How to data binding ADO.NET DataSet Access or SQL Server DB to print barcode labels with Zebra ZPL-EPL printers and VB.NET or C# by using ThermalLabel SDK for .NET
Product ThermalLabel SDK for .NET Published 06/29/2011 Updated 04/18/2018
Requirements
Neodynamic ThermalLabel SDK 8.0+
Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6.1+
Microsoft Visual Studio 2017+
Any Zebra Thermal Printer supporting ZPL (Zebra Programming Language) or EPL (Eltron Programming Language)
ThermalLabel SDK supports .NET Data Binding scenarios allowing you to print thermal labels bound to a data source such as custom .NET objects, XML files, Databases, ADO.NET, etc.
In this guide you will learn how to perform data binding with databases like MS Access or SQL Server to print barcode labels with Zebra ZPL or EPL printers by using ThermalLabel SDK for .NET
The following sample features an MS Access Database file (C:\Temp\DatabaseSample.mdb) containing an Employees table. An ADO.NET DataTable as well as a ThermalLabel objects will be used for data binding scenario printing a set of thermal labels for each employee as shown in the following figure.
IMPORTANT: To test the sample code you must have installed a Zebra ZPL-based or EPL-based thermal printer.
Follow these steps:
- Download and install latest version of Neodynamic ThermalLabel SDK for .NET
- Open Visual Studio and create a new Windows Forms project. Please ensure to select .NET 4.6.1 Framework or greater
- Add a reference to Neodynamic.SDK.ThermalLabel.dll and Neodynamic.SDK.ThermalLabel.WindowsPrinting.dll assemblies.
- Download the DatabaseSample.mdb database file and copy it to C:\temp\ folder. The structure of the Employees table in DatabaseSample.mdb file is as follows:
- Add a button control onto the form and paste the following code in the click event handler of the button:
VB
'Define a ThermalLabel object and set unit to inch and label size Dim tLabel As New ThermalLabel(UnitType.Inch, 3, 2) tLabel.GapLength = 0.2 'Define a couple of TextItem objects for Employee info Dim txt1 As New TextItem(0.1, 0.05, 2.8, 0.3, "") 'set data field txt1.DataField = "Name" 'set font txt1.Font.Name = "Arial" txt1.Font.Unit = FontUnit.Point txt1.Font.Size = 12 'set alignment txt1.TextAlignment = TextAlignment.Left Dim txt2 As New TextItem(0.1, 0.35, 2.8, 0.3, "") 'set data field txt2.DataField = "Address" 'set font txt2.Font.Name = "Arial Narrow" txt2.Font.Unit = FontUnit.Point txt2.Font.Size = 10 'set alignment txt2.TextAlignment = TextAlignment.Left Dim txt3 As New TextItem(0.1, 0.65, 1.5, 0.3, "") 'set data field txt3.DataField = "City" 'set font txt3.Font.Name = "Arial Narrow" txt3.Font.Unit = FontUnit.Point txt3.Font.Size = 10 'set alignment txt3.TextAlignment = TextAlignment.Left Dim txt4 As New TextItem(1.6, 0.65, 0.5, 0.3, "") 'set data field txt4.DataField = "State" 'set font txt4.Font.Name = "Arial Narrow" txt4.Font.Unit = FontUnit.Point txt4.Font.Size = 10 'set alignment txt4.TextAlignment = TextAlignment.Left Dim txt5 As New TextItem(2.1, 0.65, 0.7, 0.3, "") 'set data field txt5.DataField = "PostalCode" 'set font txt5.Font.Name = "Arial Narrow" txt5.Font.Unit = FontUnit.Point txt5.Font.Size = 10 'set alignment txt5.TextAlignment = TextAlignment.Left 'Define a BarcodeItem object for encoding the postal code in USPS Postnet Dim bc As New BarcodeItem(0.1, 0.95, 2.8, 0.65, BarcodeSymbology.Postnet, "") 'set data field bc.DataField = "PostalCode" 'set narrow bar width bc.BarWidth = 0.02 'do not set a quiet zone bc.QuietZone = new FrameThickness(0) 'set barcode alignment bc.BarcodeAlignment = BarcodeAlignment.TopLeft 'hide human readable text bc.DisplayCode = False 'Add items to ThermalLabel object... tLabel.Items.Add(txt1) tLabel.Items.Add(txt2) tLabel.Items.Add(txt3) tLabel.Items.Add(txt4) tLabel.Items.Add(txt5) tLabel.Items.Add(bc) 'Create data source... Dim employees As New DataTable() Using conn As New System.Data.OleDb.OleDbConnection("Provider= Microsoft.JET.OLEDB.4.0; Data