How to print RAW commands and known file formats in one printing job from PHP

Product WebClientPrint for PHP Published 12/26/2016 Updated 10/28/2020 Author

Overview

Suppose you have an PHP website and you need to print some RAW commands to a Thermal printer in addition to priting a PDF to a laser printer, both printers installed at the client machine. Let's say you want to print a ticket in ESC/POS commands to a thermal printer called "ThermalPrinter" and a "Dispatch Form" in PDF format to a laser printer called "LaserPrinter". Both "ThermalPrinter" & "LaserPrinter" are available at the client machine (they can be installed locally or reached through the client network).

The new ClientPrintJobGroup class shipped with WebClientPrint 3.0+ for PHP will allow you to get that working by just writing a few lines of code. The great thing about this is that you can print those files without displaying any print dialog to the user i.e. a silently printing approach on clients running Windows, macOS/OSX as well as Linux and Raspberry Pi!

In this walkthrough, you'll learn how to print RAW printer commands alongside multiple known files or documents (like MS Word *.doc or *.docx; MS Excel *.xls or *.xlsx; Adobe PDF; Text files or images) from an PHP website to different printers installed at the client machine without displaying any print dialog. Best of, this solution works with any browser on Windows OS like IE (6 or later), Chrome, Firefox, Opera & Safari as well as on Linux, Raspberry Pi & Mac OS clients!

Requirements

Development/Server-side

  WebClientPrint 6.0 for PHP (or greater)
  PHP 5.3 (or greater)
  jQuery 1.4.1 (or greater)

Client-side

  WebClientPrint Processor 6.0 for Windows, Linux, Raspberry Pi & Mac

Follow up these steps

  • Download & install WebClientPrint for PHP
  • Create a new PHP Website naming it PrintMultipleJobsSample
  • Now follow up the instructions for each PHP Classic or PHP MVC/Laravel:

    • Create a new folder called wcpcache at your project's root folder

    • Copy the WebClientPrint.php to your project's root folder

    Creating Controllers

    • Create a new PHP file at root folder and name it WebClientPrintController.php and then copy/paste the following code:

    <?php
//*********************************
// IMPORTANT NOTE 
// 1. In this sample we store users related stuff (like
// the list of printers and whether they have the WCPP 
// client utility installed) in the wcpcache folder BUT 
// you can change it to another different storage (like a DB)!
// which will be required in Load Balacing scenarios
// 
// 2. If your website requires user authentication, then
// THIS FILE MUST be set to ALLOW ANONYMOUS access!!!
// 
//*********************************
 
include 'WebClientPrint.php';
use Neodynamic\SDK\Web\WebClientPrint;
 
//IMPORTANT SETTINGS:
//===================
//Set wcpcache folder RELATIVE to WebClientPrint.php file
//FILE WRITE permission on this folder is required!!!
WebClientPrint::$wcpCacheFolder = getcwd().'/wcpcache/';
 
if (file_exists(WebClientPrint::$wcpCacheFolder) == false) {
    //create wcpcache folder
    $old_umask = umask(0);
    mkdir(WebClientPrint::$wcpCacheFolder, 0777);
    umask($old_umask);
}
 
//===================
 
// Clean built-in Cache
// NOTE: Remove it if you implement your own cache system
WebClientPrint::cacheClean(30); //in minutes
 
 
// Process WebClientPrint Request
 
$urlParts = parse_url($_SERVER['REQUEST_URI']);
if (isset($urlParts['query'])){
    $query = $urlParts['query'];
    parse_str($query, $qs);
     
    //get session id from querystring if any
    $sid = NULL;
    if (isset($qs[WebClientPrint::SID])){
        $sid = $qs[WebClientPrint::SID];
    }
     
    try{
        //get request type
        $reqType = WebClientPrint::GetProcessRequestType($query);
         
        if($reqType == WebClientPrint::GenPrintScript ||
           $reqType == WebClientPrint::GenWcppDetectScript){
            //Let WebClientPrint to generate the requested script
             
            //Get Absolute URL of this file
            $currentAbsoluteURL = (@$_SERVER["HTTPS"] == "on") ? "https://" : "http://";
            $currentAbsoluteURL .= $_SERVER["SERVER_NAME"];
            if($_SERVER["SERVER_PORT"] != "80" && $_SERVER["SERVER_PORT"] != "443")
            {
                $currentAbsoluteURL .= ":".$_SERVER["SERVER_PORT"];
            } 
            $currentAbsoluteURL .= $_SERVER["REQUEST_URI"];
            $currentAbsoluteURL = substr($currentAbsoluteURL, 0, strrpos($currentAbsoluteURL, '?'));
             
