ward@sneezy.cs.wisc.edu (Mike Ward) (08/31/90)
I often print large graphics files to my mx80 style printer. I would like to use the MSDOS 3.3 print command to spool them, but 'print' only likes text files. If anyone knows of a undocumented option or patch that makes 'print' work with graphics (binary) files rather than just ascii text files, I would appreciate it if you would send me the info. Thanks. Mike ward@sneezy.cs.wisc.edu
ABishop@massey.ac.nz (A.G. Bishop) (09/04/90)
In message <11114@spool.cs.wisc.edu> Mike Ward writes: >I often print large graphics files to my mx80 style printer. >I would like to use the MSDOS 3.3 print command to spool them, but >'print' only likes text files. If anyone knows of a undocumented option >or patch that makes 'print' work with graphics (binary) files rather >than just ascii text files, I would appreciate it if you would send me >the info. Thanks. How about using the Dos COPY command, if the printer is connected is connected to the first parallel port type: copy fred.txt lpt1: /b the /b indicates a binary transfer so that things like ASCII 26 (^Z) won't muck you up. To print to a serial port you need to set the port up first using the MODE command (this sets baud rate, stop bits, etc). You would need to check the printer's manual to see what it expects then work aout the right MODE parameters from your Dos manual's syntax description. Parallel is much more straightforward. Tony -- Tony Bishop Computer Centre Email: A.G.Bishop@massey.ac.nz Massey University Standard disdainer applies Palmerston North, N.Z.
jrwsnsr@nmt.edu (Jonathan R. Watts) (09/04/90)
From article <944@massey.ac.nz>, by ABishop@massey.ac.nz (A.G. Bishop): > In message <11114@spool.cs.wisc.edu> Mike Ward writes: > >>I often print large graphics files to my mx80 style printer. >>I would like to use the MSDOS 3.3 print command to spool them, but >>'print' only likes text files. If anyone knows of a undocumented option >>or patch that makes 'print' work with graphics (binary) files rather >>than just ascii text files, I would appreciate it if you would send me >>the info. Thanks. [A.G. Bishop responds by telling him to use COPY.] You seem to have missed the point. Mr. Ward wants to *SPOOL* the graphics files, the most obvious reason being so that he can free up the computer to do something else while it's printing--if you use COPY, you have to wait for the print to finish before you can do anything else. This inability of PRINT to print graphics files is ridiculous--graphics printing takes much longer than text, so spooling is much more useful! (Sorry, I don't have a solution--I didn't even know the problem existed until now, as I've never tried to spool a graphics file.) - Jonathan Watts jrwsnsr@jupiter.nmt.edu (Internet address)
16012_3045@uwovax.uwo.ca (Paul Gomme) (09/04/90)
In article <944@massey.ac.nz>, ABishop@massey.ac.nz (A.G. Bishop) writes: > In message <11114@spool.cs.wisc.edu> Mike Ward writes: > >>I often print large graphics files to my mx80 style printer. >>I would like to use the MSDOS 3.3 print command to spool them, but >>'print' only likes text files. If anyone knows of a undocumented option >>or patch that makes 'print' work with graphics (binary) files rather >>than just ascii text files, I would appreciate it if you would send me >>the info. Thanks. > > How about using the Dos COPY command, if the printer is connected is > connected to the first parallel port type: > > copy fred.txt lpt1: /b While the copy command works, there are benefits to using the print command. Specifically, print will work in the background (letting you get back to work faster) while copy will not. This difference is, of course, greater when the printer is hooked up by a serial port connection. When MicroSoft was soliciting opinions from the net for enhancements to a future version of DOS, adding a /b switch to the print command was one of my suggestions. The indication I got was that this seemed reasonable and would in fact be implemented. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bitnet: gomme@uwovax.bitnet gomme@uwovax.uwo.ca Internet: gomme@uwo.ca
ABishop@massey.ac.nz (A.G. Bishop) (09/06/90)
> >>>I often print large graphics files to my mx80 style printer. >>>I would like to use the MSDOS 3.3 print command to spool them... > >[A.G. Bishop responds by telling him to use COPY.] > >You seem to have missed the point. Mr. Ward wants to *SPOOL* the graphics >files... Apologies, much chastened. I can offer nothing helpful, I'm afraid. It occurs to me, though, that this may be an incidence of "better not at all than badly" since I feel sure that there would be PD or sh/ware print spoolers if Dos did not have Print. I often send output to a file then print it later. I, too am surprised that this problem has not come up before. -- A.G.Bishop@massey.ac.nz | The opinions, policies and biases | inflicted upon the Gentle Reader Computer Centre | herein are mine. Massey University | Palmerston North, N.Z. |
tiburon@mcshh.hanse.de (Tim Berndt) (09/07/90)
ward@sneezy.cs.wisc.edu (Mike Ward) writes: >I often print large graphics files to my mx80 style printer. >I would like to use the MSDOS 3.3 print command to spool them, but I've just seen a program (shareware) called 'LQ' which claims to do Letterquality-printing on some 8-dotters. Well - the docs tell me that a certain program included in the archive could patch print.com to do binary-printing. Sorry: I didn't try it yet as LQ doesn't satisfy me... Tim
mcdonald@aries.scs.uiuc.edu (Doug McDonald) (09/09/90)
In article <958@massey.ac.nz> ABishop@massey.ac.nz (A.G. Bishop) writes: >> >>>>I often print large graphics files to my mx80 style printer. >>>>I would like to use the MSDOS 3.3 print command to spool them... >> >>[A.G. Bishop responds by telling him to use COPY.] >> >>You seem to have missed the point. Mr. Ward wants to *SPOOL* the graphics >>files... > >Apologies, much chastened. I can offer nothing helpful, I'm afraid. > >It occurs to me, though, that this may be an incidence of "better not at >all than badly" since I feel sure that there would be PD or sh/ware print >spoolers if Dos did not have Print. > >I often send output to a file then print it later. I, too am surprised >that this problem has not come up before. > There is a program on simtel20 that does spool binary files. I believe it was called dmp200 or something like that. It DOES exist and works fine. Doug MCDonald