

THE BEST PC MAGAZINE UTILITIES FOR PRINTING -- DOCUMENTATION


ASPRN                                  Robert L. Hummel
Command                          1988 No. 5 (Utilities)
_______________________________________________________

Purpose:  Defines up to 26 2-character text macros that
          will be replaced in the output to the printer
          by user-designated control strings.

Format:   ASPRN [ /U | [/S] [/Mx | /Cnnn] ]

Remarks:  ASPRN is a memory-resident (TSR) macro
          processor and editor that intercepts
          characters on their way to the printer.  When
          it detects a user-designated macro key
          combination--the default is a tilde ()
          followed by a letter--it substitutes the user
          -designated printer control codes.

Example:  The H-P LaserJet series II uses the Escape
          sequence Esc&l0O to cause it to print in
          portrait mode.  Many word processors cannot
          send the actual ASCII ESC character (027d, or
          1Bh), or could not send a needed Escape
          sequence in the middle of a line of text.
          They could, however, send A, to which the
          user could assign the sequence, and ASPRN
          would make the substitution.

          To make or change macro assignments, enter
          ASPRN /S.  Both an optional descriptive name
          and the codes that constitute the macro
          itself can be entered and edited on screen,
          in any video mode with a screen width greater
          than ten characters.  The bottom line of the
          screen indicates the use of the various
          editing keys.  The ASCII ESC character is
          entered by hitting the Esc key; it appears on
          screen as a left-pointing arrow.  Pressing F7
          saves all macros and descriptive names
          entered under the name ASPRNNEW.COM, which
          may either be loaded as such or renamed.

          The default macro identifier (the tilde) may
          be changed by invoking ASPRN with either the
          /Mx or the /Cnnn switch.  The x is any
          printable ASCII character, e.g. the # or &
          symbol.  The /Cnnn switch is used if a non-
          printing character is to be used for the
          macro identifier.  To use the the backspace
          character (ASCII 008) instead of the tilde,
          for example, you would enter ASPRN /C008.  To
          make the macro identifier change permanent,
          use both the /S and the /M (or /C) options.

          Subject to the usual TSR deinstallation
          limitations, ASPRN may be uninstalled from
          memory by invoking it with the /U switch on
          the command line.  It should be loaded after
          any print spoolers or any redirection made
          using the MODE command.


ENVELOPE                                      Ron Saidikowski
Command                                         Dec. 27, 1988
-------------------------------------------------------------
Purpose:    A memory-resident utility that captures a name and
           address field from the screen and prints it, with an optional
           return address, on an envelope fed into a laser printer.

Format:   [d:][path]ENVELOPE [/U] /Pxx /Ln [/R]

Remarks: Entered without command line parameters, ENVELOPE
          defaults to /PL1 (printer port LPT1:) and /L2 (LaserJet II or
          compatible printer with center-feed envelope slot.  Other values for
          xx are L2, L3, C1, C2, C3, or C4 (for LPT2: or 3, or COM1: to
          COM4:).  The /L switch with a value of 1 for n is used for the older
          LaserJet or LaserJet+ (or compatibles), whose envelopes feed at the
          bottom of a landscape page.

          The default Alt-E hotkey initiates the defining/printing process.
          The cursor keys are used to position the cursor on the upper-left
          corner of the name/address to be printed, and pressing Enter anchors
          it.  The cursor keys are then used to define (highlight) the
          recipient's address field, which may be up to six lines deep and any
          displayable number of characters in length.  Pressing Enter then
          presents a choice between envelope sizes (F1 for small envelopes, F2
          for large, No. 10 size).  F3 toggles a selection highlight for
          printing or not printing a return address.  Pressing Enter then
          prints the envelope inserted in the laser printer's manual feed
          slot.  At any point short of printing, Esc can be used to exit.

          The optional /R command line switch permits storing a return address
          of up to three lines of 40 characters.  This address may be stored
          (and updated) as a permanent part of ENVELOPE.COM, if desired, or it
          may be used only during a single session.  ENVELOPE.COM is normally
          installed via the user's AUTOEXEC.BAT file.  If it is the last
          terminate-stay-resident utility loaded, it can be uninstalled at the
          DOS prompt by being invoked with the optional /U switch.

          Instructions for changing the hotkey and other defaults are given in
          the original article.

LASERLST                          Michael Holmes and Bob Flanders
Command                                April 11, 1989 (Utilities)
_________________________________________________________________

Purpose:    Formats text files so that the information of two
            standard-sized pages is printed side by side on a
            single landscape-mode page when printed with an HP
            LaserJet (or compatible) laser printer.

Format:     [d:][path]LASERLST infile [outfile] [/Tn]

Remarks:    The infile parameter designates the text file(s) to
            be printed.  DOS "wildcards" (* and ?) can be used to
            designate multiple files, and a drive and path may
            also be included as part of infile.

            By default, LASERLST sends its output to the standard
            DOS printing device, which is normally LPT1:.  The
            optional outfile parameter can be used to direct the
            output either to another DOS device (LPT2:, for
            example), or to a disk file instead.  The optional
            /Tn switch causes each tab character (ASCII 9) in the
            infile to be replaced in the outfile with n spaces.
            The default value of n is 8; other values up to 16
            may be used.

