topic Re: Printer form for OpenVMS in Operating System - OpenVMS

Printer form for OpenVMS

Brian A. — Fri, 21 Oct 2005 14:31:36 GMT

We have a new application that requires a landscape print form that is 132 characters wide. I have a form on the system called landscape_sml, but the font is too small. I have another form on the system (landscape) that is too large, and the data is either truncated or it wraps (neither of which is acceptable). Is there any information anywhere to help me create a form (or rather a setup module) that sets a different font size or character pitch?
btw, I'm not a programmer...

OpenVMS 7.3-2.
HP printers

thanks...

Re: Printer form for OpenVMS

Lawrence Czlapinski — Fri, 21 Oct 2005 15:41:56 GMT

Brian: There is no font selection in the VMS form definition help. /width=132 is all that would be in the form definition.
$HELP DEFINE/FORM
$type define_forms.com
$! Define forms
$ ! Set special characteristic for the DEFAULT form
$ define/form/notruncate default 0
$!
$! Define form 'postscript' to be used to print SAS plots on some
$! laser printers.
$!
$define/form/stock=default/length=255
/width=512 /margin=(top=0,bottom=0,left=0,right=0) /wrap postscript 1
$define/form/length=18/stock=default
/width=132 label 10
$define/form/length=88 88lpi 88
$ exit
Lawrence

Re: Printer form for OpenVMS

Jan van den Ende — Fri, 21 Oct 2005 16:04:17 GMT

Brian,

IF you are NOT using LPD and
IF you have the codebook with the printer escape sequences (brand dependant) (they used to come with every printer, nowadays they are hard to come by)
THEN you can use any text editor to create your own setup form, the way you like it.

The fact that you already mention setup modules suggests trere are good chances for you.
Now all you need is the escape specs for YOUR specific printer.

If you locate those and need more help, by all means, come back here!

Success

Proost.

Have one on me.

jpe

Re: Printer form for OpenVMS

Steven Schweda — Fri, 21 Oct 2005 16:15:00 GMT

What are you printing, plain text?

Which HP printers? Connected how?

Have you looked into DCPS? It can do
approximately everything, and the price is
right.

http://h71000.www7.hp.com/openvms/print/index.html

Re: Printer form for OpenVMS

Ian Miller. — Sat, 22 Oct 2005 12:22:13 GMT

If you can supply the result of
$ SHOW QUEUE/FULL
and
$ SHO QUEUE/FORM/FULL LANDSCAPE_SML
$ SHOW QUEUE/FORM/FULL LANDSCAPE

Re: Printer form for OpenVMS

Jan van den Ende — Sun, 23 Oct 2005 04:41:01 GMT

Brian,

sorry, 1st time I missed your mention of HP printers.

You mention Setup Modules, so I consider that known stuff.

The module to set character spacing ("PITCH") to 16 char/inch:

( = escape char, ASCII 27
all text is case SENSITIVE,
spaces added for readability, REMOVE them!)

( s 0 P & k 2 S

for non-integer number it gets slightly more complex, eg 11.5 ch/in:

( s 0 P & k 10.233888 H ( s 11.5 H

( 0 in this text is the character ZERO, not the letter Oh )

Insert those modules in the library associated with the queue, and DEFINE a form that names thea moduke as a /SETUP module.

Success.

Proost.

Have one on me.

jpe

Re: Printer form for OpenVMS

Phil.Howell — Mon, 24 Oct 2005 02:13:00 GMT

You need to consult a PJL manual for codes specific for your printer, however this is the setup module that we used for landscape purchase orders on a laserjet 4.
&l0H
&l1x1o26a1e50f1H
*t300R
(0N
(s4099T
(s0B
(s0S
*p225X
*p62Y

Phil