PrintGate Thin Client – v.2.00.

0001
- projects, source code, documentation, release specifications -

This document describes the complete projects and source code release for the entire
PrintGate project, client side, server side, installation programs, protocol, documentation,
prototypes, tools and programs, as well as the technologies used, software requirements,
and detailed instructions on using, updating, building and releasing the entire distribution.

The full release is organized in 10 folders, as described below:

ClientProjects – contains the entire suite of projects needed to build the client release.
There are 6 Visual C++ 6.0 projects in this distribuition, as described below. They all
require: Microsoft Windows 2000 or Microsoft Windows XP or Microsoft Windows Vista
installed, Microsoft Windows 2000 Platform SDK, and Microsoft Visual Studio 6.0
installed in order to be opened, ran, and built successfully. The Platform SDK’s include
and lib paths must be added and moved in the first position in the Microsoft Visual C++
6.0 environment. The projects open in the environment for updates and rebuilds through
the main *.dsw file available in each project folder, that contains complete project data.
The main build results, the *.exe or *.dll files will result into four different versions, in
four different subfolders under the project folder. The Debug versions are used in
debugging sessions, while the Release versions are used for distribution. The simple
(ANSI) versions may be used if no internationalization features are required, the Unicode
versions are used for versions that support internationalizations and multiple character
sets. In conlusion, the version that will be used for packaging and distribution for a new
release, is the Unicode Release version.

PrintGate – is the main PrintGate Thin Client project, resulting in the module
(PrintGate.exe) that actually performs all printer monitoring, client-server comunication
and graphical interface, along with all other logic, operation, and features that this version
contains. It is a complex project, consisting of over 100 source files and classes, running
on up to 10 execution threads, that perform all the client logic. As of this version, it does
not contain any hard-coded interface strings. Instead, it loads all the strings and messages
that interface the user, from a separate resources library (PrintGate.dll) that contains all
these resources for a given language. The installer program decides which one of these
resources library will actualy acompany the installation, thus the client will run in the
selected and installed language. Another executable module (PrintMonitor.exe) is also
installed alongside, actualy a system windows service, unstopable through normal
operations, that has the only task of keeping the main module PrintGate.exe alive and
running at all times, starting it at system starts and logons, restarting and reinitializing it
upon critical errors, crashes, or user intervention, and protecting it from unauthorized
actions, deletion, etc. Aside from that, all other features, logic, processing, data and
resources are located inside the current PrintGate project, including monitoring the
system registry settings, client’s files and folders, and printer settings changes, which
were prefiously PrintMonitor’s atribution. That is why this is the most critical project of
this release and must be handled appropriately. The architecture is highly modular and
scalable, names and conventions used pretty self explanatory, and attention has been
payed to making the entire project as readble and well organized as possible, as well as
commenting the critical sections, main modules, and using detailed logging that can be
enabled at run time, or just used as refference points upon editing the project. The project
results in a high performance, safe and stable module, that has absolutely no prerequisites
upon running on client systems, and is now fully compatible with Microsoft Windows
2000, Microsoft Windows XP, and Microsoft Windows Vista, with all their flavours and
types. The module is actualy a Windows COM Singletone Server that needs to be
registered on the system to run, only runs in one instance per logged user, only starts
given the appropriate command line, only runs when it can locate and load it’s system
registry client settings and his language resources library, and cannot be stopped,
disabled, or actually affected in any way while it’s PrintMonitor security service is
running. After any change to this project, you must rebuild the entire distribution, and
copy the resulted Unicode Release PrintGate.exe to the
InstallerProjects\Client\INSTALLDIR\Service, then follow the rest of the steps further
described. For local testing, you should copy the required Debug or Release, Unicode or
Non-Unicode PrintGate.exe to ClientTest\PrintGate Thin Client\Service, and proceed as
further instructed, or just run the project in debug mode from the Visual C++ 6.0
environment, after perfoming the required steps further described.

PrintGateEng – is the PrintGate Thin Client English Language Resources

Library project. It contains no actual logic, only the PrintGate Thin Client’s string
resources for the English Language. They are located in the PrintGate.rc recources file,
and should only be edited in the Visual C++ 6.0 resource editor. The resulting library
(PrintGate.dll) is an actual Window COM local server, and must pe registerd on the client
system, and reside by the main PrintGate.exe excutable, in the application path, for the
client service to run. It’s registration data is also the signature used by the PrintGate Thin
Client Web Installer, to determine if the client software is installed on the client system,
needs to be installed or updated. In order to create a new language library, for a new
language, the project only needs to be copied and rename with the appropriate language
extension, the strings in the PrintGate.rc file translated to the required language, and the
project rebuilt. No other change must be done to this project as it might compromise the
client system’s ability to locate and load it, or the web installer’s ability to detect it. After
any change to this project, you must rebuild the entire distribution, and copy the resulted
Unicode Release PrintGate.dll to the
InstallerProjects\Client\INSTALLDIR\Service\PrintGateEng, then follow the rest of the
steps further described. For local testing, you should copy the required Debug or Release,
Unicode or Non-Unicode PrintGate.dll to ClientTest\PrintGate Thin Client\Service, and
proceed as further instructed.

