Can any one suggest any method by which I can print word documents (or any document like RTF/PDF etc.) from Java application. The application should pick up the documents from a directory and should be like a batch process. I used API provided by JDK 1.4 to do this but I am not able to print word documents. Also, my application requires JDK1.2. So, if this can be achieved using JDK 1.2 it is welcome.

Hi

I suggest u to visit

http://jakarta.apache.org/poi/


There an open source Project is being developed for the above
purpose

helo,

i did similar project like this -- covert office document to PDF. Fortunately the program can run on top of a window box, i can print the word files to the PDFWriter.

here is the program.. basically it creates a VBS to do call the print job.. then wait until the file is being finished.
hope it can give u some idea...


package pdf2;
/*
 * Word2PDF.java
 *
 * Created on August 6, 2002, 1:10 PM
 */
import java.io.*;
import java.nio.*;
import java.nio.channels.*;
import java.net.*;
/**
 *
 * @author livejavabean
 */
public class Office2PDF {
    
    private static String SCRIPT_NAME = "save2word.vbs";
    private static String PDF_FILE = "default_pdf.pdf";
    private static String WORD_FILE = "default_word.doc";
    private static String EXCEL_FILE = "default_excel.xls";
    private static String PPT_FILE = "default_ppt.ppt";
    private static String VISIO_FILE = "default_visio.vsd";
            
    public static final String WORD = "Word.Application";
    public static final String EXCEL = "Excel.Application";
    
    private static long timer = System.currentTimeMillis();
    
    private File src;
    private String pdf;
    private File tmpDir;
    private String type;
    private boolean removeDownloaded = false;
    // seconds wait until file is being *printed*
    private int sleepingSecond = 2;
    /** Creates a new instance of Word2PDF */
    public Office2PDF() {
        super();
    }

    ...
    
    synchronized
    public boolean execute() {
        try
        {
            // 0) create tmp dir
            // 1) bulid the script in tmp dir
            // 2) invoke the script in tmp dir
            tmpDir = getNextTmpDir();
            String tmpDirPath = tmpDir.getCanonicalPath() + File.separator;
            // if the pdf storage directory not exists
            // create it
            // if the PDF file exixts, delete it -- erplace with the new one create.
            File pdfFile = new File(getPdf());
            File parent = pdfFile.getParentFile();
            if (!parent.exists())
                parent.mkdirs();
            if ( pdfFile.exists())
                pdfFile.delete();
            
            String script = buildScript(tmpDirPath);
            invokeScript(script);
            cleanUpDirectory(tmpDir);
            if (removeDownloaded) {
               cleanUpFile(getSrc());
            }
            return true;
        }
        catch (Exception e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
            return false;
        }
    }
    
    ....
        
    
    private String buildScript(String tmpDirPath)
    throws IOException {
        
      StringBuffer sb = new StringBuffer();
      String path = getPdf();
      System.out.println("Building scripts...");
      // update registry
      sb.append("Set Sh = CreateObject(\"WScript.Shell\")\n");
      sb.append("key = \"HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Adobe
Acrobat PDFWriter\\\"\n");
      sb.append("Sh.RegWrite key & \"PDFFileName\", \"" + getPdf() + "\"\n");
      // convert the word file
      sb.append("Dim src, dest, officeObj\n");
      sb.append("src = \"" + getSrc().getCanonicalPath() + "\"\n");
      sb.append("Set officeObj = CreateObject(\"" + getType() + "\")\n");
      sb.append("officeObj.visible = False\n");
      if (getType().equals(EXCEL)) {
          // have no idea how come can't set the printer for excel,
          // and have no idea how to close the workbook
          sb.append("officeObj.Workbooks.Open src\n");
          sb.append("officeObj.ActiveSheet.PageSetup.LeftMargin = 72\n");
          sb.append("officeObj.ActiveSheet.PageSetup.RightMargin = 72\n");
          sb.append("officeObj.ActiveSheet.PageSetup.TopMargin = 72\n");
          sb.append("officeObj.ActiveSheet.PageSetup.BottomMargin = 72\n");
          sb.append("officeObj.ActiveSheet.PrintOut\n");
      } else if (getType().equals(WORD) ) {
          sb.append("officeObj.ActivePrinter = \"Acrobat PDFWriter\"\n");
          sb.append("officeObj.Documents.Open src\n");
          sb.append("officeObj.ActiveDocument.PageSetup.LeftMargin = 72\n");
          sb.append("officeObj.ActiveDocument.PageSetup.RightMargin = 72\n");
          sb.append("officeObj.ActiveDocument.PageSetup.TopMargin = 72\n");
          sb.append("officeObj.ActiveDocument.PageSetup.BottomMargin = 72\n");
          //sb.append("MsgBox officeObj.ActiveDocument.PageSetup.TopMargin & \" \" & " +
            // "officeObj.ActiveDocument.PageSetup.BottomMargin \n");
          sb.append("officeObj.ActiveDocument.PrintOut\n");
          sb.append("officeObj.ActiveDocument.Close False\n");
      }

      // zzz
      sb.append("Do While officeObj.Application.BackgroundPrintingStatus > 0\n");
      sb.append("\twscript.sleep 1000\n");
      sb.append("Loop\n");

      sb.append("wscript.sleep " + (getSleepingSecond()*1000) + "\n");
      sb.append("officeObj.Application.Quit\n");
      sb.append("Set officeObj = Nothing\n");
      
      BufferedWriter writer = new BufferedWriter(new FileWriter(new File(tmpDirPath + SCRIPT_NAME)));
      writer.write(sb.toString());
      writer.close();
           
      return "wscript " + tmpDirPath + SCRIPT_NAME;
    }
    
    
    private void invokeScript(String scriptPath)
    throws IOException, InterruptedException {

      System.out.println("Invoking scripts...:" + scriptPath);
      Runtime run = Runtime.getRuntime();
      Process process = run.exec(scriptPath);
      
      boolean notFound = true;
            
      // Get a file channel for the file
      File file = new File(getPdf());
      RandomAccessFile ra = null;
      while (!file.exists() || ra == null) {
          System.out.println("Sleeping... file " + file.getCanonicalPath() + " exists: " + file.exists());
          Thread.sleep( getSleepingSecond()*1000 );
          try {
              if (file.exists()) {
                ra = new RandomAccessFile(file, "rw");
              }
          } catch (Exception e) {
              System.out.println("Can't open file..go back to zzz " + e.toString());
              //e.printStackTrace();
          }
      }
      //System.out.println("TRYING TO GET THE LOCK..");
      FileChannel channel = ra.getChannel();
      // Use the file channel to create a lock on the file.
      // This method blocks until it can retrieve the lock.
      FileLock lock = channel.lock();
      //System.out.println("WE GOT THE LOCK!!.. that means file is done.");
      lock.release();
      // Close the file
      channel.close();
      //System.out.println(" THE FILE IS STILL LOCKED ==> " + lock.isValid());
      ra.close();
    }
  

    ....

}