            ob_start();
            ob_clean();
            header('Content-type: text/javascript');
            echo WebClientPrint::generateScript($currentAbsoluteURL, $query);
            return;
        } 
        else if ($reqType == WebClientPrint::ClientSetWcppVersion)
        {
            //This request is a ping from the WCPP utility
            //so store the session ID indicating this user has the WCPP installed
            //also store the WCPP Version if available
            if(isset($qs[WebClientPrint::WCPP_SET_VERSION]) && strlen($qs[WebClientPrint::WCPP_SET_VERSION]) > 0){
                WebClientPrint::cacheAdd($sid, WebClientPrint::WCP_CACHE_WCPP_VER, $qs[WebClientPrint::WCPP_SET_VERSION]);
            }
            return;
        }
        else if ($reqType == WebClientPrint::ClientSetInstalledPrinters)
        {
            //WCPP Utility is sending the installed printers at client side
            //so store this info with the specified session ID
            WebClientPrint::cacheAdd($sid, WebClientPrint::WCP_CACHE_PRINTERS, strlen($qs[WebClientPrint::WCPP_SET_PRINTERS]) > 0 ? $qs[WebClientPrint::WCPP_SET_PRINTERS] : '');
            return;
        }
        else if ($reqType == WebClientPrint::ClientSetInstalledPrintersInfo)
        {
            //WCPP Utility is sending the installed printers at client side with detailed info
            //so store this info with the specified session ID
            //Printers Info is in JSON format
            $printersInfo = $_POST['printersInfoContent'];
             
            WebClientPrint::cacheAdd($sid, WebClientPrint::WCP_CACHE_PRINTERSINFO, $printersInfo);
            return;
        }
        else if ($reqType == WebClientPrint::ClientGetWcppVersion)
        {
            //return the WCPP version for the specified Session ID (sid) if any
            ob_start();
            ob_clean();
            header('Content-type: text/plain');
            echo WebClientPrint::cacheGet($sid, WebClientPrint::WCP_CACHE_WCPP_VER);
            return;    
        }
        else if ($reqType == WebClientPrint::ClientGetInstalledPrinters)
        {
            //return the installed printers for the specified Session ID (sid) if any
            ob_start();
            ob_clean();
            header('Content-type: text/plain');
            echo base64_decode(WebClientPrint::cacheGet($sid, WebClientPrint::WCP_CACHE_PRINTERS));
            return;
        }    
        else if ($reqType == WebClientPrint::ClientGetInstalledPrintersInfo)
        {
            //return the installed printers with detailed info for the specified Session ID (sid) if any
            ob_start();
            ob_clean();
            header('Content-type: text/plain');
            echo base64_decode(WebClientPrint::cacheGet($sid, WebClientPrint::WCP_CACHE_PRINTERSINFO));
            return;
        }    
    }
    catch (Exception $ex)
    {
        throw $ex;
    }
     
}

    • Create a new PHP file and name it PrintManyJobsController.php and then copy/paste the following code:

    <?php

include 'WebClientPrint.php';

use Neodynamic\SDK\Web\WebClientPrint;
use Neodynamic\SDK\Web\DefaultPrinter;
use Neodynamic\SDK\Web\InstalledPrinter;
use Neodynamic\SDK\Web\PrintFile;
use Neodynamic\SDK\Web\PrintFilePDF;
use Neodynamic\SDK\Web\ClientPrintJob;
use Neodynamic\SDK\Web\ClientPrintJobGroup;

// Process request
// Generate ClientPrintJob? only if clientPrint param is in the query string
$urlParts = parse_url($_SERVER['REQUEST_URI']);

if (isset($urlParts['query'])) {
    $rawQuery = $urlParts['query'];
    parse_str($rawQuery, $qs);
    if (isset($qs[WebClientPrint::CLIENT_PRINT_JOB])) {

        //We'll create TWO ClientPrintJob objects, one for printing the RAW commands and the other one for printing the PDF file

        //Create ESC/POS commands for sample receipt
        $esc = '0x1B'; //ESC byte in hex notation
        $newLine = '0x0A'; //LF byte in hex notation
        
        $cmds = '';
        $cmds = $esc . "@"; //Initializes the printer (ESC @)
        $cmds .= $esc . '!' . '0x38'; //Emphasized + Double-height + Double-width mode selected (ESC ! (8 + 16 + 32)) 56 dec => 38 hex
        $cmds .= 'BEST DEAL STORES'; //text to print
        $cmds .= $newLine . $newLine;
        $cmds .= $esc . '!' . '0x00'; //Character font A selected (ESC ! 0)
        $cmds .= 'COOKIES                   5.00'; 
        $cmds .= $newLine;
        $cmds .= 'MILK 65 Fl oz             3.78';
        $cmds .= $newLine . $newLine;
        $cmds .= 'SUBTOTAL                  8.78';
        $cmds .= $newLine;
        $cmds .= 'TAX 5%                    0.44';
        $cmds .= $newLine;
        $cmds .= 'TOTAL                     9.22';
        $cmds .= $newLine;
        $cmds .= 'CASH TEND                10.00';
        $cmds .= $newLine;
        $cmds .= 'CASH DUE                  0.78';
        $cmds .= $newLine . $newLine;
        $cmds .= $esc . '!' . '0x18'; //Emphasized + Double-height mode selected (ESC ! (16 + 8)) 24 dec => 18 hex
        $cmds .= '# ITEMS SOLD 2';
        $cmds .= $esc . '!' . '0x00'; //Character font A selected (ESC ! 0)
        $cmds .= $newLine . $newLine;
        $cmds .= '11/03/13  19:53:17';

