Hi everyone,

I have a question about the java multi-platform print dialog.

My question is on collating the output of my print out using the java
multi-platform print dialog. The thing is no matter even if i select the
collate check box or not the output of the print out is always printed
uncollated.

When i use the platform specific print dialog(windows in my case) the
output can be printed collated or uncollated.

This is what i am doing to call the multi-platform dialog to print
collated print-outs

The below is sun's simple printing program but when i test this
programming(when i switch the aset variable between collating and
uncollating) the problem also arises.

This is the compilable program

import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.print.*;
import javax.print.attribute.standard.*;

    public class PrintBook {
      public static void main(String[] args) {

     javax.print.attribute.PrintRequestAttributeSet aset;
     aset = new javax.print.attribute.HashPrintRequestAttributeSet();

      aset.add(new Copies(2));
     //aset.add(SheetCollate.UNCOLLATED);
     aset.add(SheetCollate.COLLATED);
   
           // Get a PrinterJob    
           PrinterJob job = PrinterJob.getPrinterJob();    
           // Create a landscape page format    
           PageFormat pfl = job.defaultPage();  
           pfl.setOrientation(PageFormat.LANDSCAPE);    
           // Set up a book    
           Book bk = new Book();    
           bk.append(new PaintCover(), pfl);    
           bk.append(new PaintContent(), job.defaultPage());    
           // Pass the book to the PrinterJob    
           job.setPageable(bk);    
           // Put up the dialog box    
           if (job.printDialog(aset)) {
               // Print the job if the user didn't cancel printing
               try { job.print(aset); }
               catch (Exception e) {e.printStackTrace();}    
           }    
         System.exit(0);  
       }
    }

    class PaintCover implements Printable {  
       Font fnt = new Font("Helvetica-Bold", Font.PLAIN, 72);

       public int print(Graphics g, PageFormat pf, int pageIndex)
         throws PrinterException {    
           g.setFont(fnt);    
           g.setColor(Color.black);    
        int yc = (int) (pf.getImageableY() +
                   pf.getImageableHeight()/2);
           g.drawString("Widgets, Inc.", 72, yc+36);    
           return Printable.PAGE_EXISTS;  
       }
    }
    class PaintContent implements Printable {  
       public int print(Graphics g, PageFormat pf, int pageIndex)
         throws PrinterException {    
           Graphics2D g2 = (Graphics2D) g;    
           int useRed = 0;    
          int xo = (int) pf.getImageableX();
        int yo = (int) pf.getImageableY();
           // Fill page with circles or squares, alternating red & green
        for (int x = 0; x+28 < pf.getImageableWidth(); x += 36)
           for (int y = 0; y+28 < pf.getImageableHeight(); y += 36){
               if (useRed == 0) g.setColor(Color.red);
               else g.setColor(Color.green);
               useRed = 1 - useRed;
               if (pageIndex % 2 == 0) g.drawRect(xo+x+4, yo+y+4, 28, 28);
               else g.drawOval(xo+x+4, yo+y+4, 28, 28);
           }    
           return   Printable.PAGE_EXISTS;  
       }
    }

It seems strange to me that if i use the sytem specific print dialog i can
print both collated and uncollated printouts but if i use the java
multi-platform print dialog the print out is always printed uncollated
even when i specify it to be printed collated

There are no exceptions thrown and the program compiles with no errors.

Am i calling java multi-platform print dialog and adding the
attributes correctly?

Is this a bug or am i missing something for both my questions?

This program was run on java 1.4.6 and 1.5.0_06 with both producing the
same results

I really hope someone can help me with this problem

Any help is greatly appreciated

Thank You

Yours Sincerely

Richard West