ThermalLabel SDK supports .NET Data Binding scenarios allowing you to print thermal labels bound to a data source such as custom .NET objects, XML files, Databases, ADO.NET, etc. The data binding settings are very simple. You set up a valid data source to the ThermalLabel object by using the DataSource property. In the label, items like TextItem, ImageItem and BarcodeItem can be bound to fields of the data source by using the DataField property. Below are a couple of data binding scenarios to help you getting started.

In This Section

The following sample features a class called Product with two basic properties: Id and Name. A list of Product and a ThermalLabel objects will be used to perform data binding scenario printing a set of thermal labels for each product as shown in the following figure.



The Product class:

Public Class Product

    Dim _id As String
    Dim _name As String

    Public Sub New(ByVal id As String, ByVal name As String)
        Me.Id = id
        Me.Name = name
    End Sub

    Public Property Id() As String
        Get
            Return _id
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As String)
            _id = value
        End Set
    End Property

    Public Property Name() As String
        Get
            Return _name
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As String)
            _name = value
        End Set
    End Property

End Class

public class Product
{
    string _id;
    string _name;
    
    public Product(string id, string name)
    {
        this.Id = id;
        this.Name = name;
    }

    public string Id
    {
        get { return _id; }
        set { _id = value; }
    }

    public string Name
    {
        get { return _name; }
        set { _name = value; }
    }
}

ThermalLabel with Custom Object Data Binding

'Define a ThermalLabel object and set unit to inch and label size
Dim tLabel As New ThermalLabel(UnitType.Inch, 3, 2)
tLabel.GapLength = 0.2

'Define a TextItem object for product name
Dim txt As New TextItem(0.1, 0.1, 2.8, 0.5, "")
'set data field
txt.DataField = "Name"
'set font
txt.Font.Name = Neodynamic.SDK.Printing.Font.NativePrinterFontA
txt.Font.Unit = FontUnit.Point
txt.Font.Size = 10
'set border
txt.BorderThickness = new FrameThickness(0.03)
'set alignment
txt.TextAlignment = TextAlignment.Center
txt.TextPadding = new FrameThickness(0, 0.1, 0, 0)

'Define a BarcodeItem object for encoding product id with a Code 128 symbology
Dim bc As New BarcodeItem(0.1, 0.57, 2.8, 1.3, BarcodeSymbology.Code128, "")
'set data field
bc.DataField = "Id"
'set barcode size
bc.BarWidth = 0.01
bc.BarHeight = 0.75
'set barcode alignment
bc.BarcodeAlignment = BarcodeAlignment.MiddleCenter
'set text alignment
bc.CodeAlignment = BarcodeTextAlignment.BelowCenter
'set border
bc.BorderThickness = new FrameThickness(0.03)
            
'Add items to ThermalLabel object...
tLabel.Items.Add(txt)
tLabel.Items.Add(bc)

'Create data source...
Dim products As New List(Of Product)
products.Add(New Product("OO2935", "Olive Oil"))
products.Add(New Product("CS4948", "Curry Sauce"))
products.Add(New Product("CH0094", "Chocolate"))
products.Add(New Product("MZ1027", "Mozzarella"))

'set data source...
tLabel.DataSource = products

'Create a PrintJob object
Using pj As New PrintJob()
	'Create PrinterSettings object
	Dim myPrinter As New PrinterSettings()
	myPrinter.Communication.CommunicationType = CommunicationType.USB
	myPrinter.Dpi = 203
	myPrinter.ProgrammingLanguage = ProgrammingLanguage.ZPL
	myPrinter.PrinterName = "Zebra  TLP2844-Z"

	'Set PrinterSettings to PrintJob
	pj.PrinterSettings = myPrinter
	'Print ThermalLabel object...
	pj.Print(tLabel)
End Using

//Define a ThermalLabel object and set unit to inch and label size
ThermalLabel tLabel = new ThermalLabel(UnitType.Inch, 3, 2);
tLabel.GapLength = 0.2;

