Single Function Install (API)
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Creating an installation for a printer driver can be a challenge. Black Ice Software provides a Resource Toolkit with the release versions of the Black Ice printer drivers. Among other things, the Resource Toolkit contains a sample Install Shield script, a sample VB.NET install, a sample MSI install, InstallShield MSI install, WIX install, C# install and an Install DLL containing several functions that can be used to simplify printer installation, and these items have so far helped developers to create installations for their product.

The latest version of the Printer Driver Install DLL focuses on developers who cannot or do not want to use Install Shield to build their installation. Using the Install DLL, developers can install the printer driver using a single function call to the dInstallBlackIcePrinter() function.

The dInstallBlackIcePrinter() function takes 13 parameters such as printer name, processor name, port monitor name, names of the driver files etc. This function will add to the system the print processor, the port monitor, the printer port, the printer driver and finally the printer itself. It will also create all of the necessary registry entries and will set up the necessary registry security settings.

The dInstallBlackIcePrinter() function expects all of the necessary driver files to be previously copied to the target locations by the setup application before calling the function.

Once the dInstallBlackIcePrinter() function has finished, the printer driver is installed on the system. The printer driver will be installed using the default settings specified in the INI file.

If the developer needs to, he can change the printer settings using functions from the BlackIceDEVMODE DLL or ActiveX control. The BlackIceDEVMODE DLL and ActiveX control are also parts of the Black Ice Printer Driver Resource Toolkit (RTK) and include more than 300 functions to read and change every printer setting.

The dInstallBlackIcePrinter() function can be called from install scripts or different programming languages such as VB.NET, C#, etc., opening new possibilities for our clients.

The source code is not available in DEMO API/Resource Toolkit.