In this article I’ll explain how to allow the users to print the contents of the ASP.Net GridView control. So let’s start.

I’ll explain two options, first printing the current page of the ASP.Net GridView control and second printing all the pages.

I have already populated a GridView control using the Microsoft Northwind database.


ASP.Net GridView control with print functionality to print it using any printer



Print Current Page of ASP.Net GridView control

Below is the Button Event handler that is called when the Print Button is clicked

C#

protected void  PrintCurrentPage(object sender, EventArgs e)

{

    GridView1.PagerSettings.Visible = false;

    GridView1.DataBind();

    StringWriter sw = new StringWriter();

    HtmlTextWriter hw = new HtmlTextWriter(sw);

    GridView1.RenderControl(hw);

    string gridHTML = sw.ToString().Replace("\"", "'")

        .Replace(System.Environment.NewLine, "");

    StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();

    sb.Append("<script type = 'text/javascript'>");

    sb.Append("window.onload = new function(){");

    sb.Append("var printWin = window.open('', '', 'left=0");

    sb.Append(",top=0,width=1000,height=600,status=0');");

    sb.Append("printWin.document.write(\"");

    sb.Append(gridHTML);

    sb.Append("\");");

    sb.Append("printWin.document.close();");

    sb.Append("printWin.focus();");

    sb.Append("printWin.print();");

    sb.Append("printWin.close();};");

    sb.Append("</script>"); 

    ClientScript.RegisterStartupScript(this.GetType(), "GridPrint", sb.ToString());

    GridView1.PagerSettings.Visible = true;

    GridView1.DataBind();

}

 

VB.Net

Protected Sub PrintCurrentPage(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)

  GridView1.PagerSettings.Visible = False

  GridView1.DataBind()

  Dim sw As New StringWriter()

  Dim hw As New HtmlTextWriter(sw)

  GridView1.RenderControl(hw)

  Dim gridHTML As String = sw.ToString().Replace("""", "'") _

     .Replace(System.Environment.NewLine, "")

  Dim sb As New StringBuilder()

  sb.Append("<script type = 'text/javascript'>")

  sb.Append("window.onload = new function(){")

  sb.Append("var printWin = window.open('', '', 'left=0")

  sb.Append(",top=0,width=1000,height=600,status=0');")

  sb.Append("printWin.document.write(""")

  sb.Append(gridHTML)

  sb.Append(""");")

  sb.Append("printWin.document.close();")

  sb.Append("printWin.focus();")

  sb.Append("printWin.print();")

  sb.Append("printWin.close();};")

  sb.Append("</script>")

  ClientScript.RegisterStartupScript(Me.GetType(), "GridPrint", sb.ToString())

  GridView1.PagerSettings.Visible = True

  GridView1.DataBind()

End Sub

 

As you’ll notice I have created a JavaScript method to print the GridView content which is called when the page is loaded. The screenshot below displays the preview of the ASP.Net GridView that will be printed


Preview of the current page of the ASP.Net GridView control that is beinged printed



Print All Pages of ASP.Net GridView control

Below is the Button Event handler that is called when the Print All Button is clicked

C#

protected void  PrintAllPages(object sender, EventArgs e)

{

    GridView1.AllowPaging = false;

    GridView1.DataBind();

    StringWriter sw = new StringWriter();

    HtmlTextWriter hw = new HtmlTextWriter(sw);

    GridView1.RenderControl(hw);

    string gridHTML = sw.ToString().Replace("\"", "'")

        .Replace(System.Environment.NewLine, "");

    StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();

    sb.Append("<script type = 'text/javascript'>");

    sb.Append("window.onload = new function(){");

    sb.Append("var printWin = window.open('', '', 'left=0");

    sb.Append(",top=0,width=1000,height=600,status=0');");

    sb.Append("printWin.document.write(\"");

    sb.Append(gridHTML);

    sb.Append("\");");

    sb.Append("printWin.document.close();");

    sb.Append("printWin.focus();");

    sb.Append("printWin.print();");

    sb.Append("printWin.close();};");

    sb.Append("</script>"); 

    ClientScript.RegisterStartupScript(this.GetType(), "GridPrint", sb.ToString());

    GridView1.AllowPaging = true;

    GridView1.DataBind();

}

 

VB.Net

Protected Sub PrintAllPages(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)

  GridView1.AllowPaging = False

  GridView1.DataBind()

  Dim sw As New StringWriter()

  Dim hw As New HtmlTextWriter(sw)

  GridView1.RenderControl(hw)

  Dim gridHTML As String = sw.ToString().Replace("""", "'") _

       .Replace(System.Environment.NewLine, "")

  Dim sb As New StringBuilder()

  sb.Append("<script type = 'text/javascript'>")

  sb.Append("window.onload = new function(){")

  sb.Append("var printWin = window.open('', '', 'left=0")

  sb.Append(",top=0,width=1000,height=1000,status=0');")

  sb.Append("printWin.document.write(""")

  sb.Append(gridHTML)

  sb.Append(""");")

  sb.Append("printWin.document.close();")

  sb.Append("printWin.focus();")

  sb.Append("printWin.print();")

  sb.Append("printWin.close();};")

  sb.Append("</script>")

  ClientScript.RegisterStartupScript(Me.[GetType](), "GridPrint", sb.ToString())

  GridView1.AllowPaging = True

  GridView1.DataBind()

End Sub

 

The only difference in the above function is that I am disabling the paging so that all pages are printed. The screenshot below displays the preview of the ASP.Net GridView that will be printed.


Preview of the ASP.Net GridView control with all pages being printed



To view the live demo, click here.

 

With this the article comes to an end. Hope you liked it. Download the sample code in VB.Net and C# using the link below

Download Code (4.74 kb)