Java printing problem how to print in multiple pages

Question

hi all
i'm trying to print the output of my application
no problems with the 1st page but i'd like to tell to my app to print in a brand new page if the content exceed the printable length of the first page. i have 2 classes: printer and Document. the last one implements Printable
Printer code
PrinterJob printJob = PrinterJob.getPrinterJob ();
      //--- Create a new book to add pages to
      Book book = new Book ();
      //--- Add the cover page using the default page format for this print job
      //book.append (new IntroPage (), printJob.defaultPage ());
      //--- Add the document page using a landscape page format
      PageFormat documentPageFormat = new PageFormat ();
      documentPageFormat.setOrientation (PageFormat.LANDSCAPE);
      //Document doc=new Document();
      //book.append (doc, documentPageFormat);  
      //book.append (new Getter(), documentPageFormat);  
      book.append (new Document(), documentPageFormat);  
      //--- Tell the printJob to use the book as the pageable object
      printJob.setPageable (book);
      System.out.println("AAAAAAAA" +book.getNumberOfPages());
      //--- Show the print dialog box. If the user click the
      //--- print button we then proceed to print else we cancel
      //--- the process.
      if (printJob.printDialog()) {
         try {
            printJob.print(); 
         } catch (Exception PrintException) {
            PrintException.printStackTrace();
      }Document code:
public class Document implements Printable
    private final static int POINTS_PER_INCH = 72;
    Calendar now;
    DateFormat df;
    Date date;
    double width;
    Point2D.Double pen;
    Graphics2D g2d;
    LineBreakMeasurer lineBreaker;
    AttributedString paragraphText;
    TextLayout layout;
    double maxPen=0.0;
    static int x1,x2,x3,x4,x5,x6,x7,x8,x9,x10;
    static double intestY, textX, textY;
    public Document()
    public int print (Graphics g, PageFormat pageFormat, int page)
        pen = new Point2D.Double();
        //setto calendario e DateFormat per orario
        df=new SimpleDateFormat("HH:mm:ss:SSS");
        //now=GregorianCalendar.getInstance();       
        //date=now.getTime();
         //--- Create the Graphics2D object
         g2d = (Graphics2D) g;
         //--- Translate the origin to 0,0 for the top left corner
         g2d.translate(pageFormat.getImageableX (), pageFormat.getImageableY ());        
         g2d.setColor(new Color(204,204,204));
         Font titleFont = new Font ("arial", Font.PLAIN, 10);
         Font textFont = new Font ("arial", Font.PLAIN, 8);
         g2d.setFont (titleFont);
         //--- Compute the horizontal center of the page
         FontMetrics fontMetrics = g2d.getFontMetrics ();
         String text = "ABSOL s.r.l. - LISTA APPUNTAMENTI DI Marcello Baiguera";
         textX=(pageFormat.getImageableWidth() - fontMetrics.stringWidth(text))/2;
         textY =7.2;
         //g2d.drawString (text, (int) textX, (int) textY);
         g2d.setFont (textFont);
         fontMetrics = g2d.getFontMetrics ();        
         //linea orizzontale sotto il titolo
         textY=textY + fontMetrics.getDescent();
         //g2d.drawLine(0, (int)textY, (int)pageFormat.getImageableWidth(), (int)textY);
         //prima linea verticale - margine sx
         //g2d.drawLine(x1, (int)textY, x1, (int)pageFormat.getImageableHeight());
         //seconda linea vert 
         x2=x1+fontMetrics.stringWidth("ven. 31/12/2003 ");
         //g2d.drawLine(x2, (int)textY, x2, (int)pageFormat.getImageableHeight());
         //terza linea vert         
         x3=x2+fontMetrics.stringWidth("88:88 ");
         //g2d.drawLine(x3, (int)textY, x3, (int)pageFormat.getImageableHeight()); 
         //quarta linea vert         
         x4=x3+fontMetrics.stringWidth("Marcello Impegnato text text text text");
         //g2d.drawLine(x4, (int)textY, x4, (int)pageFormat.getImageableHeight());
         //quinta linea vert         
         x5=x4+fontMetrics.stringWidth("Sig D'alessio Gigione ");
         //g2d.drawLine(x5, (int)textY, x5, (int)pageFormat.getImageableHeight());   
         //sesta linea vert         
         x6=x5+fontMetrics.stringWidth("Via del PonteVico, 222222 ");
         //g2d.drawLine(x6, (int)textY, x6, (int)pageFormat.getImageableHeight());
         //settima linea vert         
