Changing ActivePrinter using OLE in Winword and Excel

[Markus7]

Dear experts

I need to change the property ActivePrinter in Word and Excel. While it works in Word, I am not able to get it working in Excel. Please find below my ABAP code for Word and Excel. Any help is highly appreciated!

* Changing ActiveDocument in Winword
PARAMETERS: pa_prt1 TYPE rspoprname
              DEFAULT 'Canon MG5300 series Printer',
            pa_prt2 TYPE rspoprname
                DEFAULT 'Microsoft Print to PDF'.

DATA: lo_application    TYPE ole2_object,
      lo_documents      TYPE ole2_object,
      lo_activedocument TYPE ole2_object,
      le_string         TYPE string.

CREATE OBJECT lo_application 'Word.Application'.
SET PROPERTY OF lo_application 'Visible' = 0.

CALL METHOD OF lo_application 'Documents' = lo_documents.
CALL METHOD OF lo_documents 'Open'
  EXPORTING
    #1 = 'C:\Temp\File.doc'.
CALL METHOD OF lo_application 'ActiveDocument' = lo_activedocument.

GET PROPERTY OF lo_application 'ActivePrinter' = le_string.

CASE le_string.
  WHEN pa_prt1.
    SET PROPERTY OF lo_application 'ActivePrinter' = pa_prt2.
  WHEN pa_prt2.
    SET PROPERTY OF lo_application 'ActivePrinter' = pa_prt1.
  WHEN OTHERS.
ENDCASE.

CALL METHOD OF lo_activedocument 'Close'.
CALL METHOD OF lo_application 'Quit'
  EXPORTING
    #1 = 0.

* Changing ActiveDocument in Excel
PARAMETERS: pa_prt1 TYPE rspoprname
              DEFAULT 'Canon MG5300 series Printer',
            pa_prt2 TYPE rspoprname
                DEFAULT 'Microsoft Print to PDF'.

DATA: lo_application    TYPE ole2_object,
      lo_workbooks      TYPE ole2_object,
      lo_activeworkbook TYPE ole2_object,
      le_string         TYPE string.

CREATE OBJECT lo_application 'Excel.Application'.
SET PROPERTY OF lo_application 'Visible' = 0.

CALL METHOD OF lo_application 'Workbooks' = lo_workbooks.
CALL METHOD OF lo_workbooks 'Open'
  EXPORTING
    #1 = 'C:\Temp\Excel.xls'.
CALL METHOD OF lo_application 'ActiveWorkbook' = lo_activeworkbook.

GET PROPERTY OF lo_application 'ActivePrinter' = le_string.

CASE le_string.
  WHEN pa_prt1.
    SET PROPERTY OF lo_application 'ActivePrinter' = pa_prt2.
  WHEN pa_prt2.
    SET PROPERTY OF lo_application 'ActivePrinter' = pa_prt1.
  WHEN OTHERS.
ENDCASE.

CALL METHOD OF lo_activeworkbook 'Close'.
CALL METHOD OF lo_workbooks 'Close'.
CALL METHOD OF lo_application 'Quit'
  EXPORTING
    #1 = 0.

[raymond_giuseppi]

Which value did you actually get for Application.Activeprinter, for Excel shouldn't it be like '<printer> on <port>' such as 'PDFCreator on Ne01:' ?

[Markus7]

You ar right, I missed "on <port>". Thanks for this hint!! This is surely part of my problem but I am still not able to solve it. My printers are

• Microsoft Print to PDF auf Ne01:
• Canon MG5300 series Printer auf Ne05:

I changed my code as follows but SET PROPERTY OF lo_application 'ActivePrinter' = le_string. with le_string having value:

• Microsoft Print to PDF auf Ne01:
• Canon MG5300 series Printer auf Ne05:

does not work either.

*Changing ActiveDocument in Excel
PARAMETERS: pa_prt1 TYPE rspoprname
              DEFAULT 'Canon MG5300 series Printer',
            pa_prt2 TYPE rspoprname
              DEFAULT 'Microsoft Print to PDF'.

  DATA: lo_application    TYPE ole2_object,
        lo_workbooks      TYPE ole2_object,
        lo_activeworkbook TYPE ole2_object,
        le_string         TYPE string,
        le_printer        TYPE string,
        le_separator      TYPE string,
        le_port           TYPE string.

  CASE sy-langu.
    WHEN 'E'.
      le_separator = 'on'.
    WHEN 'D'.
      le_separator = 'auf'.
    WHEN OTHERS.
  ENDCASE.

  CREATE OBJECT lo_application 'Excel.Application'.
  SET PROPERTY OF lo_application 'Visible' = 0.

  CALL METHOD OF lo_application 'Workbooks' = lo_workbooks.
  CALL METHOD OF lo_workbooks 'Open'
    EXPORTING
      #1 = 'C:\Temp\Excel.xls'.
  CALL METHOD OF lo_application 'ActiveWorkbook' = lo_activeworkbook.

  GET PROPERTY OF lo_application 'ActivePrinter' = le_string.
  IF le_separator IS NOT INITIAL.
    SPLIT le_string AT le_separator INTO le_printer le_port.
    CLEAR: le_string.
    CONDENSE: le_printer, le_port.
  ENDIF.

  CASE le_printer.
    WHEN pa_prt1.
      CONCATENATE pa_prt2 le_separator 'Ne01:' INTO le_string SEPARATED BY space.
    WHEN pa_prt2.
      CONCATENATE pa_prt1 le_separator 'Ne05:' INTO le_string SEPARATED BY space.
    WHEN OTHERS.
  ENDCASE.
  SET PROPERTY OF lo_application 'ActivePrinter' = le_string.

  CALL METHOD OF lo_activeworkbook 'Close'.
  CALL METHOD OF lo_workbooks 'Close'.
  CALL METHOD OF lo_application 'Quit'
    EXPORTING
      #1 = 0.

[Markus7]

No suggestions?

[myster]

Hi Markus.

I had the same problem and solved just now. Different computers have different printer ports. See the following link.

[ ABAP OLE ] How to print with local non-system default printer?