Print rendered HTML doc from a webpage

[Kresten Buch]

Hi,

I have a central webapplication with lots of clients connected to it over
the internet, and some of theese clients has to do a lot of printing. This is
where the fun begins.

One client could have 3 printeres connected to it and should be able to
print html doc's on demand

The "self.print()" in the browser is not good enough since the user must
choose printer everytime, and here i might have to print pages on all 3
printers inwoked by a single click on the webpage.

So, i've found possible soloutions:
1. ActiveX
2. Java Applet
3. A client application (in my case a .net applicaiton)

I dont, know anything about 1 and 2, but no. 3 could work.

I have a great deal of control of the clients thats needs this, so i can
tell them to install the client app and the our site to be trusted.

Sofar my soloution would be.
1. Create a windows app
1.1 Implement a Internet Explorer control for printing the renderen HTML page
1.2 Print the doc on the specified printer automatically, the user must not
do anything

2. Invoke the Client app form my webpage:
Sub runlink_onClick()
Set WshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
WshShell.run "C:\\Print.exe \u mypage.htm \p myPrinter", 1, 0
end sub

3. Wee, the print.exe app prints my very fine webpage on the printer that
i've specified.

In my head this would work, but is i the right way todo it ?
The Java Applet soloutions the best to me.
1. Its crossbrowser comp.
2. OS indepantent
3. Distributes well over the internet
But as i've told, I dont know anything about it.

I can create the soloution with the windows app myself, which is a great
thing but if anyone has any comment or expirience with something like this,
it would be very helpfull.

Thanks in advance!
Kresten Buch | Denmark