Liveware Publishing Support Forum

Setting page length with win98 in the priner driver is relatively easy but what about XP ?__We are using IBM ProPrinter XL driver with win98 but I can^t find how to set the page length with this driver in XP.

In XP you go to Printers and Faxes and then Select File Server Properties. This allows you to set custom form sizes that will then be available in File Page Setup in R&R.____Kathleen__R&R Support

Using Server Properties i have this problem:__. I create a particular module and i call it "Test"__. I set in my report a specific printer ("P01" and in the page Setup i set "Test" page format__. I create on every pc the same module and i call it "Test"__. I create on every pc the same printer (called "P01")__. When i run my report i set "Printer" property (i use the OCX control) to "P01"__. The reports send output to printer "P01" on every PC but he page format is correct only on the pc where i designed the report.____WHY ??____What is missing ? If something is missing ?____Thanks__

What happens is that R&R saves a number rather than a name of a page size. And on XP the name of the form may be the same but the internal number may be different.__So the only way around would be to open and re-save on the target machine.____Kathleen__R&R Support

OK, but if i have Lan with 10 pc (and i really have Lan with more than 10 pcs that use my application) and they print on the same printer and with the same module i have to create 10 (or more) different reports saved on every machine ?__Can i install Report Writer on every pc of my customer to resolve this problem. I have my license that i use to design reports and on the customer pc i install the files for redistribution.____Where do you read the number that is written in the report in place of the name of the module ? Which kind of number is it?__Where is written this number (in the printer driver, in registry ?)____Thanks______

You can do a server installation of R&R and then run SETUP at each workstation to make the designer available to all of your users.____Kathleen__R&R Support

We have resolved the problem of the modules.__We have written our own Printer driver with the page formats we use without using the Server properties in the printer panel.____Thanks__

>We have resolved the problem of the modules. __>We have written our own Printer driver with the page formats __>we use without using the Server properties in the printer __>panel. __>__>Thanks ____Could you elaborate about how you solved this problem? This is a serious problem with any developer that wants to distribute reports to a wide audience without having to sell them the designer as well. We sell a vertical market app nationwide and obviously cannot save the report using the designer on our customer^s computer.____I^ve spoken with R&R about this some time ago and I am disappointed they have yet to address this problem as it is in my humble opinion a very serious bug. ____Thanks,__Randal

The problem was that if you use Server properties in the printer panel and you set a custom module on your pc and you use it on customer^s pc (with the same module set) the report use another module. We have seen that there isn^t this problem when you use the page format standard available with every printer you have installed. So we have made (looking on MSDN documentation and looking files in winnt folder) our own Printer with installed our custom page format that in this way have been seen like standard format and not like those inserted in Server Properties. It is sufficient to install our printer on the customer pc and on our pc (where we desing the reports) and set the page format and the printer in the report and send this one to the customer where the report finds the same environment i use in designing the report. We have different custom format with our customer (every one can use custom format for their invoices), but we^ll insert them in our special printer. The way to install the printer is like a normal printer (add printer, select driver....)__For this kind of problem i have seen that Liveware is "not sensible" and so we have to resolve "alone" the problems. In the past i have had other problems with R&R but the solution i have find has not been suggested by Liveware. I have seen that R&R crashes when it doesn^t find "perfect environment or a driver not perfect". It asks perfection when the first not perfect is R&R.__I am using release 9.0.9 and before i pass to 10 i have to be very sure that there are not problems but i see too much Service Packs on this version. It is better work with a product not perfect but with known problems that with a newer one that is all to know.__(excuse my english but this is not my language)__I hope to see more discussion on this forum about the real problems of R&R and about the customer satisfaction about the product.__

Michelle,____>The problem was that if you use Server properties in the __>printer panel and you set a custom module on your pc and you __>use it on customer^s pc (with the same module set) the __>report use another module. ____Yes, exactly what I^ve experienced.____>We have seen that there isn^t __>this problem when you use the page format standard available __>with every printer you have installed. So we have made __>(looking on MSDN documentation and looking files in winnt __>folder) our own Printer with installed our custom page __>format that in this way have been seen like standard format __>and not like those inserted in Server Properties.____This is intersting. How can I create my own printer driver? Can you give me more information here?____>It is __>sufficient to install our printer on the customer pc and on __>our pc (where we desing the reports) and set the page format __>and the printer in the report and send this one to the __>customer where the report finds the same environment i use __>in designing the report. We have different custom format __>with our customer (every one can use custom format for their __>invoices), but we^ll insert them in our special printer. The __>way to install the printer is like a normal printer (add __>printer, select driver....) ____Do you mean that as long as your custom printer is installed on the customer^s computer they can use their own printer driver and select what is now a standard size from the list of available paper sizes, i.e. is it enough that your printer driver is simply installed? Or does the customer have to use your printer driver?____>For this kind of problem i have seen that Liveware is "not __>sensible" and so we have to resolve "alone" the problems. __>In the past i have had other problems with R&R but the __>solution i have find has not been suggested by Liveware. I __>have seen that R&R crashes when it doesn^t find "perfect __>environment or a driver not perfect". It asks perfection __>when the first not perfect is R&R. __>I am using release 9.0.9 and before i pass to 10 i have to __>be very sure that there are not problems but i see too much __>Service Packs on this version. It is better work with a __>product not perfect but with known problems that with a __>newer one that is all to know. __>(excuse my english but this is not my language) __>I hope to see more discussion on this forum about the real __>problems of R&R and about the customer satisfaction about __>the product. ____I agree with your sentiments. If your using R&R in an environment where you can control everything some of these issues are easier to get around. When you distribute software on a large scale it is impossible to control the users environment.____If you want or need to email me privately please do so at: rdfsoft@cs.com____Thanks,__Randal Ferguson