//Define a TextItem object for product name
TextItem txt = new TextItem(0.1, 0.1, 2.8, 0.5, "");
//set data field
txt.DataField = "Name";
//set font
txt.Font.Name = Neodynamic.SDK.Printing.Font.NativePrinterFontA;
txt.Font.Unit = FontUnit.Point;
txt.Font.Size = 10;
//set border
txt.BorderThickness = new FrameThickness(0.03);
//set alignment
txt.TextAlignment = TextAlignment.Center;
txt.TextPadding = new FrameThickness(0, 0.1, 0, 0);

//Define a BarcodeItem object for encoding product id with a Code 128 symbology
BarcodeItem bc = new BarcodeItem(0.1, 0.57, 2.8, 1.3, BarcodeSymbology.Code128, "");
//set data field
bc.DataField = "Id";
//set barcode size
bc.BarWidth = 0.01;
bc.BarHeight = 0.75;
//set barcode alignment
bc.BarcodeAlignment = BarcodeAlignment.MiddleCenter;
//set text alignment
bc.CodeAlignment = BarcodeTextAlignment.BelowCenter;
//set border
bc.BorderThickness = new FrameThickness(0.03);
            
//Add items to ThermalLabel object...
tLabel.Items.Add(txt);
tLabel.Items.Add(bc);

//Create data source...
List<Product> products = new List<Product>();
products.Add(new Product("OO2935", "Olive Oil"));
products.Add(new Product("CS4948", "Curry Sauce"));
products.Add(new Product("CH0094", "Chocolate"));
products.Add(new Product("MZ1027", "Mozzarella"));

//set data source...
tLabel.DataSource = products;

//Create a PrintJob object
using (PrintJob pj = new PrintJob())
{
	//Create PrinterSettings object
	PrinterSettings myPrinter = new PrinterSettings();
	myPrinter.Communication.CommunicationType = CommunicationType.USB;
	myPrinter.Dpi = 203;
	myPrinter.ProgrammingLanguage = ProgrammingLanguage.ZPL;
	myPrinter.PrinterName = "Zebra  TLP2844-Z";

	//Set PrinterSettings to PrintJob
	pj.PrinterSettings = myPrinter;
	//Print ThermalLabel object...
	pj.Print(tLabel);
}

The following sample features an XML file containing books info. An ADO.NET DataSet object wrapping the books info from the XML source and a ThermalLabel objects will be used to perform data binding scenario printing a set of thermal labels for each book as shown in the following figure.



Create an XML File in C:\temp\books.xml with the following content:

<Books xmlns="">
  <Book ISBN="0-7356-0562-9" Title="XML in Action" />
  <Book ISBN="0-7356-1377-X" Title="Introducing Microsoft .NET" />
  <Book ISBN="0-7356-1288-9" Title="Inside C#" />
  <Book ISBN="0-7356-1370-2" Title="Programming Microsoft Windows With C#" />
  <Book ISBN="0-7356-1448-2" Title="Microsoft C# Language Specifications" />
</Books>

ThermalLabel with an XML file Data Binding

'Define a ThermalLabel object and set unit to inch and label size
Dim tLabel As New ThermalLabel(UnitType.Inch, 3, 2)
tLabel.GapLength = 0.2

'Define a TextItem object for binding to book's title
Dim txt1 As New TextItem(0.1, 0.05, 2.8, 0.3, "")
'set data field
txt1.DataField = "Title"
'set font
txt1.Font.Name = Neodynamic.SDK.Printing.Font.NativePrinterFontA
txt1.Font.Unit = FontUnit.Point
txt1.Font.Size = 5
'set alignment
txt1.TextAlignment = TextAlignment.Left

'Define a TextItem object for binding to ISBN code
Dim txt2 As New TextItem(0.1, 0.3, 0.75, 0.5, "ISBN:")
'set data field
txt2.DataField = "ISBN"
txt2.DataFieldFormatString = "ISBN: {0}"
'set font
txt2.Font.Name = Neodynamic.SDK.Printing.Font.NativePrinterFontA
txt2.Font.Unit = FontUnit.Point
txt2.Font.Size = 10
'set alignment
txt2.TextAlignment = TextAlignment.Left