         x7=x6+fontMetrics.stringWidth("del Bagnolo Del Mella (bs) ");
         //g2d.drawLine(x7, (int)textY, x7, (int)pageFormat.getImageableHeight());
         //ottava linea vert         
         x8=x7+fontMetrics.stringWidth("333/78547888 ");
         //g2d.drawLine(x8, (int)textY, x8, (int)pageFormat.getImageableHeight());       
         //nona linea vert         
         x9=x8+fontMetrics.stringWidth("Rinnovo Scadenza Il ");
         //g2d.drawLine(x9, (int)textY, x9, (int)pageFormat.getImageableHeight());
         //decima linea vert         
         x10=x9+fontMetrics.stringWidth("Sandropolitan")+2;
         //g2d.drawLine(x10, (int)textY, x10, (int)pageFormat.getImageableHeight());
         intestY=textY+12;
         text = "DATA";
         textX= x1+((x2-x1)-fontMetrics.stringWidth(text))/2;                 
         //g2d.drawString (text, (int) textX, (int) intestY); 
         text = "ORA";
         textX= x2+((x3-x2)-fontMetrics.stringWidth(text))/2;                 
         //g2d.drawString (text, (int) textX, (int) intestY); 
         text = "CLIENTE";
         textX= x3+((x4-x3)-fontMetrics.stringWidth(text))/2;
         //g2d.drawString (text, (int) textX, (int) intestY); 
         text = "REFERENTE";
         textX= x4+((x5-x4)-fontMetrics.stringWidth(text))/2;
         //g2d.drawString (text, (int) textX, (int) intestY); 
         text = "INDIRIZZO";
         textX= x5+((x6-x5)-fontMetrics.stringWidth(text))/2;
         //g2d.drawString (text, (int) textX, (int) intestY); 
         text = "CITTA'";
         textX= x6+((x7-x6)-fontMetrics.stringWidth(text))/2;
         //g2d.drawString (text, (int) textX, (int) intestY);        
         text = "TELEFONO";
         textX= x7+((x8-x7)-fontMetrics.stringWidth(text))/2;
         //g2d.drawString (text, (int) textX, (int) intestY); 
         text = "MOTIVAZIONE";
         textX= x8+((x9-x8)-fontMetrics.stringWidth(text))/2;       
         //g2d.drawString (text, (int) textX, (int) intestY); 
         text = "APP. CON";
         textX= x9+((x10-x9)-fontMetrics.stringWidth(text))/2;
         //g2d.drawString (text, (int) textX, (int) intestY);       
         textY=intestY+6;
         //g2d.drawLine(0, (int)textY, (int)pageFormat.getImageableWidth(), (int)textY);
         textY=textY+12;
         double initialTextY=textY;
         System.out.println("maximum Y: "+pageFormat.getImageableY());
         Vector maxPens=new Vector();
         boolean vai=true;
         for(int i=0;  i<12; i++ )
             if(textY<400.00 && vai)
                 System.out.println("");
                 System.out.println("-- "+i+" --"+df.format(new Date()));
                 //data
                 text = Integer.toString(i);
                 //textX= x1+((x2-x1)-fontMetrics.stringWidth(text))/2;
                 pen.x=x1+2;                
                 printJustified(text, x2-x1-4,textY);
                 //ora
                 text = "10:00";
                 //textX= x2+((x3-x2)-fontMetrics.stringWidth(text))/2;          
                 pen.x=x2+2;                
                 //printJustified(text, x3-x2,textY);
                 //cliente
                 text = "Costruzioni Benedini";        
                 pen.x=x3+2;
                 //printJustified(text, x4-x3-4,textY);
                 //referente
                 text = "Sig. Alessandro mmmm mmmm mmm mmmm mm  ";
                 pen.x=x4+2;
                 //printJustified(text, x5-x4-4, textY);
                 //indirizzo
                 text = "Via del Ca'";
                 pen.x=x5+2;
                 //printJustified(text, x6-x5-4,textY);
                 //citta' + (prov)
                 text = "Pozzolengo S. (VR)";
                 pen.x=x6+2;
                 //printJustified(text, x7-x6-4,textY);
                 //telefono
                 text = "335/6998523";
                 pen.x=x7+2;
                 //printJustified(text, x8-x7-4,textY);
                 //motivazione
                 //text = "Primo Appun";
                 pen.x=x8+2;
                 //printJustified(text, x9-x8-4,textY);
                 //Appuntamento con
                 //text = "Alessandro";
                 pen.x=x9+2;
                 //printJustified(text, x10-x9-4,textY);        
                 //textY=pen.y+12;
                 try
                    textY=Double.valueOf(maxPens.get(i).toString()).doubleValue()+12;
