RPG - Network Laser Printer Control

[Guest.Visitor]

I have an application that used to do some very nice printer control using a twin-axial connection card that recognized printable character sequences inserted in a spool file as printer control commands. As our company phases out twin-ax and moves to network connected printers, I loose this functionality. I have tried embedding regular printer control codes in spool files, but they seem to be ignored by the printer. Has anyone found a configuration and/or strategy for controlling font, pitch, page orientation etc. on a network connected laser printer from an RPG program?

[tdaly@sddsystems.com]

Probably the easiest way is to define the printer device with Host Print Transform enabled: CRTDEVPRT ... TRANSFORM(*YES) and 'Manufacturer type and model' MFRTYPMDL(*HPIII) set to what ever printer you're actually using, HP III for example. This will transform the print stream from SCS - the native AS400 print stream - to the print stream used by that particular manufacturer type and model printer...PCL in the case of most laser printers. Then create a printer file in DDS. Be sure the 'Printer device type' DEVTYPE(*AFPDS) is set to *AFPDS when you CRTPRTF. Then go ahead and use the DDS keywords for FONT, PAGRTT (page rotation), TXTRTT(field rotation), LINE, BARCODE etc. This has worked for me in the past so it should work for you - if I haven't left anything out!

[Guest.Visitor]

Todd, If what Tom said doesn't apply for you, do a search of the forums. I gave the details on how to accomplish this complete with a code sample. One of the big keys is to remember that the printer file MUST be Compiled as RPLUNPRT(*NO) . Bill

[B.Myrick]

Todd, How about going to the IBM Redbooks. There is an Printer IV and V manual that pretty well describes what you want (I think). http://boulder.ibm.con/html/as400/online/v4r4eng.htm Hope this helps, Bret