A Guide for Software Engineers and Solution Architects

December 21, 2023

tags: SBPL, remote printing, labels, SBPL module, software engineers, solution architects, JSON format, TrueType fonts, bitmap printing, page labels, error handling, code organization, APIs, security, scalability, performance, deployment architecture

Printing Labels Remotely with SBPL: A Guide for Software Engineers and Solution Architects

Are you looking for a way to print labels directly to printers on your local area network? Look no further! In this comprehensive guide, we will explore SBPL, a powerful module for remote printing that enables you to print labels with precision and efficiency. Whether you are a software engineer or a solution architect, this guide will provide you with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively use SBPL.

Installation

Before we dive into the usage of SBPL, let’s start with the installation process. Installing SBPL is as simple as running a pip command. Just open your terminal and type:

shell $ pip install sbpl

Usage

Now that SBPL is installed, let’s explore how to use it for remote printing. Below is a sample Python code snippet that demonstrates the basic usage of SBPL:

from sbpl import *

comm = SG412R_Status5()

# open the socket
with comm.open("192.168.0.251", 1024):
# send the initialize packet
comm.prepare()

# generate label...
gen = LabelGenerator()
with gen.packet_for_with():
    with gen.page_for_with():
        gen.set_label_size((1000, 3000))
        gen.rotate_270()
        gen.pos((260, 930))
        gen.codabar(("0004693003005000", 3, 100))
        gen.pos((160, 1000))
        gen.expansion((1,1))
        gen.bold_text("0004693003005000")
        gen.print()

# send the main packet for printing
comm.send(gen.to_bytes())

# send the finalize packet
comm.finish()

# (auto closed to exit from 'with:')

This code snippet demonstrates the process of generating and printing labels using SBPL. It starts by opening a socket connection to the printer using the comm.open() method. Then, it prepares the printer for printing using the comm.prepare() method. Next, it generates the label using the LabelGenerator class and its various methods such as set_label_size, rotate_270, pos, codabar, etc. Finally, it sends the label data to the printer using the comm.send() method and finishes the printing process with the comm.finish() method.

Multiple Page Labels

SBPL also supports printing multiple pages of label data. To print multiple pages, you can call the comm.send() method multiple times between comm.prepare() and comm.finish().

SBPL JSON Format

Aside from the Python code, SBPL also provides a JSON format for specifying print contents. The JSON format allows you to describe the print contents in a structured and concise manner. Here is an example of the SBPL JSON format:

JSON
 [
     {"host":"192.168.0.251", "port": 1024, "communication": "SG412R_Status5"},
     [
         {"set_label_size": [1000, 3000]},
         {"shift_jis": 0},
         {"rotate_270": 0},
         {"comment":"==ticket main=="},
         {"pos": [710, 130], "expansion": [6000], "ttf_write": "TEST CONSERT", "font": "mplus-1p-medium.ttf"},
         {"pos": [530, 1040], "expansion": [2700], "ttf_write": "Organizer: Python High School", "font": "mplus-1p-medium.ttf"},
         {"pos": [370, 50], "expansion": [3700], "ttf_write": "Friday, February 14, 2014 14:00", "font": "mplus-1p-medium.ttf"},
         ...
     ]
 ]

To use the SBPL JSON format, you can parse the JSON string using the JsonParser class and generate the label data using the LabelGenerator class. Here is a sample Python code snippet that demonstrates the usage of SBPL JSON format:

from sbpl import *

json_str = "(SBPL JSON string defined above)"
comm = SG412R_Status5()
gen = LabelGenerator()
parser = JsonParser(gen)
parser.parse(json_str)
parser.post(comm)

Conclusion

In conclusion, SBPL is an essential tool for software engineers and solution architects who need to print labels remotely. It provides a convenient and efficient way to communicate with printers on your local area network and offers various features such as TrueType font printing, bitmap printing, and multiple page labels. With SBPL, you can achieve precise and professional label printing with ease.

We hope this guide has provided you with valuable insights into SBPL and its usage. If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask.

References

SBPL Repository: github.com/kanryu/sbpl
SATO Corp. Official Website: www.satoamerica.com
License: MIT
Source: github.com/kanryu/sbpl/raw/master/README.md

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