Receipt Print Modification Right Click 3.0 Kevin Devine Euclid Public Library August 22, 2007

The Problem Handwritten slips for reserves No consistency Bad spelling / penmanship 100s handwritten each day Even in front of patrons waiting to checkout!

Handwritten slips for reserves

No consistency

Bad spelling / penmanship

100s handwritten each day

Even in front of patrons waiting to checkout!

The Goal Before After

Before

After

From the beginning Can it be done? How will it work? Can our ILS do this? Initially, the answer was “No”, but the question lingered… Could this be done?

Can it be done?

How will it work?

Can our ILS do this?

Initially, the answer was “No”, but the question lingered… Could this be done?

TIME PASSES…

A New Problem Arises

Goal Revisited Routing Before Routing After

Routing Before

Routing After

Options? Screen capture / OCR / Print Utilizing Window Handles to get Textboxes Staff copy and paste to another application Change ILS to a system that works better Capture Spool file and modify output

Screen capture / OCR / Print

Utilizing Window Handles to get Textboxes

Staff copy and paste to another application

Change ILS to a system that works better

Capture Spool file and modify output

Spool File What are these?

Escape Codes Specific to each brand of printer SDK on website List of commands Font height and width Bold, Underline, Italics Line feeds, cut paper Change text orientation

Specific to each brand of printer

SDK on website

List of commands

Font height and width

Bold, Underline, Italics

Line feeds, cut paper

Change text orientation

Example Escape Code (in code) ChrW(27) & ChrW(104) & ChrW(51) & ChrW(27) & ChrW(87) & ChrW(49) & ChrW(27) & ChrW(45) & ChrW(49) & ChrW(27) & ChrW(69) & sName ChrW(27) & ChrW(104) & ChrW(48) & ChrW(27) & ChrW(87) & ChrW(48) & ChrW(27) & ChrW(45) & ChrW(48) & ChrW(27) & ChrW(70) Bold, Underline, Height = 4, Width = 2 turned on The second bullet turns those all off

ChrW(27) & ChrW(104) & ChrW(51) & ChrW(27) & ChrW(87) & ChrW(49) & ChrW(27) & ChrW(45) & ChrW(49) & ChrW(27) & ChrW(69) & sName

ChrW(27) & ChrW(104) & ChrW(48) & ChrW(27) & ChrW(87) & ChrW(48) & ChrW(27) & ChrW(45) & ChrW(48) & ChrW(27) & ChrW(70)

Bold, Underline, Height = 4, Width = 2 turned on

The second bullet turns those all off

Capturing a Print Job Small jobs enter and exit the spool quickly Pause/Unpause the queue? Create a “dummy” printer Copy modified spool file to real printer

Small jobs enter and exit the spool quickly

Pause/Unpause the queue?

Create a “dummy” printer

Copy modified spool file to real printer

A Little Bit of Code Monitoring application VB.net Watches the “dummy” print queue Looks for keywords in spool file HOLD FOR: in transit to: Modifies the spool file with escape codes Copies to the real printer

Monitoring application

VB.net

Watches the “dummy” print queue

Looks for keywords in spool file

HOLD FOR:

in transit to:

Modifies the spool file with escape codes

Copies to the real printer

Results Circulation was ecstatic! Reserves have readable names Routing slips are easy Patrons are not waiting for the staff to write out slips Customer Service and line speed have increased

Circulation was ecstatic!

Reserves have readable names

Routing slips are easy

Patrons are not waiting for the staff to write out slips

Customer Service and line speed have increased

Time Comparison Before Writing reserve slips 20 seconds Writing routing slips 20 seconds Reserves per month: 9000 Routing per month: 4000 Total Time: 72 hours a month After Printing reserve slips 2 seconds Printing routing slips 2 seconds Reserves per month: 9000 Routing per month: 4000 Total Time: 7 hours a month It cut the work down to 1/10 th of before!

Before

Writing reserve slips

20 seconds

Writing routing slips

20 seconds

Reserves per month: 9000

Routing per month: 4000

Total Time:

72 hours a month

After

Printing reserve slips

2 seconds

Printing routing slips

2 seconds

Reserves per month: 9000

Routing per month: 4000

Total Time:

7 hours a month

Any Questions? Receipt Print Modification Right Click 3.0 Kevin Devine Euclid Public Library [email_address] August 22, 2007

Any Questions?

Receipt Print Modification

Right Click 3.0

Kevin Devine

Euclid Public Library

[email_address]

August 22, 2007