                    System.out.println(i+" recuperato");
                 catch(ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException a)
                     maxPens.add(Double.toString(maxPen));
                     textY=maxPen+12;
                     System.out.println(i+" aggiunto");
             else
                 System.out.println("aaaaaaaaaaaaaa ("+textY+")");
                 vai=false;
         //--- Validate the page
         return (PAGE_EXISTS);
         //return(NO_SUCH_PAGE);
      void printJustified(String text, double width, double y)
         pen.y=y;
         String txt=text;   
         System.out.println("text: "+text+" - pen.y= "+y);
         paragraphText = new AttributedString (txt);
         paragraphText.addAttribute (TextAttribute.FONT, new Font ("arial", Font.PLAIN, 8));
        //--- Create a LineBreakMeasurer to wrap the text for the TextLayout object
        //--- Note the second parameter, the FontRendereContext. I have set the second
        //--- parameter antiAlised to true and the third parameter useFractionalMetrics
        //--- to true to get the best possible output
        lineBreaker = new LineBreakMeasurer (paragraphText.getIterator(), new FontRenderContext (null, true, true));
         //--- Create a Vector to temporaly store each line of text
         Vector lines = new Vector ();
         //--- Get the output of the LineBreakMeasurer and store it in a Vector
         while ((layout = lineBreaker.nextLayout ((float) width)) != null) {
            lines.add (layout);
         pen.y = pen.y - 7.373047;
         //--- Scan each line of the paragraph and justify it except for the last line
         for (int i = 0; i < lines.size (); i++)
            //--- Get the line from the vector
            layout = (TextLayout) lines.get (i);
            //--- Check for the last line. When found print it
            //--- with justification off
            //--- Align the Y pen to the ascend of the font, remember that
            //--- the ascend is origin (0, 0) of a font. Refer to figure 1
            pen.y += layout.getAscent ();
            //--- Draw the line of text
            layout.draw (g2d, (float) pen.x, (float) pen.y);
            //--- Move the pen to the next position adding the descent and
            //--- the leading of the font
            pen.y += layout.getDescent () + layout.getLeading ();
            if (pen.y>maxPen)
                maxPen=pen.y;
                System.out.println("-----------------------------------------------txt: "+txt+" new maxPeny= "+maxPen);
   }in Document i use the printJustified method that simply splits the text in rows.
i'll don't explain the method 'cause my question is another.
thanx a lot
please!!!
sandro

Answer 1

Basically you need to write some smart code. Your application needs to be able to determine what to print on each page because the print api will call the following function passing a page number. Your application must know what to paint on each page. If you think it sounds complicated you better believe it is !!
public int print(Graphics g, PageFormat pf, int pageIndex) {
PageNumber = pageIndex+1;
// Need to calc the pages here
page = (Graphics2D)g;
calcPages();
say("Printing page " + PageNumber);
if (PageNumber <= getNumPages()) {
paint(g);
return Printable.PAGE_EXISTS;
} else
return Printable.NO_SUCH_PAGE;
The code above comes from my report printer class and as you can see a calcPages() function is called prior to the paint() function being called. This function sets up a whole bunch of things including exactly what needs to be printed on each page. Note that the calcPages() function is smart enought to simply return is it has already been called. This way the paint function simply checks the PageNumber variable when painting to establish what to draw on the page.
So imagine when you are generating a very large report from a database ! You basically have to process the report doing all the formatting prior to actually allowing the paint function to be called. Its quite a complicated business but fortunately even the largest report does'nt really take up that much memory. I basically just create buffers of the data for each page - its a bit of a pain but the same logic is required for pagination anyway.
Be happy to provide you with the source code but you might need the whole application to get anything working.