		//Create a ClientPrintJob obj that will be processed at the client side by the WCPP
		$cpj1 = new ClientPrintJob();
		//set ESCPOS commands to print...
		$cpj1->printerCommands = $cmds;
        $cpj1->formatHexValues = true;
	    
        $useDefaultPrinter1 = ($qs['useDefaultPrinter1'] === 'checked');
        $printerName1 = urldecode($qs['printerName1']);
	
		if ($useDefaultPrinter1 || $printerName1 === 'null') {
			$cpj1->clientPrinter = new DefaultPrinter();
		} else {
			$cpj1->clientPrinter = new InstalledPrinter($printerName1);
		}


        //Now the ClientPrintJob for the PDF file
        

        //the PDF file to be printed, supposed to be in files folder
        $filePath = 'files/LoremIpsum.pdf';
        //create a temp file name for our PDF file...
        $fileName = 'MyFile'.uniqid().'.pdf';
            
        //Create a ClientPrintJob obj that will be processed at the client side by the WCPP
        $cpj2 = new ClientPrintJob();
        //Create a PrintFilePDF object with the PDF file
        $cpj2->printFile = new PrintFilePDF($filePath, $fileName, null);
        
        $useDefaultPrinter2 = ($qs['useDefaultPrinter2'] === 'checked');
        $printerName2 = urldecode($qs['printerName2']);

        if ($useDefaultPrinter2 || $printerName2 === 'null'){
            $cpj2->clientPrinter = new DefaultPrinter();
        }else{
            $cpj2->clientPrinter = new InstalledPrinter($printerName2);
        }

        //Create a ClientPrintJobGroup for printing both ClientPrintJob!
        $cpjg = new ClientPrintJobGroup();
        //Add ClientPrintJob objects
        $cpjg->clientPrintJobGroup = array($cpj1, $cpj2);
  
		//Send ClientPrintJobGroup back to the client
		ob_start();
		ob_clean();
		header('Content-type: application/octet-stream');
		echo $cpjg->sendToClient();
		ob_end_flush();
		exit();
        
    }
}

    Creating Web Pages

    • The default page is for detecting whether the client machine has the WebClientPrint Processor (WCPP) Utility installed. Create a new PHP page and name it index.php. Then copy/paste the following code:

    <?php
  session_start();
  
  include 'WebClientPrint.php';
  use Neodynamic\SDK\Web\WebClientPrint;
  
?>
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
    <head>
        <title>Detecting WebClientPrint Processor...</title>
        
        <style>
        body{font: 13px 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;}        
        </style>
    
    </head>
    <body>
        <div id="msgInProgress">
            <div id="mySpinner" style="width:32px;height:32px"></div>
            <br />
            Detecting WCPP utility at client side... 
            <br />
            Please wait a few seconds...
            <br />
        </div>
        <div id="msgInstallWCPP" style="display:none;">    
            <h3>#1 Install WebClientPrint Processor (WCPP)!</h3>
            <p>
                <strong>WCPP is a native app (without any dependencies!)</strong> that handles all print jobs 
                generated by the <strong>WebClientPrint PHP component</strong> at the server side. The WCPP 
                is in charge of the whole printing process and can be 
                installed on <strong>Windows, Linux, Raspberry Pi & Mac!</strong>
            </p>
            <p>
                <a href="http://www.neodynamic.com/downloads/wcpp/" target="_blank">Download and Install WCPP from Neodynamic website</a><br />                
            </p>         
            <h3>#2 After installing WCPP...</h3>
            <p>
                <a href="PrintManyJobs.php">You can go and test the printing page</a>
            </p>

        </div>
        
        <!-- Add Reference to jQuery at Google CDN -->
        <script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.8.2/jquery.min.js"></script>

        
        

        <script type="text/javascript">

            var wcppPingTimeout_ms = 60000; //60 sec
            var wcppPingTimeoutStep_ms = 500; //0.5 sec

            function wcppDetectOnSuccess(){
                // WCPP utility is installed at the client side
                // redirect to WebClientPrint sample page

                // get WCPP version
                var wcppVer = arguments[0];
                if(wcppVer.substring(0, 1) == "6")
                    window.location.href = "PrintManyJobs.php";
                else //force to install WCPP v6.0
                    wcppDetectOnFailure();
            }

            function wcppDetectOnFailure() {
                // It seems WCPP is not installed at the client side
                // ask the user to install it
                $('#msgInProgress').hide();
                $('#msgInstallWCPP').show();                
            }

