[Done] Printer bug in V4.40

[dangerfreak]

This little program works fine with PB version 4.31 (windows x86, windows xp and windows 7), but it doesn't with version 4.40:

; ---------------------------------------------------------
Define printer.l
LoadFont(0,"Courier New",48)
printer=PrintRequester()
If StartPrinting("Document")
If StartDrawing(PrinterOutput())
DrawingFont(FontID(0))
DrawText(100,100,"PB4.40 (Windows X86) doesn't print this text, just a black rectangle")
DrawText(100,100,"However, PB4.31 works fine. Must be a bug in V4.40.")
StopDrawing()
StopPrinting()
EndIf
EndIf
; ---------------------------------------------------------

Independent of the printer or the operating system, version 4.40 just prints a black rectangle.

[Marco2007]

....seems like the default backcolor is black, 'cause this works:

Code: Select all

Define printer.l
LoadFont(0,"Courier New",48)
printer=PrintRequester()
If StartPrinting("Document")
  If StartDrawing(PrinterOutput()) 
  BackColor(#White)
  DrawingFont(FontID(0)) 
  DrawText(100,100,"PB4.40 (Windows X86) doesn't print this text, just a black rectangle")
  DrawText(100,100,"However, PB4.31 works fine. Must be a bug in V4.40.") 
  StopDrawing()
  EndIf 
StopPrinting()  
EndIf

[dangerfreak]

Cool, you are right, that's the solution. Thanks a lot!

[Rook Zimbabwe]

ABBKlaus also has written a few interesting tools to help with printer use: http://www.purebasicpower.de/?PrinterLib

I use this in my application! It is incredibly helpful!

[harkon]

So, does anyone know why this would have changed from version 4.3 to version 4.4? Seems to me that, for a printer anyway, the default backcolor should always be assumed white

[Rook Zimbabwe]

The actual change log is probably somewhere in the PB website but in PB4.4 you see this:

Result = DrawText(x, y, Text$ [, FrontColor [, BackColor]])

Same as 4.3

WOW that was incredibally unhelpful... sorry...
(I really though it would be different since the notices about the remod of the draw system have been all over!)

I can only assume the system populated frontcolro as black since that would be a 0 value and backcolor as 0 since likewise that would be a 0 value and if you do not specify any value those are set at 0 as a default.

[harkon]

That's probably a safe assumption, or it'll be something of that nature. The problem comes in where old code gets broken with the update to a new version. Silly stuff like this can take hours to find and debug.

Anyway, I know it's a lot of work for the development team and I do appreciate it, but stuff gets really frustrating.

/rant

I think it wise to stick to ABBKlaus' PrinterLib for printing.

[netmaestro]

2DDrawing is completely overhauled for v4.40. Here is the relevant doc:

#PB_2DDrawing_Transparent

If this flag is set then the background will be transparent with the DrawText() command

[harkon]

Thanks.

I understand the complete overhaul part, and I did not intend to throw stones at the development team. It is clear to me that changing something of this magnitude is not accomplished without a great deal of effort on their part. It would have been great if it could have been done without breaking existing code, but I understand that this is not always easy or even possible, and sometimes things just get overlooked. Such is life I suppose. Setting the transparent flag should avoid trouble for printing then.

[Demivec]

So, does anyone know why this would have changed from version 4.3 to version 4.4? Seems to me that, for a printer anyway, the default backcolor should always be assumed white

From what I understand, historically the backcolor was always supposed to be black, it just had been left uncorrected for so long (I was unable to find a source quote to confirm this).

[harkon]

That would explain it. Thanks.

[Little John]

I just stumbled across the same problem.

2DDrawing is completely overhauled for v4.40. Here is the relevant doc:

#PB_2DDrawing_Transparent

If this flag is set then the background will be transparent with the DrawText() command

Wouldn't it be better to make #PB_2DDrawing_Transparent the default background setting for DrawText()? I think this is what most people probably are expecting intuitively.

Regards, Little John

[freak]

fixed.

[blueznl]

Fixed means in this case... ?

[freak]

The default FrontColor is now white, as it is with the other subsystems.