PrintGateRom – is the PrintGate Thin Client Romanian Language Resources

Library. The instructions for this project are the same as above, and can be applied to any
number of different language resources library, that can be simply generated by
multiplying this project and translating the resource file. The resulted PrintGate.dll must
then be copied in its own language subfolder in the installer project and included in the
installer project, then only the selected language library will be installed on the client
system alongside the main service files, and used for that installation.
 PrintMonitor – is the PrintGate Thin Client Security Monitor, a Windows NT
service (PrintMonitor.exe), that registers along the client system’s services, automatically
starts with the system, restarts on crashes, does not accept shutdown or disabling, and
permanently monitors the main PrintGate Thin Client service (PrintGate.exe) and its
language resources library (PrintGate.dll). Aside from the task of sytem monitoring and
protection, the most critical parts of the project consist of it’s underlying Windows NT
Service architecture, and the registration settings that make it perform as required. The
resulted service is very light on system resources, but provides one critical feature,
making the PrintGate Thin Client system virtually full proof to any kind of system
conditions or errors, any kind of intended or unintended user intervention, or any attempt
to malliciously bypass or disable the sytem. While being a critical part of the system’s
security in production distribution, the service des not play any part in the actual system’s
activity, and can be turned off for development testing and debugging sessions, in order
to allow stopping, modifying and overriding the main service files. After any change to
this project, you must rebuild the entire distribution, and copy the resulted Unicode
Release PrintMonitor.exe to the InstallerProjects\Client\INSTALLDIR\Service, then
follow the rest of the steps further described. For local testing, you should copy the
required Debug or Release, Unicode or Non-Unicode PrintMonitor.exe to
ClientTest\PrintGate Thin Client\Service, and proceed as further instructed.

SetupActionsDll – is a Windows Installer Custom Action Library (Custom.dll),

that exports a series of functions to the installation process. The project contains some
parts of the main PrintGate project, in order to make the installation/uninstallation xml
request/response processing, as well as many other functions such as removing previous
versions, configuring the package for installation/update/removal, installation language
selection, services configuration, GUI tasks, and many others. The requirements for the
Windows Installer Custom Actions Libraries make it impossible to use a good modular
and abstract design, but rather a series of C-style functions that each perform a certain
Windows Installer task. After any change to this project, you must rebuild the entire
distribution, and copy the resulted Unicode Release Custom.dll to the
InstallerProjects\Client folder, then rebuild the installer project and follow the rest of the
steps further described. Tesing of the custom actions library functions can only be
performed by actually running the installer program and monitoring the setup actions
behavior.

SetupActionsExe – is a very simple Setup Launcher Program (Setup.exe). As of

this version the windows installer installation database (PrintGate Thin Client.msi),
containing the setup actions library (Custom.dll), and accompanied by the setup
initialization file (Setup.ini) is almost completely self sufficient and can be ran directly,
without launching it from the setup launcher. However, the setup launcher provides some
advantages, such as being the exe file to launch from a CD autorun feature, from the
packaged or web releases, and is the only way, by reading the first two fields in the setup
intialization file, that are only available through this launcher, to launch in the installation
in silent, inivisible, unattended mode, or in visible or invisible update mode. All the rest
of the fields in the setup initialization file are avaialble directly form the installation
database, but due to limitaions of the Windows Installer technology itself, running the
installation process in silent or update mode can only be done by launching it from the
setup launcher with the appropriate intialization parameters, which is why for these cases
it is important to warn the users about not running the installation database directly, or to
use the packed or web version which use the setup launcher by default. After any change
to this project, you must rebuild the entire distribution, and copy the resulted Unicode
Release Setup.exe directly to the Releases\Client\PrintGate\Unpacked, ready for
distribution. That is the only destianation for the resulted executable, directly in the
unpacked release folder, as the packed and web versios use a modified setup launcher,
stored in the SetupPackager folder, that perfroms the same logic but also packs the files.