            

        </script>
        
        <?php
        
        //Get Absolute URL of this page
        $currentAbsoluteURL = (@$_SERVER["HTTPS"] == "on") ? "https://" : "http://";
        $currentAbsoluteURL .= $_SERVER["SERVER_NAME"];
        if($_SERVER["SERVER_PORT"] != "80" && $_SERVER["SERVER_PORT"] != "443")
        {
            $currentAbsoluteURL .= ":".$_SERVER["SERVER_PORT"];
        } 
        $currentAbsoluteURL .= $_SERVER["REQUEST_URI"];
    
        //WebClientPrinController.php is at the same page level as WebClientPrint.php
        $webClientPrintControllerAbsoluteURL = substr($currentAbsoluteURL, 0, strrpos($currentAbsoluteURL, '/')).'/WebClientPrintController.php';

        // Create WCPP detection script
        echo WebClientPrint::createWcppDetectionScript($webClientPrintControllerAbsoluteURL, session_id());

        ?>
    </body>
</html>

    • Add a new PHP page and name it PrintManyJobs.php. Copy/paste the following code:

    <?php 
    session_start();

    include 'WebClientPrint.php';
    use Neodynamic\SDK\Web\WebClientPrint;
?>

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <title>Printing Multiple Jobs</title>
</head>
<body>
    <!-- Store User's SessionId -->
    <input type="hidden" id="sid" name="sid" value="<?php echo session_id(); ?>" />
    
    <h3>Print RAW ESC/POS Commands and PDF File</h3>

    <h4>Print RAW ESC/POS Commands To the following printer:</h4>

    <div>
    <label class="checkbox">
	    <input type="checkbox" id="useDefaultPrinter1" /> <strong>Print to Default printer</strong> or...
    </label>
    </div>

    <div id="loadPrinters1">
	    Click to load and select one of the installed printers!
	    <br />
        <input type="button" onclick="javascript:jsWebClientPrint.getPrinters();" value="Load installed printers..." />
        <br /><br />
    </div>

    <div id="installedPrinters1" style="visibility:hidden">
	    <label for="installedPrinterName1">Select an installed Printer:</label>
	    <select name="installedPrinterName1" id="installedPrinterName1"></select>
    </div>

    <h3>Print PDF To the following printer:</h3>

    <div>
    <label class="checkbox">
	    <input type="checkbox" id="useDefaultPrinter2" /> <strong>Print to Default printer</strong> or...
    </label>
    </div>

    <div id="loadPrinters2">
	    Click to load and select one of the installed printers!
	    <br />
	    <input type="button" onclick="javascript:jsWebClientPrint.getPrinters();" value="Load installed printers..." />
        <br /><br />
    </div>

    <div id="installedPrinters2" style="visibility:hidden">
	    <label for="installedPrinterName2">Select an installed Printer:</label>
	    <select name="installedPrinterName2" id="installedPrinterName2"></select>
    </div>

    <script type="text/javascript">
	    var wcppGetPrintersTimeout_ms = 60000; //60 sec
        var wcppGetPrintersTimeoutStep_ms = 500; //0.5 sec

	    function wcpGetPrintersOnSuccess() {
		    // Display client installed printers
		    if (arguments[0].length > 0) {
			    var p = arguments[0].split("|");
			    var options = '';
			    for (var i = 0; i < p.length; i++) {
				    options += '<option>' + p[i] + '</option>';
			    }
			    $('#installedPrinters1').css('visibility', 'visible');
			    $('#installedPrinterName1').html(options);
			    $('#installedPrinterName1').focus();
			    $('#loadPrinters1').hide();
            
                $('#installedPrinters2').css('visibility', 'visible');
			    $('#installedPrinterName2').html(options);
			    $('#loadPrinters2').hide();

		    } else {
			    alert("No printers are installed in your system.");
		    }
	    }
	    function wcpGetPrintersOnFailure() {
		    // Do something if printers cannot be got from the client
		    alert("No printers are installed in your system.");
	    }
    </script>

    <br />

    <input type="button" style="font-size:18px" onclick="javascript:jsWebClientPrint.print('useDefaultPrinter1=' + $('#useDefaultPrinter1').attr('checked') + '&printerName1=' + $('#installedPrinterName1').val() + '&useDefaultPrinter2=' + $('#useDefaultPrinter2').attr('checked') + '&printerName2=' + $('#installedPrinterName2').val());" value="Print Commands And Files..." />

    
    <!-- Add Reference to jQuery at Google CDN -->
    <script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.8.2/jquery.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script>

