How to read Duplex and Pages per Sheet setting from current printjob

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C#

.NET

printing

Hello.

My challenge is to intercept all printjobs. Foreach job I want to determine, whether the duplex or the X pages per sheet function was used.

I’m trying to solve the solution using C# and the .net Framework.
I already found a couple of solutions to get more general information about the printjob (id, page count, user, color, …) by using WMI and the System.Printing namespace. But I couldn’t retrieve the Duplex or PagerPerSheet information jet.

My most promising approach was the following (see also my attached code sample):
- Attach to WMI Creation event for Printjobs to get notified
- Read jobid from event properties
- Use System.Printing namespace to get printjob from specific printqueue
- Pause printjob and try to use its properties

I already thought to have it solved, when I discovered the PrintTicket (ReachFramework) class attached to the PrintQueue, which offers the properties “Duplexing” and “PagesPerSheet”.
Unfortunately I had to discover that those Properties – against my expectations – do not represent the state of the printjob I submitted.

Am I misunderstanding the functionality of the PrintQueue.CurrentJobSettings or do I use it wrong?

I tried to figure this out for days but starting to spin in circles.
If anybody could point out my mistake or provide some other solution to intercept this information I would appreciate it very much.

Thanks in advance,
Hans-Peter

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Management;
using System.Printing;
using System.Threading;
namespace PrintJobInterceptor
{
    //paste this into an console application
    //please add references to ReachFramework, System.Management and System.Printing
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            // Initialize an event watcher and subscribe to events             
            ManagementEventWatcher watcher = new ManagementEventWatcher();
            string machineName = System.Environment.MachineName;
            string scopeName = String.Format(@"\\{0}\root\CIMV2", machineName);
            watcher.Scope = new ManagementScope(scopeName);
            // attach to creation events of printjobs
            string oQuery = "SELECT * FROM __InstanceCreationEvent WITHIN 0.01 WHERE TargetInstance ISA \"Win32_PrintJob\"";
            watcher.Query = new EventQuery(oQuery);
            watcher.EventArrived += new EventArrivedEventHandler(watcher_EventArrived);
            watcher.Start();
            Console.ReadLine();
        }
        static void watcher_EventArrived(object sender, EventArrivedEventArgs e)
        {
            //some information about printjob can be found in event args
            PrintEventInfo(e);
            int id = GetPrintJobId(e);
            LocalPrintServer s = new LocalPrintServer();
            //XPS printer hardcoded here. Pleade replace with your printer's name.
            PrintQueue q = s.GetPrintQueue("Microsoft XPS Document Writer");
            PrintSystemJobInfo printJob = null;
            try
            {                
                printJob = q.GetJob(id);
                //do not enter a breakpoint until the printjob was retrieved from queue. otherwise there will be an excheption in the GetJob method
                //if you don't pause the job, small jobs will be gone to fast. espacially while debugging.
                printJob.Pause();
                //if you don't wait some time and update the info, not all information will be correct (e.g. total page count ,...)
                Thread.Sleep(1000);
                printJob.Refresh();
                printJob.HostingPrintQueue.Refresh();
                //when i take a look at the various printteckets (especially the current one), i would expect it to hold the correct settings
                Console.WriteLine("Pages Per Sheet: " + printJob.HostingPrintQueue.CurrentJobSettings.CurrentPrintTicket.PagesPerSheet);
                //i know xps is only capable of manual duplexing - you can try it with some other printer
                Console.WriteLine("Duplex: " + printJob.HostingPrintQueue.CurrentJobSettings.CurrentPrintTicket.Duplexing);
                Console.WriteLine("Copy Count: " + printJob.HostingPrintQueue.CurrentJobSettings.CurrentPrintTicket.CopyCount);  
              
                //unfortunately most of the infos are allways null, although i specified them in the print dialog.
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
            }
            finally
            {
                if (printJob != null)
                    printJob.Resume();
            }
        }
        static void PrintEventInfo(EventArrivedEventArgs e)
        {
            foreach (PropertyData data in e.NewEvent.Properties)
            {
                Console.WriteLine();
                Console.WriteLine();
                Console.WriteLine("e.NewEvent.Properties: " + data.Name + " # " + data.Value);

                if (data.Value is ManagementBaseObject)
                {
                    foreach (PropertyData qualifier in ((ManagementBaseObject)data.Value).Properties)
                    {
                        Console.WriteLine("- " + qualifier.Name + " # " + qualifier.Value);
                    }
                }
                else
                {
                    int i = 0;
                }
            }
        }
        static int GetPrintJobId(EventArrivedEventArgs e)
        {
            uint jobId = (uint)((ManagementBaseObject)e.NewEvent.Properties["TargetInstance"].Value).Properties["JobId"].Value;            
            int intId = (int)jobId;
            return intId;
        }
    }
}