            The outfile produced by LASERLST contains the
            requisite formatting and printing Escape sequences
            used by the HP LaserJet printers.  The infile is
            printed in landscape mode with two 66-line by 81-
            character pages on each physical page.  Files
            suitable for processing by LASERLST should be ASCII
            files that do not contain escape sequences of their
            own and that do not require any specific word
            processor's formatting codes.  LASERLST does,
            however, support underlining produced by a backspace
            and character strikeoverr. LASERLST may be used with
            files whose line lengths exceed 81 characters, but
            lines will be wrapped automatically at their 82nd
            character, and no provision is made for word wrap.
            LASERLST is especially suitable for printing program
            listings, README files, and rough drafts of text to
            be edited.


LPTPORT                                 John Dickinson
Command                                 March 5, 1985
_______________________________________________________
Purpose:  Permits alternate use of two parallel
          printers (e.g., letter- and draft-quality
          units) with software that is normally limited
          to using LPT1:.

Format:   LPTPORT
Remarks:  Certain software, e.g., the PC-DOS Shift-
          PrtSc routine, does not recognize a command
          such as

          A>MODE LPT1:=LPT2:

          To use such software with two different
          printers normally requires changing physical
          connections.

          LPTPORT.COM provides a software toggle that
          interchanges the internal DOS I/O addresses
          of LPT1: and LPT2:.  After entering the
          LPTPORT command, a second printer, connected
          to LPT2:, will receive program output
          nominally directed to LPT1:.  Entering the
          LPTPORT command a second time restores the
          original port assignments.

Notes:    1.   Certain internal print-spooling
          programs, such as those supplied with
          add-on memory board cards, read the port
          address assignments at boot-up time and
          do not thereafter look at the low-memory
          area of DOS to find them.  With such
          programs you will have to run LPTPORT
          before the print spoolers are loaded in
          order to change the effective port
          assignments.


PRN2FILE                                    Tom Kihlken
Command                         1987/No. 22 (Utilities)
_______________________________________________________

Purpose:  Captures any output nominally directed to a
          printer to a file that can then be edited by
          a word processor or printed later.

Format:   PRN2FILE [d:][path]filename [/Pn] [/Bn] [/U]

Remarks:  PRN2FILE is a memory-resident program that is
          normally loaded as part of your AUTOEXEC.BAT
          file.  It should be installed before other
          print utilities, such as a print spooler or
          the DOS MODE command.  Once installed, the
          program may be run multiple times to change
          the filename (the drive and path default to
          the current directory unless specified)
          designated to receive the printer output.

          If the filename is not changed, successive
          print operations are appended to (rather than
          overwrite) the created file.  To disable the
          printer output redirection, simply omit to
          specify a filename.

          The optional /Pn parameter designates the
          printer number (the default is LPT1) to be
          redirected.  Note that output to a non-
          existent printer (/P2 in a one-printer
          system) is supported.  This is another way to
          permit normal printing while PRN2FILE remains
          resident.  Legal values for Pn range from 1
          through 3.

          The optional /Bn parameter sets the buffer
          size.  The default value is 4096 bytes, and
          values up to 64K may be specified.  The
          buffer repeatedly empties when partially full
          in order to minimize the chance of buffer
          overflow even if DOS is called on for other
          activities than writing the buffer to disk.
          Should buffer overflow occur an error message
          is produced, but some data will be lost, so
          the file should be re-written using a larger
          buffer.

          The optional /U parameter is used to unload
          PRN2FILE from memory.  If other memory-
          resident utilities have been loaded after
          PRN2FILE and have chained onto the same
          interrupts, it will not be possible to unload
          the program, and a message to this effect
          will be displayed.

          All optional parameters may be entered in any
          order, but must each be separated by a single
          space character, which acts as a delimiter.


SETUP2                                               Jeff Prosise
Command                                  May 30, 1989 (Utilities)
_________________________________________________________________

Purpose:    Sends menu-selected or typed control codes to a
            printer  from within an application or from the DOS
            prompt.

Format:     SETUP2 [d:][path][filename] | [/C codes] | [/U]

Remarks:    Entered without the /C option, SETUP2 becomes a RAM-
            resident utility with a pop-up menu of user-
            configured printer control sequences specified in
            filename.  The default hotkey is Ctrl-Right Shift.
            Esc closes the menu window and returns to any already
            running application.   Entering SETUP2 with the /U
            option uninstalls the utility if no subsequent TSR
            program has been loaded.