    <?php
    //Get Absolute URL of this page
    $currentAbsoluteURL = (@$_SERVER["HTTPS"] == "on") ? "https://" : "http://";
    $currentAbsoluteURL .= $_SERVER["SERVER_NAME"];
    if($_SERVER["SERVER_PORT"] != "80" && $_SERVER["SERVER_PORT"] != "443")
    {
        $currentAbsoluteURL .= ":".$_SERVER["SERVER_PORT"];
    } 
    $currentAbsoluteURL .= $_SERVER["REQUEST_URI"];
    
    //WebClientPrinController.php is at the same page level as WebClientPrint.php
    $webClientPrintControllerAbsoluteURL = substr($currentAbsoluteURL, 0, strrpos($currentAbsoluteURL, '/')).'/WebClientPrintController.php';
    
    //PrintManyJobsController.php is at the same page level as WebClientPrint.php
    $printManyJobsControllerAbsoluteURL = substr($currentAbsoluteURL, 0, strrpos($currentAbsoluteURL, '/')).'/PrintManyJobsController.php';
    
    //Specify the ABSOLUTE URL to the WebClientPrintController.php and to the file that will create the ClientPrintJob object
    echo WebClientPrint::createScript($webClientPrintControllerAbsoluteURL, $printManyJobsControllerAbsoluteURL, session_id());
    ?>
       

</body>
</html>

    WebClientPrint Setup for Laravel 8+

    • Create a new folder called WebClientPrint under app folder of your project

    • Copy the WebClientPrint.php to that WebClientPrint folder

    • Create a new folder called wcpcache under the WebClientPrint folder

    Creating Controllers

    • Add a new Controller to your project and name it WebClientPrintController.php. Then copy/paste the following code:

    <?php
 
namespace App\Http\Controllers;
 
use Illuminate\Http\Request;
 
//*********************************
// IMPORTANT NOTE 
// 1. In this sample we store users related stuff (like
// the list of printers and whether they have the WCPP 
// client utility installed) in the wcpcache folder BUT 
// you can change it to another different storage (like a DB)!
// which will be required in Load Balacing scenarios
// 
// 2. If your website requires user authentication, then
// THIS FILE MUST be set to ALLOW ANONYMOUS access!!!
//
// 3. EXCLUDE this Controller from CSRF Protection
// Ref https://laravel.com/docs/5.5/csrf#csrf-excluding-uris
//*********************************
 
//Includes WebClientPrint classes
include_once(app_path() . '\WebClientPrint\WebClientPrint.php');
use Neodynamic\SDK\Web\WebClientPrint;
 
 
class WebClientPrintController extends Controller
{
 
    public function processRequest(Request $request){
 
         
        //IMPORTANT SETTINGS:
        //===================
        //Set wcpcache folder RELATIVE to WebClientPrint.php file
        //FILE WRITE permission on this folder is required!!!
        WebClientPrint::$wcpCacheFolder = app_path() . '/WebClientPrint/wcpcache/';
        //===================
 
        // Clean built-in Cache
        // NOTE: Remove it if you implement your own cache system
        WebClientPrint::cacheClean(30); //in minutes
 
        //get session id from querystring if any
        $sid = NULL;
        if ($request->has(WebClientPrint::SID)){
            $sid = $request->input(WebClientPrint::SID);
        }
         
        try{
            //get query string from url
            $query = substr($request->fullUrl(), strpos($request->fullUrl(), '?')+1);
            //get request type
            $reqType = WebClientPrint::GetProcessRequestType($query);
             
            if($reqType == WebClientPrint::GenPrintScript ||
            $reqType == WebClientPrint::GenWcppDetectScript){
                //Let WebClientPrint to generate the requested script
                 
                //Get Absolute URL of this file
                $currentAbsoluteURL = substr($request->fullUrl(), 0, strrpos($request->fullUrl(), '?'));
                 
                // Return WebClientPrint's javascript code 
                return response(WebClientPrint::generateScript($currentAbsoluteURL, $query))
                        ->header('Content-Type', 'text/javascript');
                 
            } 
            else if ($reqType == WebClientPrint::ClientSetWcppVersion)
            {
                //This request is a ping from the WCPP utility
                //so store the session ID indicating this user has the WCPP installed
                //also store the WCPP Version if available
                if($request->has(WebClientPrint::WCPP_SET_VERSION) && strlen($request->input(WebClientPrint::WCPP_SET_VERSION)) > 0){
                    WebClientPrint::cacheAdd($sid, WebClientPrint::WCP_CACHE_WCPP_VER, $request->input(WebClientPrint::WCPP_SET_VERSION));
                }
                return;
            }
            else if ($reqType == WebClientPrint::ClientSetInstalledPrinters)
            {
                //WCPP Utility is sending the installed printers at client side
                //so store this info with the specified session ID
                WebClientPrint::cacheAdd($sid, WebClientPrint::WCP_CACHE_PRINTERS, strlen($request->input(WebClientPrint::WCPP_SET_PRINTERS)) > 0 ? $request->input(WebClientPrint::WCPP_SET_PRINTERS) : '');
                return;
            }
            else if ($reqType == WebClientPrint::ClientSetInstalledPrintersInfo)
            {
                //WCPP Utility is sending the installed printers at client side with detailed info
                //so store this info with the specified session ID
                //Printers Info is in JSON format
                $printersInfo = $request->input('printersInfoContent');
                 
