Print attributes in an externally defined print file

[Guest.Visitor]

Does anyone know if you can include formatting characters in a print line in an externally defined print file ? For example, can I build a print line to underline certain text ? The RPG code might look like this: Eval PrintLine = X'24' + 'This is an underlined line of text' + X'20'. Thanks in advance. Mike

[Guest.Visitor]

Mike, You can do this sort of thing fairly easily using Advanced Function Printing (AFP). You can define boxes, underlines, and a lot more. There is a manual that describes this on the resource CD titled Advanced Function Printing Utilities for AS/400 User's Guide. If this is more than you want to get into, you can usually declare a format that has no skip or space with a single field that is as long as a print line. When you want an underline, you can fill that field with underscore characters for the positions you want underlined. Then write the underline format. David Morris

[Guest.Visitor]

If you have and afp/ipds printer you can do just about anything you want as far as size,rotation, fonts, lines(vrt and hrz), boxes, underlines, bar codes etc. very easily. If not try the underline keyword, it may work on a normal printer.

[Guest.Visitor]

AFP is a "licensed program," isn't it? I.e., it isn't included as part of the base OS, is it? I'd love to learn that it is, or there are API's or commands (as with Job Scheduling, where the application is licensed, but there are related command available).

[Guest.Visitor]

Rebecca You can construct PCL commands move them to a field infront of the text you want, say bold, and have it print on a SCS laser printer. Not as flexible as AFP and not as predictable, but better than nothing. We use it here to print bold names on conference badges on HP lasers. Doug Cosgrove