Source=C:\temp\DataBaseSample.mdb") 'open db connection... conn.Open() 'execute db command... Using cmd As New System.Data.OleDb.OleDbCommand("SELECT TOP 6 * FROM Employees", conn) Using reader As System.Data.OleDb.OleDbDataReader = cmd.ExecuteReader() employees.Load(reader) End Using End Using End Using 'set data source... tLabel.DataSource = employees 'Create a WindowsPrintJob object Using pj As New WindowsPrintJob() 'Create PrinterSettings object Dim myPrinter As New PrinterSettings() myPrinter.Communication.CommunicationType = CommunicationType.USB myPrinter.Dpi = 203 myPrinter.ProgrammingLanguage = ProgrammingLanguage.ZPL myPrinter.PrinterName = "Zebra TLP2844-Z" 'Set PrinterSettings to PrintJob pj.PrinterSettings = myPrinter 'Print ThermalLabel object... pj.Print(tLabel) End UsingC#
//Define a ThermalLabel object and set unit to inch and label size ThermalLabel tLabel = new ThermalLabel(UnitType.Inch, 3, 2); tLabel.GapLength = 0.2; //Define a couple of TextItem objects for Employee info TextItem txt1 = new TextItem(0.1, 0.05, 2.8, 0.3, ""); //set data field txt1.DataField = "Name"; //set font txt1.Font.Name = "Arial"; txt1.Font.Unit = FontUnit.Point; txt1.Font.Size = 12; //set alignment txt1.TextAlignment = TextAlignment.Left; TextItem txt2 = new TextItem(0.1, 0.35, 2.8, 0.3, ""); //set data field txt2.DataField = "Address"; //set font txt2.Font.Name = "Arial Narrow"; txt2.Font.Unit = FontUnit.Point; txt2.Font.Size = 10; //set alignment txt2.TextAlignment = TextAlignment.Left; TextItem txt3 = new TextItem(0.1, 0.65, 1.5, 0.3, ""); //set data field txt3.DataField = "City"; //set font txt3.Font.Name = "Arial Narrow"; txt3.Font.Unit = FontUnit.Point; txt3.Font.Size = 10; //set alignment txt3.TextAlignment = TextAlignment.Left; TextItem txt4 = new TextItem(1.6, 0.65, 0.5, 0.3, ""); //set data field txt4.DataField = "State"; //set font txt4.Font.Name = "Arial Narrow"; txt4.Font.Unit = FontUnit.Point; txt4.Font.Size = 10; //set alignment txt4.TextAlignment = TextAlignment.Left; TextItem txt5 = new TextItem(2.1, 0.65, 0.7, 0.3, ""); //set data field txt5.DataField = "PostalCode"; //set font txt5.Font.Name = "Arial Narrow"; txt5.Font.Unit = FontUnit.Point; txt5.Font.Size = 10; //set alignment txt5.TextAlignment = TextAlignment.Left; //Define a BarcodeItem object for encoding the postal code in USPS Postnet BarcodeItem bc = new BarcodeItem(0.1, 0.95, 2.8, 0.65, BarcodeSymbology.Postnet, ""); //set data field bc.DataField = "PostalCode"; //set narrow bar width bc.BarWidth = 0.02; //do not set a quiet zone bc.QuietZone = new FrameThickness(0); //set barcode alignment bc.BarcodeAlignment = BarcodeAlignment.TopLeft; //hide human readable text bc.DisplayCode = false; //Add items to ThermalLabel object... tLabel.Items.Add(txt1); tLabel.Items.Add(txt2); tLabel.Items.Add(txt3); tLabel.Items.Add(txt4); tLabel.Items.Add(txt5); tLabel.Items.Add(bc); //Create data source... DataTable employees = new DataTable(); using (System.Data.OleDb.OleDbConnection conn = new System.Data.OleDb.OleDbConnection(@"Provider= Microsoft.JET.OLEDB.4.0; Data Source=C:\temp\DataBaseSample.mdb")) { //open db connection... conn.Open(); //execute db command... using (System.Data.OleDb.OleDbCommand cmd = new System.Data.OleDb.OleDbCommand("SELECT TOP 6 * FROM Employees", conn)) { using (System.Data.OleDb.OleDbDataReader reader = cmd.ExecuteReader()) { employees.Load(reader); } } } //set data source... tLabel.DataSource = employees; //Create a WindowsPrintJob object using (WindowsPrintJob pj = new WindowsPrintJob()) { //Create PrinterSettings object PrinterSettings myPrinter = new PrinterSettings(); myPrinter.Communication.CommunicationType = CommunicationType.USB; myPrinter.Dpi = 203; myPrinter.ProgrammingLanguage = ProgrammingLanguage.ZPL; myPrinter.PrinterName = "Zebra TLP2844-Z"; //Set PrinterSettings to PrintJob pj.PrinterSettings = myPrinter; //Print ThermalLabel object... pj.Print(tLabel); } - Run the sample Windows Forms application and test it.