                WebClientPrint::cacheAdd($sid, WebClientPrint::WCP_CACHE_PRINTERSINFO, $printersInfo);
                return;
            }
            else if ($reqType == WebClientPrint::ClientGetWcppVersion)
            {
                //return the WCPP version for the specified Session ID (sid) if any
                return response(WebClientPrint::cacheGet($sid, WebClientPrint::WCP_CACHE_WCPP_VER))
                        ->header('Content-Type', 'text/plain');                 
            }
            else if ($reqType == WebClientPrint::ClientGetInstalledPrinters)
            {
                //return the installed printers for the specified Session ID (sid) if any
                return response(base64_decode(WebClientPrint::cacheGet($sid, WebClientPrint::WCP_CACHE_PRINTERS)))
                        ->header('Content-Type', 'text/plain'); 
            }    
            else if ($reqType == WebClientPrint::ClientGetInstalledPrintersInfo)
            {
                //return the installed printers with detailed info for the specified Session ID (sid) if any
                return response(base64_decode(WebClientPrint::cacheGet($sid, WebClientPrint::WCP_CACHE_PRINTERSINFO)))
                        ->header('Content-Type', 'text/plain'); 
            }    
        }
        catch (Exception $ex)
        {
            throw $ex;
        }
 
    }
     
}

    • Exclude WebClientPrintAPIController from CSRF Protection by editing app\Http\Middleware\VerifyCsrfToken.php so it looks like the following code:

    <?php

namespace App\Http\Middleware;

use Illuminate\Foundation\Http\Middleware\VerifyCsrfToken as Middleware;

class VerifyCsrfToken extends BaseVerifier
{
    /**
     * The URIs that should be excluded from CSRF verification.
     *
     * @var array
     */
    protected $except = [
        'WebClientPrintController'
    ];
}

    • Edit the HomeController so it looks like the following code:

    <?php

namespace App\Http\Controllers;

use Illuminate\Http\Request;

use Session;

//Includes WebClientPrint classes
include_once(app_path() . '\WebClientPrint\WebClientPrint.php');
use Neodynamic\SDK\Web\WebClientPrint;


class HomeController extends Controller
{
    public function index(){

        $wcppScript = WebClientPrint::createWcppDetectionScript(action('WebClientPrintController@processRequest'), Session::getId());    

        return view('home.index', ['wcppScript' => $wcppScript]);
    }

    public function printManyJobs(){
        $wcpScript = WebClientPrint::createScript(action('WebClientPrintController@processRequest'), action('PrintManyJobsController@printRawCmdAndFile'), Session::getId());

        return view('home.printManyJobs', ['wcpScript' => $wcpScript]);
    }
    
}

    • Add a new Controller and name it PrintManyJobsController and paste the following code:

    <?php

namespace App\Http\Controllers;

use Illuminate\Http\Request;


//*********************************
// IMPORTANT NOTE 
// ==============
// If your website requires user authentication, then
// THIS FILE MUST be set to ALLOW ANONYMOUS access!!!
//
//*********************************

//Includes WebClientPrint classes
include_once(app_path() . '\WebClientPrint\WebClientPrint.php');
use Neodynamic\SDK\Web\WebClientPrint;
use Neodynamic\SDK\Web\Utils;
use Neodynamic\SDK\Web\DefaultPrinter;
use Neodynamic\SDK\Web\InstalledPrinter;
use Neodynamic\SDK\Web\PrintFile;
use Neodynamic\SDK\Web\PrintFilePDF;
use Neodynamic\SDK\Web\ClientPrintJob;
use Neodynamic\SDK\Web\ClientPrintJobGroup;

use Session;

class PrintManyJobsController extends Controller
{
    
    public function printRawCmdAndFile(Request $request){
        
       if ($request->exists(WebClientPrint::CLIENT_PRINT_JOB)) {

            //We'll create TWO ClientPrintJob objects, one for printing the RAW commands and the other one for printing the PDF file

            //Create ESC/POS commands for sample receipt
            $esc = '0x1B'; //ESC byte in hex notation
            $newLine = '0x0A'; //LF byte in hex notation
        
