I’m developing a web application where users can print documents from a browser. I need to ensure that a database update occurs only if the user actually prints the document, and not if they cancel or close the print dialog.
Problem Description
When a user initiates printing, I open a new window with the content to be printed. I want to:
- Trigger a database update only when the document is printed.
- Ensure that no database updates are made if the user cancels or closes the print dialog.
Current Approach
Here’s the approach I’m currently using:
-
Open a new window with the document content to be printed.
-
Attach an onafterprint event handler to this window to detect when the print dialog is
closed. -
Use a timer to assume printing based on the time the print dialog is open.
const handlePrint = async () => {
const content = printRef.current.innerHTML;
const printWindow = window.open(”, ”, ‘width=600,height=400’);
let isPrintConfirmed = false;printWindow.document.write(
<html> <head> <title>Print</title> <style> @media print { @page { margin: 0; } body { margin: 0; } .print-container { text-align: center; padding: 20px; } } </style> </head> <body> <div class="print-container"> ${content} </div> </body> </html>
);printWindow.document.close();
printWindow.focus();const confirmPrint = () => {
if (!isPrintConfirmed) {
isPrintConfirmed = true;
const userConfirmed = window.confirm(“Did you successfully print the document?”);
if (userConfirmed) {
fetch(‘/api/updatePrintStatus’, {
method: ‘POST’,
body: JSON.stringify({ status: ‘printed’, guestId: guest.id }),
headers: { ‘Content-Type’: ‘application/json’ },
}).then(() => alert(“Database updated successfully.”))
.catch(err => alert(“Error updating database: ” + err.message));
} else {
alert(“Print action was canceled or failed.”);
}
}
};printWindow.onafterprint = confirmPrint;
const printCheckTimer = setTimeout(() => {
if (!isPrintConfirmed) {
confirmPrint();
}
}, 5000);printWindow.print();
printWindow.close();
};
Issues Encountered
- False Assumptions: If a user stays on the print dialog but does not actually print, the code might incorrectly assume printing occurred based on the timer.
- Edge Cases: How can I improve handling to ensure that the database update happens only if the user actually prints?
Desired Solution
I am looking for a reliable way to:
- Confirm if the user has actually printed the document.
- Ensure that the database update only occurs if printing is confirmed.
Any advice on improving the current implementation or alternative approaches to achieve this would be greatly appreciated!