This is in response to duez1981's post titled 'php-gtk2 point of sale system'.

He is writing a point-of-sale (POS) system using PHP-GTK2, and he wants to know how to link to a receipt printer as shown below.

• A standard receipt printer such as the Epson TM-T88III receipt printer uses the parallel port.
• To print to the parallel-port receipt printer, you print through port PRN (exactly the same as printing from DOS prompt).
• From within PHP-GTK2, you need to first establish the connection with the printer by using
  $handle = fopen("PRN", "w");
• Thereafter, to print anything to the printer, you just "write" to it like the file handle: fwrite($handle, 'text to printer');
• There are newer receipt printer that uses USB. I believe you should be able to print to such printers through PRN too.

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1. Establish the connection with the receipt printer through PRN.
2. Writes to the receipt printer through the file handle.
3. Disconnect the printer.

• How to kick open the cash drawer of a point of sale system?
• How to print barcode label - Part 1 - EAN13 barcodes?
• How to print barcode label - Part 2 - UPC A barcodes?
• How to print barcode label - Part 3 - UPC E barcodes?

User reviews   Average user ratings:    3.5   (from 8 users)

1. Ismail Azmath
   January 20, 2008 4:18pm
   Thanks
   

   Hey, Thanks for the info you have given here. I'm currently working on a similar project as duez1981, and was doing some preparational research. I will try this as soon as i get to the receipt printing stage.
   
   But i have a question: how do i set up columns for, say, Item code, Description, price?
   
   Please do enlighten me here...
   
   thanks,
   Micro

2. kksou
   January 20, 2008 10:26pm
   
   

   Hi Micro, Not sure if you have played with those stone-age dot-matrix printers before? You're be surprised that a standard thermal receipt printer such as the Epson TM-T88III receipt printer mentioned above works exactly like a dot-matrix printer! Each printer usually come bundled with some fixed-width fonts. And a standard receipt printer is usually 40 characters in width. (There are some with 32 characters width.) So to print columns such as item code and description, it's direct, "manual" positioning of strings with padded spaces, since they are all fixed width characters.
   
   Regards,
   /kksou

3. Ismail Azmath
   January 21, 2008 12:03am
   
   

   IC. Thanks man. I'll try it, like i said, when i come to the receipt printing stage. ur help might be needed ;)

4. Henry Gomez
   April 08, 2008 12:16am
   
   

5. apmarket
   April 18, 2008 12:16pm
   
   

6. kunkun
   April 23, 2008 3:39am
   
   

7. logam sunwares
   July 29, 2008 2:12am
   
   

8. samuel sorri
   July 30, 2008 6:17am
   
   

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