            $cmds = '';
            $cmds = $esc . "@"; //Initializes the printer (ESC @)
            $cmds .= $esc . '!' . '0x38'; //Emphasized + Double-height + Double-width mode selected (ESC ! (8 + 16 + 32)) 56 dec => 38 hex
            $cmds .= 'BEST DEAL STORES'; //text to print
            $cmds .= $newLine . $newLine;
            $cmds .= $esc . '!' . '0x00'; //Character font A selected (ESC ! 0)
            $cmds .= 'COOKIES                   5.00'; 
            $cmds .= $newLine;
            $cmds .= 'MILK 65 Fl oz             3.78';
            $cmds .= $newLine . $newLine;
            $cmds .= 'SUBTOTAL                  8.78';
            $cmds .= $newLine;
            $cmds .= 'TAX 5%                    0.44';
            $cmds .= $newLine;
            $cmds .= 'TOTAL                     9.22';
            $cmds .= $newLine;
            $cmds .= 'CASH TEND                10.00';
            $cmds .= $newLine;
            $cmds .= 'CASH DUE                  0.78';
            $cmds .= $newLine . $newLine;
            $cmds .= $esc . '!' . '0x18'; //Emphasized + Double-height mode selected (ESC ! (16 + 8)) 24 dec => 18 hex
            $cmds .= '# ITEMS SOLD 2';
            $cmds .= $esc . '!' . '0x00'; //Character font A selected (ESC ! 0)
            $cmds .= $newLine . $newLine;
            $cmds .= '11/03/13  19:53:17';

		    //Create a ClientPrintJob obj that will be processed at the client side by the WCPP
		    $cpj1 = new ClientPrintJob();
		    //set ESCPOS commands to print...
		    $cpj1->printerCommands = $cmds;
            $cpj1->formatHexValues = true;
	    
            $useDefaultPrinter1 = ($request->input('useDefaultPrinter1') === 'checked');
            $printerName1 = urldecode($request->input('printerName1'));
	
		    if ($useDefaultPrinter1 || $printerName1 === 'null') {
			    $cpj1->clientPrinter = new DefaultPrinter();
		    } else {
			    $cpj1->clientPrinter = new InstalledPrinter($printerName1);
		    }


            //Now the ClientPrintJob for the PDF file
        
            //the PDF file to be printed, supposed to be in files folder
            $filePath = 'files/LoremIpsum.pdf';
            //create a temp file name for our PDF file...
            $fileName = 'MyFile'.uniqid().'.pdf';
            
            //Create a ClientPrintJob obj that will be processed at the client side by the WCPP
            $cpj2 = new ClientPrintJob();
            //Create a PrintFilePDF object with the PDF file
            $cpj2->printFile = new PrintFilePDF($filePath, $fileName, null);
        
            $useDefaultPrinter2 = ($request->input('useDefaultPrinter2') === 'checked');
            $printerName2 = urldecode($request->input('printerName2'));

            if ($useDefaultPrinter2 || $printerName2 === 'null'){
                $cpj2->clientPrinter = new DefaultPrinter();
            }else{
                $cpj2->clientPrinter = new InstalledPrinter($printerName2);
            }

            //Create a ClientPrintJobGroup for printing both ClientPrintJob!
            $cpjg = new ClientPrintJobGroup();
            //Add ClientPrintJob objects
            $cpjg->clientPrintJobGroup = array($cpj1, $cpj2);
		
			//Send ClientPrintJobGroup back to the client
			return response($cpjg->sendToClient())
						->header('Content-Type', 'application/octet-stream');
                
            
        }
    }    
    
}

    Creating/Editing Views

    • Edit the resources / views / layouts / app.blade.php file so it looks like follows:

    
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <meta charset="utf-8" />
    <title>WebClientPrint for PHP</title>    
</head>
<body>
    
    <div>
        @yield('body')
	</div>

	<script src="https://code.jquery.com/jquery-2.2.4.min.js"></script>
    
    @yield('scripts')

</body>
</html>

    • The default View is for detecting whether the client machine has the WebClientPrint Processor (WCPP) Utility installed. Edit the resources / views / home / index.blade.php file and add the folowing section to the BODY:

    
@extends('layouts.app')

@section('body')
<div id="msgInProgress">
    
    <h3>Detecting WCPP utility at client side...</h3>
    <h3>Please wait a few seconds...</h3>
    <br />
</div>
<div id="msgInstallWCPP" style="display:none;">
    <h3>#1 Install WebClientPrint Processor (WCPP)!</h3>
    <p>
        <strong>WCPP is a native app (without any dependencies!)</strong> that handles all print jobs
        generated by the <strong>WebClientPrint for PHP component</strong> at the server side. The WCPP
        is in charge of the whole printing process and can be
        installed on <strong>Windows, Linux, Mac & Raspberry Pi!</strong>
    </p>
    <p>
        <a href="//www.neodynamic.com/downloads/wcpp/" target="_blank" >Download and Install WCPP from Neodynamic website</a><br />
    </p>
    <h3>#2 After installing WCPP...</h3>
    <p>
        <a href="{{action('HomeController@printManyJobs')}}" >You can go and test the printing page...</a>
    </p>