            
'Define a BarcodeItem object for encoding ISBN barcode
Dim bc As New BarcodeItem(0.1, 0.57, 2.8, 1.3, BarcodeSymbology.Isbn, "")
'set data field
bc.DataField = "ISBN"
'set barcode size
bc.BarWidth = 0.013
bc.BarHeight = 1
bc.EanUpcGuardBar = True
bc.EanUpcGuardBarHeight = bc.BarHeight + 5 * bc.BarWidth
'set barcode alignment
bc.BarcodeAlignment = BarcodeAlignment.MiddleCenter
'set font for human readable text
bc.Font.Name = Neodynamic.SDK.Printing.Font.NativePrinterFontA
bc.Font.Unit = FontUnit.Point
bc.Font.Size = 5
         
'Add items to ThermalLabel object...
tLabel.Items.Add(txt1)
tLabel.Items.Add(txt2)
tLabel.Items.Add(bc)

'Create data source...
Dim books As New DataSet()
books.ReadXml("c:\temp\books.xml")

'set data source...
tLabel.DataSource = books

'Create a PrintJob object
Using pj As New PrintJob()
	'Create PrinterSettings object
	Dim myPrinter As New PrinterSettings()
	myPrinter.Communication.CommunicationType = CommunicationType.USB
	myPrinter.Dpi = 203
	myPrinter.ProgrammingLanguage = ProgrammingLanguage.ZPL
	myPrinter.PrinterName = "Zebra  TLP2844-Z"

	'Set PrinterSettings to PrintJob
	pj.PrinterSettings = myPrinter
	'Print ThermalLabel object...
	pj.Print(tLabel)
End Using

//Define a ThermalLabel object and set unit to inch and label size
ThermalLabel tLabel = new ThermalLabel(UnitType.Inch, 3, 2);
tLabel.GapLength = 0.2;

//Define a TextItem object for binding to book's title
TextItem txt1 = new TextItem(0.1, 0.05, 2.8, 0.3, "");
//set data field
txt1.DataField = "Title";
//set font
txt1.Font.Name = Neodynamic.SDK.Printing.Font.NativePrinterFontA;
txt1.Font.Unit = FontUnit.Point;
txt1.Font.Size = 5;
//set alignment
txt1.TextAlignment = TextAlignment.Left;

//Define a TextItem object for binding to ISBN code
TextItem txt2 = new TextItem(0.1, 0.32, 2, 0.5, "");
//set data field
txt2.DataField = "ISBN";
txt2.DataFieldFormatString = "ISBN: {0}";
//set font
txt2.Font.Name = Neodynamic.SDK.Printing.Font.NativePrinterFontA;
txt2.Font.Unit = FontUnit.Point;
txt2.Font.Size = 10;
//set alignment
txt2.TextAlignment = TextAlignment.Left;

//Define a BarcodeItem object for encoding ISBN barcode
BarcodeItem bc = new BarcodeItem(0.1, 0.57, 2.8, 1.3, BarcodeSymbology.Isbn, "");
//set data field
bc.DataField = "ISBN";
//set barcode size
bc.BarWidth = 0.013;
bc.BarHeight = 1;
bc.EanUpcGuardBar = true;
bc.EanUpcGuardBarHeight = bc.BarHeight + 5 * bc.BarWidth;
//set barcode alignment
bc.BarcodeAlignment = BarcodeAlignment.MiddleCenter;
//set font for human readable text
bc.Font.Name = Neodynamic.SDK.Printing.Font.NativePrinterFontA;
bc.Font.Unit = FontUnit.Point;
bc.Font.Size = 5;
            
//Add items to ThermalLabel object...
tLabel.Items.Add(txt1);
tLabel.Items.Add(txt2);
tLabel.Items.Add(bc);

//Create data source...
DataSet books = new DataSet();
books.ReadXml(@"c:\temp\books.xml");

//set data source...
tLabel.DataSource = books;

//Create a PrintJob object
using (PrintJob pj = new PrintJob())
{
	//Create PrinterSettings object
	PrinterSettings myPrinter = new PrinterSettings();
	myPrinter.Communication.CommunicationType = CommunicationType.USB;
	myPrinter.Dpi = 203;
	myPrinter.ProgrammingLanguage = ProgrammingLanguage.ZPL;
	myPrinter.PrinterName = "Zebra  TLP2844-Z";

	//Set PrinterSettings to PrintJob
	pj.PrinterSettings = myPrinter;
	//Print ThermalLabel object...
	pj.Print(tLabel);
}

ADO.NET Database Data Binding scenario