nelson@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (Russ Nelson) (06/16/89)
Several of my users here wanted to be able to print Multiplan,
Quattro, and 1-2-3 output on a PostScript laser printer. I thought
about it and thought about it, and realized that such a thing was
relatively straightforward. I use the device driver calls that are
specific to MS-DOS 3.0, open and close. Roughly, when the user opens
the device, I send out the prolog, which reads to the end of the job.
When they close the device, I send out a ^D, ending the job.
I wish to forstall ^D flames. This program is running at the
transport level. It is perfectly appropriate to send a ^D to the
printer at this point. A network utility may be monitoring interrupt
17h. If so, then the network utility has the responsibility to sense
and strip the ^D that separates jobs.
So, the basic technique for using this device driver is to print, not to the
printer, but instead to a file, and use the name of the postprn device. When
I saw that the cgrind posting in alt.sources had postscript code to print
portrait or landscape mode, 1-up, 2-up, and 4-up, that was the ticket. The
postprn device driver supplies six device driver names -- PRN{LAND,PORT}{,2,4}.
Printing to the appropriate name prints your file in the desired format.
Availability:
Postprn.arc is on the same machine that holds the comp.binaries.ibm.pc
archives. Look in /d/dosutil (file area 7). The standard blurb on grape
follows:
The semi-official c.b.i.p archives are on grape.ecs.clarkson.edu which
is a Zenith Z-248 running a modified version of KA9Q's TCP/IP NET that
allows you to shell out to DOS while still processing packets. After
shelling to DOS, we run an Opus BBS. The particulars:
FTP: grape.ecs.clarkson.edu [128.153.13.196], user anonymous, password guest.
Look in 00readme for timely information.
Look in /d/general/cuhug.lst for a listing of files w/ descriptions.
Look in /[cdef]/allfiles for listings of all files.
Look in /c/bin1/*.* for c.b.i.p postings.
Look in /d/graphics/pa.arc for Painter's Apprentice
Look in /d/dosutil/postprn.arc for the PostScript device driver
Look in /e/freemacs/*.* for Freemacs
Look in /f/gif/*.gif for .GIF images.
Look in /f/games/*.* for Simtel20's games.
Opus: 260/360 in the Nodelist. (315)268-6667, 8N1, 1200/2400 Baud, 24 hours.
Look in file area 7 for PostPrn.
Look in file area 12 for Painter's Apprentice
Look in file area 23 for Simtel20's games.
Look in file area 25 for Freemacs
Look in file area 26 for c.b.i.p postings.
Look in file area 27 for .GIF images.
Submitting files to grape by FTP:
You can just put the file where you believe it belongs. Note that you
cannot overwrite files, so if you want to update something, you need
to change the name. Send mail to root if you need to delete or
overwrite a file.
To help us keep the 'files.bbs' up to date, we need a .DSC file. This
file should have its first line be a one-line description less than 40
characters in length. The rest of the file (no more than ten lines)
can be a more verbose description. Either put the file in the arc, or
else in the same subdir as the arc.
--
--russ (nelson@clutx [.bitnet | .clarkson.edu])
A peace won by war cannot last.