</div>
@endsection

@section('scripts')
<script type="text/javascript">

            var wcppPingTimeout_ms = 60000; //60 sec
            var wcppPingTimeoutStep_ms = 500; //0.5 sec
                     
            function wcppDetectOnSuccess(){
                // WCPP utility is installed at the client side
                // redirect to WebClientPrint sample page
                
                // get WCPP version
                var wcppVer = arguments[0];
                if(wcppVer.substring(0, 1) == "6")
                    window.location.href = '{{action('HomeController@printManyJobs')}}';
                else //force to install WCPP v6.0
                    wcppDetectOnFailure();
            }

            function wcppDetectOnFailure() {
                // It seems WCPP is not installed at the client side
                // ask the user to install it
                $('#msgInProgress').hide();
                $('#msgInstallWCPP').show();
            }

</script>


{!! 

// Register the WCPP Detection script code
// The $wcpScript was generated by HomeController@index

$wcppScript;

!!}

@endsection

    • Add a new View with the following name and under such folders: resources / views / home / printManyJobs.blade.php Then, copy/paste the folowing code:

    
@extends('layouts.app')

@section('body')


<h3>Print RAW ESC/POS Commands and PDF File</h3>

<h4>Print RAW ESC/POS Commands To the following printer:</h4>

<div>
<label class="checkbox">
	<input type="checkbox" id="useDefaultPrinter1" /> <strong>Print to Default printer</strong> or...
</label>
</div>

<div id="loadPrinters1">
	Click to load and select one of the installed printers!
	<br />
    <input type="button" onclick="javascript:jsWebClientPrint.getPrinters();" value="Load installed printers..." />
    <br /><br />
</div>

<div id="installedPrinters1" style="visibility:hidden">
	<label for="installedPrinterName1">Select an installed Printer:</label>
	<select name="installedPrinterName1" id="installedPrinterName1"></select>
</div>

<h3>Print PDF To the following printer:</h3>

<div>
<label class="checkbox">
	<input type="checkbox" id="useDefaultPrinter2" /> <strong>Print to Default printer</strong> or...
</label>
</div>

<div id="loadPrinters2">
	Click to load and select one of the installed printers!
	<br />
	<input type="button" onclick="javascript:jsWebClientPrint.getPrinters();" value="Load installed printers..." />
    <br /><br />
</div>

<div id="installedPrinters2" style="visibility:hidden">
	<label for="installedPrinterName2">Select an installed Printer:</label>
	<select name="installedPrinterName2" id="installedPrinterName2"></select>
</div>

<script type="text/javascript">
	var wcppGetPrintersTimeout_ms = 60000; //60 sec
    var wcppGetPrintersTimeoutStep_ms = 500; //0.5 sec

	function wcpGetPrintersOnSuccess() {
		// Display client installed printers
		if (arguments[0].length > 0) {
			var p = arguments[0].split("|");
			var options = '';
			for (var i = 0; i < p.length; i++) {
				options += '<option>' + p[i] + '</option>';
			}
			$('#installedPrinters1').css('visibility', 'visible');
			$('#installedPrinterName1').html(options);
			$('#installedPrinterName1').focus();
			$('#loadPrinters1').hide();
            
            $('#installedPrinters2').css('visibility', 'visible');
			$('#installedPrinterName2').html(options);
			$('#loadPrinters2').hide();

		} else {
			alert("No printers are installed in your system.");
		}
	}
	function wcpGetPrintersOnFailure() {
		// Do something if printers cannot be got from the client
		alert("No printers are installed in your system.");
	}
</script>

<br />

<input type="button" style="font-size:18px" onclick="javascript:jsWebClientPrint.print('useDefaultPrinter1=' + $('#useDefaultPrinter1').attr('checked') + '&printerName1=' + $('#installedPrinterName1').val() + '&useDefaultPrinter2=' + $('#useDefaultPrinter2').attr('checked') + '&printerName2=' + $('#installedPrinterName2').val());" value="Print Commands And Files..." />

	  
@endsection

@section('scripts')

{!! 

// Register the WebClientPrint script code
// The $wcpScript was generated by PrintManyJobsController@index

$wcpScript;

!!}

@endsection

    • Finally, add the following routes to routes / web.php

    
Route::get('/', 'HomeController@index');
Route::get('home', 'HomeController@index');
Route::get('home/index', 'HomeController@index');
Route::get('home/printManyJobs', 'HomeController@printManyJobs');
Route::get('PrintManyJobsController', 'PrintManyJobsController@printRawCmdAndFile');
Route::any('WebClientPrintController', 'WebClientPrintController@processRequest');

    • Edit the app\Providers\RouteServiceProvider.php and uncommet the line protected $namespace = 'App\\Http\\Controllers';

  • That's it! Run your website and test it.


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