            Any ASCII text editor or word processor can be used
            to create filename, which contains the desired
            printer commands.  This file may be up to 64KB in
            overall size, and may contain any number of lines,
            each each of which must be ended by pressing Enter.
            The first line identifies the printer or company (hit
            Enter alone to leave it blank), and may be up to 26
            characters long.  Subsequent lines consist of up to
            20 characters of identifying ASCII text, followed by
            a semicolon, followed by up to 255 bytes containing
            the  printer control sequence.  For example, the
            first four lines of a filename for an H-P LaserJet
            might be entered thus:
            H-P LASERJET
            Spreadsheet;        27,"&l1o2e5.647c66F",27,"&k2S"
            Reset Printer;      27,"E"
            Form Feed;          12

            ASCII 27 is the (decimal) escape character; it could
            alternatively be entered in hexadecimal notation as
            x1B or 0x1B, following the C-language style.  Numeric
            entries may be separated by commas (as shown), or by
            spaces or tabs.  Literal ASCII text must be enclosed
            either within double quotes (as shown) or single
            quotes.  White space to the right of the semicolon is
            ignored, and any line in filename beginning with a
            pound sign (#) is treated as a comment line and will
            not appear in the SETUP2 window.

            In the example just cited, when the SETUP2 menu is
            popped up with Ctrl-Right Shift, the words
            "Spreadsheet," "Reset Printer," and "Form Feed" will
            appear next to lines identified as F1, F2, and F3.
            The associated printer control codes do not appear in
            the on-screen menu, but are sent to the printer
            either by pressing the indicated function key or by
            moving the menu highlight bar to the appropriate line
            with the Up- and Down-Arrow keys and pressing Enter.
            The PgDn and PgUp keys bring lines in filename beyond
            the first "page" (ten lines) into the menu window.

            Below F10 in the SETUP2 menu is a blank line that may
            be used to send printer control sequences not
            contained in filename.  This line is accessed by
            pressing the Slash key (/), typing in the actual
            control codes (using the format conventions
            previously discussed), and pressing Enter.  In this
            case, the actual printer codes are shown on the
            screen; the entry line scrolls horizontally to
            accommodate sequences of more than 100 characters.
            Entering SETUP2 with the /C option enables sending
            printer control codes from the DOS command line
            without making the utility RAM-resident.  This is
            useful both for testing and for batch file
            operations.  The codes are again entered with the
            numeric and quotemark conventions previously
            indicated.  Note that each line must end with an
            ASCII 13,10 (carriage return/line feed) sequence.

            By default, SETUP2 uses LPT1.  Users familiar with
            DEBUG.COM can change the entry at offset 018A
            (normally 0) to 1 (for LPT2) or to 2 (for LPT3).
            Similarly, the default Ctrl-Right Shift hotkey can be
            changed to another shifting key combination by
            changing the entry at offset 01B3 (normally 5).  A
            hex value of C in this location would change the
            hotkey to Ctrl-Alt, for example.  A complete table of
            shift-mask values is contained in the HOTKEY.MOD file
            on this disk.

            A sample file with the menu entries and codes for
            most Epson dot-matrix printers is shown below:

            #============================================
            # Epson RX/FX-80 Printer Make File
            # Copyright (c) 1989 Ziff Communications Co.
            #============================================
            EPSON RX/FX-80 PRINTER
            Compressed Mode On;     15
            Compressed Mode Off;    18
            Expanded Mode On;       27,"W1"
            Expanded Mode Off;      27,"W0"
            Emphasized Mode On;     27,"E"
            Emphasized Mode Off;    27,"F"
            Double-Strike On;       27,"G"
            Double-Strike Off;      27,"H"
            Miniature Mode On;      15,27,83,0,27,65,6
            Miniature Mode Off;     18,27,84,27,50
            #--------------------------------------------
            Elite Mode On;          27,"M"
            Elite Mode Off;         27,"P"
            Skip Perforation On;    27,78,8
            Skip Perforation Off;   27,79
            1/8" Line Spacing;      27,"0"
            7/72" Line Spacing;     27,"1"
            1/6" Line Spacing;      27,"2"
            Line Feed;              10
            Form Feed;              12
            Reset Printer;          27,"@"

            A similar sample for LaserJet printers is:

            #============================================
            # HP LaserJet Printer Make File           
            # Copyright (c) 1989 Ziff Communications Co.
            #============================================
            HEWLETT-PACKARD LASERJET
            Portrait Mode;      27,"&l0O"
            Landscape Mode;     27,"&l1O"
            10 Pitch;           27,"&k0S"
            12 Pitch;           27,"&k4S"
            16.66 Pitch;        27,"&k2S"
            Light;              27,"(s-3B"
            Medium;             27,"(s0B"
            Bold;               27,"(s3B"
            Form Feed;          12
            Reset Printer;      27,"E"
            #--------------------------------------------
            Line Printer;       27,"(s0T"
            Pica;               27,"(s1T"
            Elite;              27,"(s2T"
            Courier;            27,"(s3T"
            Helvetica;          27,"(s4T"
            Times Roman;        27,"(s5T"
            Gothic;             27,"(s6T"
            Spreadsheet;        27,"&l1o2e5.647c66F",27,"&k2S"


NOTE: SETUP2 COMES WITH SETUP FILES FOR EPSON AND HP LASERJET PRINTERS.
IT'S ON THE "BEST OF PC MAGAZINE PRINTING UTILITIES" DISK IN THE
\PRINTING SUBDIRECTORY. LOOK FOR THE HP AND EPSON FILES.

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