ClientTest – contains a PrintGate Thin Client distribution for testing purposes, without
the need to perform a client installation. In order to bring the client distribution in
working condition, there are some prliminary steps to be taken: First copy the distribution
in the location of your choice. The distribution initialy contains only the service files in
the Service subfolder, and empty folders for the rest of the application files. Next add the
Registry.reg file the system’s registry, by simpy running it. Now open the registry key
HKLM\SOFTWARE\PGI Technologies\PrintGate Thin Client and set apropriate values
for each value that is stores, with special attention to the application’s path which must
point to the chosen location, and server data neded for the system to communicate. Now
register the service files with the system by running the following command lines in the
Service subfolder: Regsvr32.exe PrintGate.dll – to register the resources library.
PrintGate.exe /RegServer – to register the main application server. PrintMonitor.exe
/Regservice – only if you want to register the security monitor service, which is not
reccomended for testing purposes. To start the security monitor service run the command
line: net start PrintMonitor - after registering the service. The service cannot be stopped
by running net stop, neither can it be stopped, disabled or altered in anyway from the
services control manager. The only way it can be stopped and unregistered at the same
time, is by running the command line: PrintMonitor.exe /Unregservice. With it stopped,
you can freely manipulate, move, overrite the service and other application files. To start
the main application server first make sure that no other instance of it is running under
current account, from Task Manager. Then run the command line: PrintGate.exe /Monitor
– in the Service Subfolder. This should start the PrintGate service and printer monitoring
cycle. Stop the PrintGate service by ending the process from Task Manager. This will not
succeed if the security monitor is running. To unregister the PrintGate service, run the
command line: PrintGate.exe /UnregServer – in the Service subfolder. To unregister the
language library run the command line: Regsvr32.exe /u PrintGate.dll – in the Service
subfolder. You will not be able to make registry settings changes while the PrintGate
service is running, if SystemProtection setting is ENABLED. This information should
make it easier to test and debug the project, as the client installation disables by default
any means of intervention, stoping, disabling, overriting, etc. of the service files.

Documentation – contains all the available documents, diagrams, specifications,

prototypes and tools used in this PrintGate release, including this document.

Comments – contains the xml protocol requests and responses, xml client
settings, client registry settings, and setup intialization settings files, with comments and
details for each value, sample settings and possible values. These are useful for quick
reference in determining appropriate values and comparison with test values.

Documents – contains the PrintGate Thin Client client-server communication

diagram and data workflow, the protocol specifications draft, the database specifications
draft, and this document, the projects, source code, documentation and release
specifications.

Protocol – contains the entire set of xml protocol request and response files, for
quick reference and comparison with test values, as fully implemented as of this version.

Prototypes – contains a series of Visual C++, Visual Basic, and .NET small scale
projects, that emloy and test some of the new important features of the system, such as
routing, spool file parsing and color detection. These were used in erly development and
testing stages of these features, and can be used for reference and further developments
on these features.

Settings – contains a set of PrintGate Thin Client xml settings files, with sample
values, similar to the ones that would result in a production environment, for reference
and test comparison, along with the registry settings file, that can be used as the base to
populate the registry with the required values for a PrintGate client to work, and a setup
intialization file that can be used as the base to acompany client installation programs.

Specifications – contains the original PrintGate Thin Client Version 2

specifications as agreed upon, and implemented as of this version.

InstallerProjects – contains the Windows Installer projects used to create the installation
databases for the components of the system to be released. At the moment it only contains
the client installer project, but a new, improved, upgraded, server installer should be built
as soon as possible. The client installer has been completely rebuilt to support the new
internationalatization features now avaialble, better support for silent, unattended
installations, automatic uninstallations and upgrades, and improved GUI. The project is
created and built using InstallShiled Developer 8.0, and has no other prerequisites than
running on Windows 2000 / XP / Vista with Microsoft Windows Installer engine version
2.0 or higher installed, included by default in service pack releases and windows updates.
The installer project opens into the environment through its main project file,
PrintGate.ism, located in the InstallerProjects\Client folder, and can be immediately
rebuilt, after replacing the distributed files, located under the INSTALLDIR subfolder, as
described above, the additional Custom.dll library or ExitSetup.vbs in the project folder
or the Eula.rtf license agreement document. The project folder also contains a
preconfigured Setup.ini file, that should also be properly customized for distribution upon
building a new release, to be distributed alongside the PrintGate Thin Client.msi
installation database, which results upon build in the PrintGate subfoler. The setup project
contains solid logic, fully separated into the custom actions library, and usual update and
maintainance of the project, such as service files updates, adding new languages, settings
or files, is a very simple and straight forward process. As of this version the installation
database can be ran standalone, with no predefined values, alongside the Setup.ini setup
intialization file to preconfigure the setup with client and server data, and appropriate
initial client settings, or from the Setup.exe setup launcher file, the reccomended method,
packed or unpacked, to allow silent installations and upgrades. After rebuilding the
project, copy the customized Setup.ini file from the project folder, and the resulted
PrintGate Thin Client.msi installation database from the PrintGate subfolder to the
Releases\Client\PrintGate\Unpacked folder for standard installations, or
Releases\Client\[CustomBuild]\Unpacked folder for custom builds, along side Setup.exe,
for the unpacked release. For packed and web installations copy the above mentioned two
files to the SetupPackager\Client folder, and follow further instructions.

