Fires on the object just before its associated document prints.
| Inline |
<element onbeforeprint = "handler" ... > |
| Script |
object.onbeforeprint = handler |
| Bubbles |
No |
| Cancels |
No |
| To invoke |
- Choose Print from the File menu in Internet Explorer.
- Press CTRL + P.
- Right-click anywhere on a page, and choose Print.
- Right-click on a link on a page, and choose Print.
- From Windows Explorer, select an .htm file and choose Print from the File menu.
- From Windows Explorer, right-click on an .htm file and choose Print.
|
| Default action |
Prints the document associated with the object for which the event is specified. |
This event gives the Web author an opportunity to modify the document just before it prints; in most cases, to make all the information on the page visible just before printing.
The event is usually used in conjunction with the onafterprint event, which provides a means for the Web author to undo the changes made to the document in the onbeforeprint event.
Although event handlers in the document object model do not receive parameters directly, the handler can query the event object for data.
Event Object Properties
| altKey |
Retrieves the current state of the ALT key. |
| button |
Retrieves which mouse button, if any, is pressed. |
| cancelBubble |
Sets or retrieves whether the current event should bubble up the hierarchy of event handlers. |
| clientX |
Retrieves the x-coordinate of the position of the cursor when the mouse is clicked, relative to the size of the client area of the window but excluding window decorations or scroll bars. |
| clientY |
Returns the y-coordinate of the position of the cursor when the mouse is clicked, relative to the size of the client area of the window but excluding window decorations or scroll bars. |
| ctrlKey |
Retrieves the state of the CTRL key. |
| returnValue |
Sets or retrieves the return value from the event. |
| screenX |
Retrieves the horizontal position of the mouse, in pixels, relative to the user's screen. |
| screenY |
Retrieves the vertical position of the mouse, in pixels, relative to the user's screen. |
| shiftKey |
Retrieves the state of the SHIFT key. |
| srcElement |
Retrieves the object that fired the event. |
| type |
Retrieves the event name from the event object. |
| x |
Returns the horizontal position of the mouse when the event fires. |
| y |
Returns the vertical position of the mouse when the event fires. |
The following example demonstrates how the onbeforeprint event can be used to make all currently hidden sections of the page visible just before the page prints. The onafterprint event is then processed, after the page prints, to revert the document back to its original state.
Sample Code
function window.onbeforeprint() {
var coll = document.all.tags("DIV");
if (coll!=null) {
// check for class = "collapsed" and set to "expanded" for printing
for (i=0; i<coll.length; i++)
if (coll[i].className == "collapsed") {
coll[i].className = "expanded";
// flag changed class
coll[i].bExpandedForPrinting = true;
}
else if (coll[i].className == "expanded")
coll[i].bExpandedForPrinting = false;
}
}
function window.onafterprint() {
var coll = document.all.tags("DIV");
if (coll!=null) {
/* check for class = "expanded" and flagged for printing
then reset to "collapsed" */
for (i=0; i < coll.length; i++)
if ((coll[i].className == "expanded") &&
(coll[i].bExpandedForPrinting)){
coll[i].className = "collapsed";
coll[i].bExpandedForPrinting = false;
}
}
}
window, BODY, FRAMESET
onafterprint, print