How to data binding custom objects 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 .NET Custom Objects to print barcode labels with Zebra ZPL or EPL printers by using ThermalLabel SDK for .NET
The following sample features a class called Product with two basic properties: Id and Name. A list of Product and a ThermalLabel objects will be used to perform data binding scenario printing a set of thermal labels for each product 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.
- Add a Class file and name it Product. After that paste the following code into it:
VB
Public Class Product Dim _id As String Dim _name As String Public Sub New(ByVal id As String, ByVal name As String) Me.Id = id Me.Name = name End Sub Public Property Id() As String Get Return _id End Get Set(ByVal value As String) _id = value End Set End Property Public Property Name() As String Get Return _name End Get Set(ByVal value As String) _name = value End Set End Property End ClassC#
public class Product { string _id; string _name; public Product(string id, string name) { this.Id = id; this.Name = name; } public string Id { get { return _id; } set { _id = value; } } public string Name { get { return _name; } set { _name = value; } } } - 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 product name Dim txt As New TextItem(0.1, 0.1, 2.8, 0.5, "") 'set data field txt.DataField = "Name" 'set font txt.Font.Name = "Arial" txt.Font.Unit = FontUnit.Point txt.Font.Size = 16 'set border txt.BorderThickness = new FrameThickness(0.03) 'set alignment txt.TextAlignment = TextAlignment.Center txt.TextPadding = new FrameThickness(0, 0.1, 0, 0) 'Define a BarcodeItem object for encoding product id with a Code 128 symbology Dim bc As New BarcodeItem(0.1, 0.57, 2.8, 1.3, BarcodeSymbology.Code128, "") 'set data field bc.DataField = "Id" 'set barcode size bc.BarWidth = 0.01 bc.BarHeight = 0.75 'set barcode alignment bc.BarcodeAlignment = BarcodeAlignment.MiddleCenter 'set text alignment bc.CodeAlignment = BarcodeTextAlignment.BelowJustify 'set border bc.BorderThickness = new FrameThickness(0.03) 'Add items to ThermalLabel object... tLabel.Items.Add(txt) tLabel.Items.Add(bc) 'Create data source... Dim products As New List(Of Product) products.Add(New Product("OO2935", "Olive Oil")) products.Add(New Product("CS4948", "Curry Sauce")) products.Add(New Product("CH0094", "Chocolate")) products.Add(New Product("MZ1027", "Mozzarella")) 'set data source... tLabel.DataSource = products '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 product name TextItem txt = new TextItem(0.1, 0.1, 2.8, 0.5, ""); //set data field txt.DataField = "Name"; //set font txt.Font.Name = "Arial"; txt.Font.Unit = FontUnit.Point; txt.Font.Size = 16; //set border txt.BorderThickness = new FrameThickness(0.03); //set alignment txt.TextAlignment = TextAlignment.Center; txt.TextPadding = new FrameThickness(0, 0.1, 0, 0); //Define a BarcodeItem object for encoding product id with a Code 128 symbology BarcodeItem bc = new BarcodeItem(0.1, 0.57, 2.8, 1.3, BarcodeSymbology.Code128, ""); //set data field bc.DataField = "Id"; //set barcode size bc.BarWidth = 0.01; bc.BarHeight = 0.75; //set barcode alignment bc.BarcodeAlignment = BarcodeAlignment.MiddleCenter; //set text alignment bc.CodeAlignment = BarcodeTextAlignment.BelowJustify; //set border bc.BorderThickness = new FrameThickness(0.03); //Add items to ThermalLabel object... tLabel.Items.Add(txt); tLabel.Items.Add(bc); //Create data source... List<Product> products = new List<Product>(); products.Add(new Product("OO2935", "Olive Oil")); products.Add(new Product("CS4948", "Curry Sauce")); products.Add(new Product("CH0094", "Chocolate")); products.Add(new Product("MZ1027", "Mozzarella")); //set data source... tLabel.DataSource = products; //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.