Print RDLC Report Directly To Printer In MVC

Article Overview

• Background
• Prerequisites
• How to print rdlc report directly to printer in MVC
  
• Complete example
• Output
  
• Summary

Background

 

There was a situation where I had to render an rdlc report into a MVC application and directly open it to the print dialog box.

 

Hence, I have created an rdlc report in MVC and rendered that report as bytes using ReportViewer and saved it to pdf file. I have used PdfReader and added JavaScript to pdf file through PdfStamper for the mozilla browser issue. After that, I opened a print dialog using JavaScript.

 

Here, I have kept all the implementation details along with a complete example.

 

Prerequisites

• You should have a basic knowledge of RDLC report implementation as well as MVC applications. 
• Reference of "Microsoft.ReportViewer.WebForms" and "iTextSharp"
  

How to print rdlc report directly to printer in MVC

 

There are mainly four key steps to implement this:

• Create rdlc report in MVC
  
• Use ReportViewer and render as bytes
• Create pdf file using PdfReader and add JavaScript to pdf file through PdfStamper
• Open Print dialog using JavaScript

Now, let us see in detail.

 

Create rdlc report

 

Our first task is to add and create a report file into the project.

 

First, create a MVC project.

 

Second, add new RDLC report by “Add New Item” => “Visual C#” => “Report” selection.

 

 

 

Third, design report. To make it easy to understand I have created one simple static report without any database connection just for simplicity.

 

 

 

User ReportViewer and render as bytes

 

Now, our second task is to use (consume) report into the C# (code).

 

First, add “Microsoft.ReportViewer.WebForms” reference into the project.

 

Second, add “Microsoft.ReportViewer.WebForms” namespace.

using Microsoft.Reporting.WebForms;

Third, write code and set report path.

reportViewer.LocalReport.ReportPath = Server.MapPath(@"~\Report1.rdlc");

Create pdf file using PdfReader and add JavaScript to pdf file through PdfStamper

 

Now, we have to render (convert) the report into bytes and save it as a pdf file along with some JavaScript settings like the following:

First, render report into bytes.

Warning[] warnings;
string[] streamids;
string mimeType, encoding, filenameExtension;

byte[] bytes = reportViewer.LocalReport.Render("Pdf", null, out mimeType, out encoding, out filenameExtension, out streamids, out warnings);

Second, add iTextShart using NuGet to save pdf file and add some properties to that pdf file as described below.

 

 

//File
string FileName = "Test_" + DateTime.Now.Ticks.ToString() + ".pdf";
string FilePath = HttpContext.Server.MapPath(@"~\TempFiles\") + FileName;

//create and set PdfReader
PdfReader reader = new PdfReader(bytes);
FileStream output = new FileStream(FilePath, FileMode.Create);

string Agent = HttpContext.Request.Headers["User-Agent"].ToString();

//create and set PdfStamper
PdfStamper pdfStamper = new PdfStamper(reader, output, '0', true);

if (Agent.Contains("Firefox"))
    pdfStamper.JavaScript = "var res = app.loaded('var pp = this.getPrintParams();pp.interactive = pp.constants.interactionLevel.full;this.print(pp);');";
else
    pdfStamper.JavaScript = "var res = app.setTimeOut('var pp = this.getPrintParams();pp.interactive = pp.constants.interactionLevel.full;this.print(pp);', 200);";

pdfStamper.FormFlattening = false;
pdfStamper.Close();
reader.Close();

Here, PdfStamper is being used to add JavaScript so that print popup will open especially for FireFox web browser.

Third, return created pdf file’s path.

//return file path
string FilePathReturn = @"TempFiles/" + FileName;
return Content(FilePathReturn);

Note, that here I am creating a pdf file and storing it into the “TempFiles” folder location.

 

Open Print dialog

 

Now, our last task is to open a file into the print dialog.

 

First, place a placeholder for pdf to show.

<div id="divPDF">
    <div id="printerDiv"><iframe id="frmPDF"></iframe></div>
</div>

Second, assign pdf and call print option from JavaScript.

$('#frmPDF').attr('src', '@Url.Content("~/")' + result);
setTimeout(function () {
    frame = document.getElementById("frmPDF");
    framedoc = frame.contentWindow;
    framedoc.focus();
    framedoc.print();
}, 1000);

That’s it.

 

Complete example

 

For your reference, I have kept the complete example in a single folder and uploaded that with this article and it contains the below files:

• Index.cshtml (View)
• HomeController.cs (Controller)
• Report1.rdlc (Report)
• TempFiles (Folder to store created pdf file)

Complete code is like the following:

 

View (Index.cshtml)

<style>
    #printerDiv iframe { position: absolute; top: -1000px; }
</style>
<div class="jumbotron">
    <button onclick="funExportToPDF()">Export to PDF</button>
</div>

<div id="divPDF">
    <div id="printerDiv"><iframe id="frmPDF"></iframe></div>
</div>

<script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/3.4.1/jquery.min.js"></script>

<script type="text/javascript">

    function funExportToPDF() {

        $.ajax({
            url: '@Url.Action("ExportToPDF", "Home")',
            type: 'GET',
            contentType: 'application/json; charset=utf-8',
            success: function (result) {

                $('#frmPDF').attr('src', '@Url.Content("~/")' + result);

                setTimeout(function () {
                    frame = document.getElementById("frmPDF");
                    frameframedoc = frame.contentWindow;
                    framedoc.focus();
                    framedoc.print();
                }, 1000);
            },
            error: function (xhr, status, err) {
                alert(err);
            }
        });

        return false;
    }

</script>

Controller (HomeController.cs)

public ActionResult ExportToPDF()
{
    //Report
    ReportViewer reportViewer = new ReportViewer();

    reportViewer.ProcessingMode = ProcessingMode.Local;
    reportViewer.LocalReport.ReportPath = Server.MapPath(@"~\Report1.rdlc");

    //Byte
    Warning[] warnings;
    string[] streamids;
    string mimeType, encoding, filenameExtension;

    byte[] bytes = reportViewer.LocalReport.Render("Pdf", null, out mimeType, out encoding, out filenameExtension, out streamids, out warnings);

    //File
    string FileName = "Test_" + DateTime.Now.Ticks.ToString() + ".pdf";
    string FilePath = HttpContext.Server.MapPath(@"~\TempFiles\") + FileName;

    //create and set PdfReader
    PdfReader reader = new PdfReader(bytes);
    FileStream output = new FileStream(FilePath, FileMode.Create);

    string Agent = HttpContext.Request.Headers["User-Agent"].ToString();

    //create and set PdfStamper
    PdfStamper pdfStamper = new PdfStamper(reader, output, '0', true);

    if (Agent.Contains("Firefox"))
        pdfStamper.JavaScript = "var res = app.loaded('var pp = this.getPrintParams();pp.interactive = pp.constants.interactionLevel.full;this.print(pp);');";
    else
        pdfStamper.JavaScript = "var res = app.setTimeOut('var pp = this.getPrintParams();pp.interactive = pp.constants.interactionLevel.full;this.print(pp);', 200);";

    pdfStamper.FormFlattening = false;
    pdfStamper.Close();
    reader.Close();

    //return file path
    string FilePathReturn = @"TempFiles/" + FileName;
    return Content(FilePathReturn);
}

Output

 

The output will be like following in Chrome browser after clicking on "Export to PDF" button:

 

 

 

Summary

 

Now, I believe you will be able to print rdlc reports directly to the printer in MVC.