(Empty)	RESULTDATASET="printerInfo"	The name of the dataset to create and populate with information about each printer found. For more information regarding this dataset, see Datasets below.

Computer Parameters

Property	Type	Required	Default	Markup	Description
Local computer					If enabled, indicates that printers connected locally will be searched  (enabled by default). If this parameter is selected, the Another computer parameter becomes inactive. This is a visual mode parameter used during design time only, therefore, it contains no markups.
Another computer					If enabled, indicates that printers connected to a remote computer will be searched (disabled by default). If this parameter is selected, the Local computer parameter becomes inactive. This is a visual mode parameter used during design time only, therefore, it contains no markups.
Computer	Text	Yes if set to Another computer	(Empty)	REMOTEMACHINE="MachineName"	The name of the remote computer to retrieve printer data from. This parameter is active only if the Another computer parameter is enabled.
Domain	Text	Yes if set to Another computer	(Empty)	REMOTEDOMAIN="DomainName"	The domain that the remote computer belongs to. This parameter is active only if the Another computer parameter is enabled.
Username	Text	Yes if set to Another computer	(Empty)	REMOTEUSERNAME="Username"	A valid username used to log onto the remote computer. This user must have proper permissions to modify printers on the remote machine. This parameter is active only if the Another computer parameter is enabled.
Password	Text	Yes if set to Another computer	(Empty)	REMOTEPASSWORD="encrypted"	The password associated with the username entered above. This parameter is active only if the Another computer parameter is enabled.

Description tab - A custom description can be provided on the Description tab to convey additional information or share special notes about a task step.

Error Causes tab - Specify how this step should behave upon the occurrence of an error. (Refer to Task Builder > Error Causes Tab for details.)

On Error tab - Specify what AWE should do if this step encounters an error as defined on the Error Causes tab. (Refer to Task Builder > On Error Tab for details.)

Datasets

A dataset is a multiple column, multiple row container object. This activity creates and populates a dataset with the following fields (rows):

Name	Type	Return Value
theDataset.DeviceID	Number	The printer's device ID
theDataset.DriverName	Text	The printer's driver name.
theDataset.IsDefault	True/False	Returns TRUE if the printer is currently set as default. Otherwise, returns FALSE.
theDataset.IsQueued	True/False	Returns TRUE if the printer is currently queued. Otherwise, returns FALSE.
theDataset.IsShared	True/False	Returns TRUE if the printer is shared. Otherwise, returns FALSE.
theDataset.PortName	Text	The printer's port name.
theDataset.PrinterName	Text	The printer's name.
theDataset.Status	Options	The status of the printer (e.g., Online).

Example

The sample AML code below can be copied and pasted directly into the Steps panel of the Task Builder.

Description: Retrieve printers connected to the local computer and display the default printer's name in a message. Then, loop through each connected printer and display information about the current in a separate message box.

<AMPRINTER RESULTVARIABLE="DefaultPrinter" 
RESULTDATASET="PrinterInfo" LOCAL="yes" />
<AMSHOWDIALOG WINDOWTITLE="Default Printer 
Name" BUTTONS="ok_cancel" ONSECONDBUTTONCLICK="stop">The 
name of the default printer is:
%DefaultPrinter%</AMSHOWDIALOG>
<AMLOOP ACTIVITY="dataset" DATASET="PrinterInfo">
<AMSHOWDIALOG WINDOWTITLE="Current Printer Information" 
BUTTONS="ok_cancel" 
ONSECONDBUTTONCLICK="stop">Information about the 
current printer:
Printer Name: %PrinterInfo.PrinterName%
Printer Status: %PrinterInfo.Status%
Printer Device ID: %PrinterInfo.DeviceID%
Is printer shared? %PrinterInfo.IsShared%
Is printer currently queued?
%PrinterInfo.IsQueued%</AMSHOWDIALOG>
</AMLOOP>