How to data binding ADO.NET DataSet XML 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 XML files to print barcode labels with Zebra ZPL printers by using ThermalLabel SDK for .NET
The following sample features a XML file containing books info. An ADO.NET DataSet object wrapping the books info from the XML source and a ThermalLabel objects will be used to perform data binding scenario printing a set of thermal labels for each book 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.
- Create a XML File in C:\temp\books.xml with the following content:
<Books xmlns=""> <Book ISBN="0-7356-0562-9" Title="XML in Action" /> <Book ISBN="0-7356-1377-X" Title="Introducing Microsoft .NET" /> <Book ISBN="0-7356-1288-9" Title="Inside C#" /> <Book ISBN="0-7356-1370-2" Title="Programming Microsoft Windows With C#" /> <Book ISBN="0-7356-1448-2" Title="Microsoft C# Language Specifications" /> </Books> - 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 TextItem object for binding to book's title Dim txt1 As New TextItem(0.1, 0.05, 2.8, 0.3, "") 'set data field txt1.DataField = "Title" 'set font txt1.Font.Name = "Arial Narrow" txt1.Font.Unit = FontUnit.Point txt1.Font.Size = 9 'set alignment txt1.TextAlignment = TextAlignment.Left 'Define a TextItem object for ISBN word Dim txt2 As New TextItem(0.1, 0.3, 0.75, 0.5, "ISBN:") 'set font txt2.Font.Name = "Arial" txt2.Font.Unit = FontUnit.Point txt2.Font.Size = 14 txt2.Font.Bold = True 'set alignment txt2.TextAlignment = TextAlignment.Left 'Define a TextItem object for binding to ISBN code Dim txt3 As New TextItem(0.75, 0.32, 2, 0.5, "") 'set data field txt3.DataField = "ISBN" 'set font txt3.Font.Name = "Courier New" txt3.Font.Unit = FontUnit.Point txt3.Font.Size = 14 'set alignment txt3.TextAlignment = TextAlignment.Left 'Define a BarcodeItem object for encoding ISBN barcode Dim bc As New BarcodeItem(0.1, 0.57, 2.8, 1.3, BarcodeSymbology.Isbn, "") 'set data field bc.DataField = "ISBN" 'set barcode size bc.BarWidth = 0.013 bc.BarHeight = 1 bc.EanUpcGuardBar = True bc.EanUpcGuardBarHeight = bc.BarHeight + 5 * bc.BarWidth 'set barcode alignment bc.BarcodeAlignment = BarcodeAlignment.MiddleCenter 'Add items to ThermalLabel object... tLabel.Items.Add(txt1) tLabel.Items.Add(txt2) tLabel.Items.Add(txt3) tLabel.Items.Add(bc) 'Create data source... Dim books As New DataSet() books.ReadXml("c:\temp\books.xml") 'set data source... tLabel.DataSource = books '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 TextItem object for binding to book's title TextItem txt1 = new TextItem(0.1, 0.05, 2.8, 0.3, ""); //set data field txt1.DataField = "Title"; //set font txt1.Font.Name = "Arial Narrow"; txt1.Font.Unit = FontUnit.Point; txt1.Font.Size = 9; //set alignment txt1.TextAlignment = TextAlignment.Left; //Define a TextItem object for ISBN word TextItem txt2 = new TextItem(0.1, 0.3, 0.75, 0.5, "ISBN:"); //set font txt2.Font.Name = "Arial"; txt2.Font.Unit = FontUnit.Point; txt2.Font.Size = 14; txt2.Font.Bold = true; //set alignment txt2.TextAlignment = TextAlignment.Left; //Define a TextItem object for binding to ISBN code TextItem txt3 = new TextItem(0.75, 0.32, 2, 0.5, ""); //set data field txt3.DataField = "ISBN"; //set font txt3.Font.Name = "Courier New"; txt3.Font.Unit = FontUnit.Point; txt3.Font.Size = 14; //set alignment txt3.TextAlignment = TextAlignment.Left; //Define a BarcodeItem object for encoding ISBN barcode BarcodeItem bc = new BarcodeItem(0.1, 0.57, 2.8, 1.3, BarcodeSymbology.Isbn, ""); //set data field bc.DataField = "ISBN"; //set barcode size bc.BarWidth = 0.013; bc.BarHeight = 1; bc.EanUpcGuardBar = true; bc.EanUpcGuardBarHeight = bc.BarHeight + 5 * bc.BarWidth; //set barcode alignment bc.BarcodeAlignment = BarcodeAlignment.MiddleCenter; //Add items to ThermalLabel object... tLabel.Items.Add(txt1); tLabel.Items.Add(txt2); tLabel.Items.Add(txt3); tLabel.Items.Add(bc); //Create data source... DataSet books = new DataSet(); books.ReadXml(@"c:\temp\books.xml"); //set data source... tLabel.DataSource = books; //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.