Method and system for printing from web applications, a corresponding computer program and a corresponding computer-readable storage means

摘要

A method and a system for printing from web applications, as well as a corresponding computer program and a corresponding computer-readable storage means, are described. The method and system are particularly useful for improving the print functionality of web applications; e.g., by enabling printout of additional formats. It is proposed to provide on web pages a print option that can be controlled via data input means of a terminal. Activation of the print option causes a server executing the web application to send the data to be printed to a designated print server to start a print process on the print server, and to send the data generated by the print process from the print server to a network printer or to the terminal.

主权项

1. A method for printing from a web application,
said web application being started in a browser of a terminal, being executed on a first server, generating, in response to a user input into the terminal, a content and providing, in the browser, a web page containing a content, the web application further providing a print option for printing the content, the print option being operable via input means of the terminal, the terminal having installed a plug-in, which is called from the browser in response of receipt of data in a pre-defined format, the method comprising the steps of: causing, by activating the print option, the web application to send data in the pre-defined format to the terminal, calling the plug-in in response of the receipt of the data in the pre-defined format, accessing, by means of the plug-in, a second server to obtain configuration data, describing a configuration of the second server, providing, by the plug-in on the terminal, a menu for controlling the printing, providing the first server with at least a part of the configuration data and with data inputted into the menu, causing the first server to send data of the content to be printed to the second server based on the configuration data and on the data inputted into the menu, starting a print process on the second server for generating print data, and sending the print data from the second server to at least one of a network printer, a fax printer and the terminal.