PackageBuilder – is at the moment an empty folder, that shall contain upon completion,
the full release builder automation project, that shall automatically perform most of the
steps described in this document, as requested, to build and prepare for distribution full
custom releases, given the custom input data.

Releases – is the folder where the fully built and cofigured distributions, ready fo release,
in all needed, packed, unpacked, or web configurations, are stored according to their type
and destination. At the moment it only contains a fully configured standard client release,
located in the Releases\Client\Printgate folder, but a server release must also be prepared
for local server configurations, and additional custom client builds shall be built upon
need alongside the standard PrintGate distribution, the process, described throughout this
document, buing a simple and straightforward one.

ServerProjects – contains the full Eclipse Java server project. The project has not been
radically changed, so it has the same structure, prerequisites and settings as it had when
we started working on it, only a new clientV2 folder was added containing the logic
behind the new version’s protocol, in the WEB-ING\src\com\printgate folder, along with
three additional java files, Printer2.java, PrintFailure2.java, and PrintRequest2.java, in
order to maintain the clientV1 protocol and files unchanged, needed changes were made
to the web.xml and server.xml files to accommodate the new clientV2 web application,
and the server database printgate.gdb was updated as described in the database
specifications draft document, maintaining full compatibility with the previous versions.

ServerTest – contains a full working PrintGate Local Server installation, used for testing,
containing all the new classes and settings, and a new format database, preconfigured
with some data that will make it usable right away for test client installations. This can be
used for further server developments testing, by updating the modified classes and
settings, and amking manual changes to the database until the web interface is updated,
and used as the base for generating the new server installation database when needed.

SetupPackager – contains a modified setup launcher Visual C++ 6.0 project, that packs
the preconfigured Setup.ini setup intialization file, and PrintGate Thin Client.msi
installation database, along with the setup launcher, and generates a single executable
file, Setup.exe fully configured setup program, that can be distributed through any
channel with maximum ease, with no risk of intervention on the stored settings or misuse.
To build this packed release, overwrite the existiting Setup.ini and/or PrintGate Thin
Client.msi files in the SetupPackager\Client folder with the newly cofigured/built ones as
deescribed above, open the project in Visual C++ 6.0 through its main project file,
Setup.dsw, and fully rebuild it. Use the Debug versions for testing and debugging, and
release versions for distribution. Use the Unicode versions for internationalized releases.
After fully rebuilding, copy the resulting Setup.exe file in the Unicode Release folder to
the apporpriate distribution folder in the Releases\Client subfolder, such as
Releases\Client\PrintGate\Packed for the standard distribution, or
Releases\Client\[CustomBuild]\Packed for a custom distribution. The resulted file
contains everything needed to perform a full client installation, of any tipe, as configured
through the Setup.ini file, and can also be used for automatic upgrades or downloads
through the web. To generate a new web installation, copy the resulting Setup.exe file in
the Unicode Release folder to the WebInstaller\Client folder, then follow further
instructions.

WebInstaller – contains the files needed to create an automatic web installation. To

rebuild the web installer program, first overrite the existing printgate.exe program with
the newly built packed setup program, Setup.exe, as described above, by copying and
renaming. If the new build updates the client version, edit the printgate.inf file and
modify the FileVersion field accordingly, then open the printgate.htm file and modify
printgate.cab#version field in the second last row accordingly. The printgate.htm file is
just a sample placeholder, the key to it are only the last two lines, which can be added to
any download page of your will. After that, delete the old printgate.cab file, and generate
a new printgate.cab file using any archiving program, such as win ace, by compressing
printgate.exe and printgate.inf into a standard MS-Cabinet file. Finally, run the
printgate.bat batch file to sign the cabinet with a test verisign certificate, for marking it as
safe to download from the web and allow web clients to download and install it with
normal security settings. For signing, you will have to provide a password of your will,
the same throughtout the signing process. If necessarry, a production verisign certificate,
with the name and logo of the owner, can be purchased, and the test certificate files,
printgate.cer, printgate pvk and printgate.spc can be replaced with the production ones,
maintaining the rest of the process. After that, you can copy the printgate.cab and
printer.htm file if modified (or just the last two lines of it) into the
Releases\Client\PrintGate\Webpacked folder, for a standard release, or
Releases\Client\[CustomBuild]\Webpacked for a custom distribution. The files are now
ready for automatic web distribution, and can be used for all purposes, normal silent,
unattended installations, optional or automatic upgrades, etc. The page will only upgrade
the client system if it detects the software is not installed, or an older version is installed,
and performs no action if the current version is already installed.

All this information should be able to help you perform the entire rebuild, update and
customizing process, but we’ll be continuously available for this and perform all the steps
involved quickly and accurately, and deliver the results within hours upon request, while
preparing the automatic release builder projects, that shall further ease this job.