what is the best way to print invoice in java

Question

in my desktop application (POS System). I used IText api for generating invoices and printing, but my printer thermal invoice printer don't support .pdf file. only supporting text file and .docx file. i use simple text file printer print whole invoice in long vertical single word line and don't auto cut page. I used .docx file which works good, i got print as i designed. but my program first open document in ms word then give me print. my code is:

try

     {


            FileOutputStream output = new FileOutputStream(FILE);                   
                    XWPFDocument doc = new XWPFDocument();

                    CTBody body = doc.getDocument().getBody();
                    if(!body.isSetSectPr()){
                    body.addNewSectPr();
                    }

                    CTSectPr section = body.getSectPr();
                    if(!section.isSetPgSz()){
                    section.addNewPgSz();
                    }
                    CTPageSz pageSize = section.getPgSz();
                    pageSize.setOrient(STPageOrientation.PORTRAIT);

                    int value = 4000+(gui.model.getRowCount()*1000);

                    pageSize.setW(BigInteger.valueOf(4050));
                    pageSize.setH(BigInteger.valueOf(value));

                    CTPageMar pageMar = section.addNewPgMar();
                    pageMar.setLeft(BigInteger.valueOf(400L));
                    pageMar.setTop(BigInteger.valueOf(0L));
                    pageMar.setRight(BigInteger.valueOf(0L));
                    pageMar.setBottom(BigInteger.valueOf(0L));

                     XWPFParagraph para = doc.createParagraph();
                     para.setAlignment(ParagraphAlignment.LEFT);
                     XWPFRun run  = para.createRun();
                     para.setWordWrap(true);
                     run.setBold(true);
                     run.setFontSize(10);
                     run.setText("          "+address.shopName);
                     run.addBreak();
                     run.setText("                        "+address.phoneNo);
                     run.addBreak();
                     run.setText("   "+address.description);
                     run.addBreak();
                     para = doc.createParagraph();
                    para.setAlignment(ParagraphAlignment.LEFT);
                    run  = para.createRun();
                     para.setWordWrap(true);
                     run.setFontSize(10);
                     run.setText("Invoice No."+invoiceno);
                     run.addBreak();
                     run.setText("Type: "+table);
                     run.addBreak();
                     run.setText("Customer Name: "+name+"    "+tempObj);
                     run.addBreak();
                     run.setText("--------------------------------------------------------");
                     run.addBreak();
                     run.setText("Product              Qty          Price          Total");
                     run.addBreak();
                     run.setText("--------------------------------------------------------");
                     run.addBreak();

                String temp = null;
                for(int i = 0 ; i < gui.table.getRowCount(); i++){
                    temp = gui.table.getValueAt(i, 1).toString();
                    String quanstr = gui.table.getValueAt(i, 2)+"";
                    String unitPricestr = gui.table.getValueAt(i, 3)+"";
                    String totalstr =gui.table.getValueAt(i, 4)+"";

                    run.setText(temp);run.addBreak();
                     run.setText("                            "+quanstr+"          "+unitPricestr+"          "+totalstr);
                     run.addBreak();
                }
                double subTotal = tableTotalCounter();
                run.setText("--------------------------------------------------------");run.addBreak();
                run.setText("Discount: "+dis+"%");run.addBreak();
                run.setText("Sub total: "+(subTotal - (subTotal*dis/100)));run.addBreak();
                run.setText("Cash: "+cash);run.addBreak();
                run.setText("Balance: "+(cash-(subTotal - (subTotal*dis/100))));
                run.addBreak();
                doc.write(output); 
                output.close();

                } catch (FileNotFoundException e1) {
                    // TODO Auto-generated catch block
                    System.out.println("Exception");
                    e1.printStackTrace();
                }catch (IOException e) {
                    // TODO Auto-generated catch block
                    e.printStackTrace();
                    System.out.println("Exception");
                }

            if(confirmation("Print invoice?","Confirmation")==0){
                Desktop desktop = Desktop.getDesktop();
                try {

                     desktop.print(new File(FILE));
                } catch (IOException e) {           
                    e.printStackTrace();
                }
      }

please tell me how to print without getting that file open. and there is any other way to print invoice.

Answer 1

Format your invoice in a string and pass to the code I have pasted below. Before executing this code print a test page (windows) (Linux) to make sure your printer is configured correctly.

public class GenerateInvoice {

public static void printInvoice(String invoice) {
      try {
          PrintService mPrinter = null;
          Boolean bFoundPrinter = false;

          PrintService[] printServices = PrinterJob.lookupPrintServices();

          for (PrintService printService : printServices) {
              String sPrinterName = printService.getName();
              if (sPrinterName.equals("Black Cobra")) {
                  mPrinter = printService;
                  bFoundPrinter = true;
              }
          }
          String testData = invoice+"\f";
          InputStream is = new ByteArrayInputStream(testData.getBytes());
          DocFlavor flavor =  DocFlavor.INPUT_STREAM.AUTOSENSE   ;

          PrintService service = PrintServiceLookup.lookupDefaultPrintService();
          System.out.println(service);

          DocPrintJob job = service.createPrintJob();
          Doc doc= new SimpleDoc(is, flavor, null);

          PrintJobWatcher pjDone = new PrintJobWatcher(job);

          job.print(doc, null);

          pjDone.waitForDone();

          is.close();
      } catch (PrintException e) {
          e.printStackTrace();
      } catch (IOException e) {
          e.printStackTrace();
      }
  }
  static class PrintJobWatcher {
      boolean done = false;

      PrintJobWatcher(DocPrintJob job) {
          // Add a listener to the print job
          job.addPrintJobListener(new PrintJobAdapter() {
              public void printJobCanceled(PrintJobEvent pje) {
                  allDone();
              }
              public void printJobCompleted(PrintJobEvent pje) {
                  allDone();
              }
              public void printJobFailed(PrintJobEvent pje) {
                  allDone();
              }
              public void printJobNoMoreEvents(PrintJobEvent pje) {
                  allDone();
              }
              void allDone() {
                  synchronized (PrintJobWatcher.this) {
                      done = true;
                      PrintJobWatcher.this.notify();
                  }
              }
          });
      }
      public synchronized void waitForDone() {
          try {
              while (!done) {
                  wait();
              }
          } catch (InterruptedException e) {
          }
      }
  }

}