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Reference Manual for Web Printing |
© 1997-2000 Abante Systems, Inc.
Abante Progression, Abante Systems, and WIBN are trademarks of Abante Systems, Inc.
The Progression Toolbox Web software has several components that work together to provide a printing solution for Web users.
The first component is the Progression Network Assistant. The Network Assistant is used to edit the Progression configuration file ("aprgrntb.cfg") that is located in the same folder as the Web software ("pweb.dll").
Once the configuration file is setup users can now direct their print jobs to be printed. Users use the Progression Web software in their Web browser to print their reports. The browser and the Toolbox Web software are the second component.
The reports are not printed out right away but are instead placed into a printing queue. The third component is the Progression Toolbox native application running on Windows. Progression Toolbox is used to open the printing queue, generate the reports, and direct those reports to the printer.
In most cases its desirable for the above process to happen automatically. The Windows Task Scheduler is the fourth component. When used it can be configured to start the Progression Toolbox application up at defined intervals to print the queued reports.
The following sections will describe these four components in more detail.
The above screen shot is the Web Options screen in the Network Assistant. For more information on how to use the Network Assistant please read the online documentation for the Network Assistant. You can view this online help off the Help menu in the Network Assistant.
The printers are listed in the large white box. Each printer must be on its own line. If the printers have been configured on the computer, the Find System Printers button can be used to automatically generate this list.
Save the configuration file. Make sure this file is named aprgrntb.cfg and is in the same directory as the pweb.dll Toolbox Web file.
The above screenshot is a typical screen in the Progression Toolbox Web software. When the user clicks on the Submit for Printing button, the report is sent to the print queue.
The above screenshot is a view of the Manage Printing Queue screen in the Progression Toolbox native application running on Windows. Its possible to see all the reports that have been submitted by users for printing. The reports can actually be printed by selecting the Print All button.
On Windows 98SE, Windows ME, and Windows 2000, the Task Scheduler is installed by default. You can confirm its presence by starting Windows Explorer and finding the Scheduled Tasks item in the tree on the left hand side of the screen. If you are using Windows NT 4.0 and are using Internet Explorer 5.0 you may have the Task Scheduler already installed.
If the Task Scheduler is already installed, please skip ahead to the Using the Windows Task Scheduler section. If you are running Windows NT 4.0 or the Task Scheduler is not installed please continue reading.
The Task Scheduler on Windows 98SE.
The Task Scheduler on Windows 2000
The following instructions are for Windows NT 4.0 with Internet Explorer 4.0.
Please go to the Control Panel and start the Add/Remove Programs applet. Scroll through the list of installed applications until you find the Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 item.
Click on the Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 list item and click on the Add/Remove button.
You will be presented with the above dialog. Click on the Add a component option and click OK.
Microsoft Internet Explorer will start and will go to Microsoft's Windows Update Web site. Click on the Product Updates option and you will see a screen similar to the above screen. Scroll through the list until you find the Task Scheduler component. Click on the checkbox to select this component and follow the directions from Microsoft to install the Task Scheduler.
Start Windows Explorer, find the Scheduled Tasks folder, and Click on the Add Scheduled Task folder item.
Click on Next.
Give the task a name and select the Daily option. Click on Next.
Find the Progression Toolbox application in the list or click on the Browse button and select it. Click on Next.
Select a start time that is appropriate for your users. Click on Next.
The Task Scheduler will need to run as a system user. It may be easiest to use the Windows 2000/NT Administrator account. Enter and confirm the passwords. Click on Next.
Click on the Advanced Properties checkbox. Click on Finish.
Progression Toolbox requires command line parameters to tell it which database to open, who to log in as, and to print the queue. Documentation on the command line parameters can be found in the Progression Toolbox help file.
/dbtype:server /dbname: Driver={SQL Server};Server=upsilon;Database=Testing;UID=progression;PWD=progression /dbcase:1 /username:Administrator /password:Progression /printqueue
The above text is an example set of command line parameters. Much of this is most likely already in use by your district to configure the Web software. You may wish to copy this from the Network Assistant aprgrntb.cfg file.
Click on the Schedule tab. Then click on the Advanced button.
You need to use the Advanced settings to set intervals less than one day. The above settings are recommended if you wish to have reports printed out in a timely fashion. Click the OK button.
Your new schedule should now appear. Click on the OK button to finalize this schedule.
You should now be ready to print out reports. Please contact Abante Systems if you have any questions or problems.