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1988-12-11
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P4UP - A Text Printing Utility
______________________________
Introduction
════════════
P4UP is a DOS utility program that prints 4 60-line page images of ASCII text
in portrait mode on one side of a piece of paper on a variety of printers. On
printers such as the Hewlett-Packard LaserJet II or DeskJet, P4UP builds and
downloads its own soft font. On other printers which cannot use these soft
fonts, P4UP uses printer graphics to draw the page of text.
P4UP has several options to let you control the print operation. Enter these
options on the command line along with the file names. Precede each option
with a dash (-). All options have default values, and can be turned on or
off. (When you register P4UP, you will also receive P4CUSTOM which lets you
customize P4UP to your liking by setting your own default value for all
options.) An example of a P4UP command with options is:
P4UP -NoB -Z archives.*
This prints text with No Breaks (NoB) in a Zigzag pattern (Z). You may use
upper or lower case for all P4UP arguments.
In its simplest form, using all the default values, P4UP works like the DOS
PRINT command. Just give it the file names you want printed, using disk,
directory, or wild cards. For example:
P4UP APRIL.LET or P4UP *.PRN or P4UP P4UP.DOC
P4UP will:
* Automatically expand tabs (you can set the width) and formfeeds;
* Break the output into 60-line pages with the filename and page
number at the top of each page, or run the pages together unseparated;
* Print the pages top-to-bottom or left-to-right;
* Write to LPT1, LPT2, LPT3, COM1, or COM2;
* On printers which support manual page feeding, pause between pages
so you can turn each sheet of paper over, getting up to 8 page images
on a single sheet of paper.
Enter P4UP with no filenames or options to display a help screen.
Modification History
════════════════════
Version 1.0 of P4UP was the original version for the HPLJII.
Version 1.1 corrected an incompatibility with other laser printers
Version 2.0 adds the following features:
* The format (-F) option specifies either soft fonts or graphics printing to
support the HP ThinkJet, DeskJet, and LJII.
* 60-line pages are used with headers (-H) or without (-NoH).
* The tab (-T) options allows variable expansion of tab characters in text.
* Options can now be turned off with the -No prefix for use with P4CUSTOM.
* All registered users get P4CUSTOM to set default values for all options.
P4UP - A Text Printing Utility
______________________________
General Options and Usage for P4UP
══════════════════════════════════
P4UP prints files much as the DOS PRINT command does. You can give it one or
more file names, even using ? and *. As examples:
P4UP \123\plan.prn or P4UP a:*.doc a:*.lst
Before you give the P4UP command, your printer should be attached, powered up,
and switched online.
P4UP processes the file specifications you give it. If the file specifications
do not use a disk or path, the current disk and path will be used. If the file
specifications contain the DOS wild cards ? or *, all matching files will be
printed. Entering P4UP with no files and no options prints a help screen.
P4UP has many options to give you control of the print operation. The following
describes the general purpose options for P4UP. See the section named Font
Management for a description of other options which are specific to soft font
capabilities of the HPLJII and HPDJ. See the Printer Capabilities section
for a further description of the Format option (-F). You can set default
values for all options with P4CUSTOM which is included in the price of P4UP.
-B Break to a new piece of paper with each new file. If you use -NoB,
the next file will start in the next available quadrant of the paper.
-Ddevice Normally P4UP prints to the device LPT1. You can use the -D
option to name a different printer device including: LPT1, LPT2, LPT3,
COM1, COM2. Example: -Dlpt2
-Fn Format (Further explained in section on Printer Capabilities):
-F0 (HPLJII) is for laser printers which use soft fonts.
-F1 (HPDJ) is for the HPDeskJet with a memory cartridge for soft fonts.
-F2 is for printers which have 300 dots per inch graphics and over
500K of available memory but which cannot use either F0 or F1.
-F3 is for printers which support 150 dots per inch graphics.
The characters are rougher than F2 but print twice as fast.
-F4 (HPTJ) is for the HPThinkJet running in Native mode (switch
5 down) which supports 160 dots per inch graphics.
-F5 (HPTJ) is for the HPThinkJet in Emulation mode (switch 5 up).
-H Headers. With this option, P4UP will print a header with the filename
and page number before each 60-line page. Use -NoH for no headings.
-M Manual feed. Normally, P4UP takes paper from the input tray. If you
specify -M, P4UP will pause on every other sheet for you to turn over
the previous sheet, allowing 8 pages to print on each physical page.
-Tn Tab expansion. Normally, P4UP expands tab characters in the text
to enough spaces to get to the next group of 8 characters. You can
set a value between 1 and 9 with the -T option. Example: P4UP -T3.
-Z Zig-Zag printing. When you specify -Z, page 2 is to the right of
page 1, and page 3 below page 1. With -NoZ, page 2 is below page 1,
and page 3 is to the right of page 1.
P4UP - A Text Printing Utility
______________________________
Typical uses for P4UP
═════════════════════
P4UP prints a lot of data in a small but readable format using little paper.
I wouldn't recommend using P4UP to send memos you want people to read, but
there are several occasions where it is appropriate. The following are some
of my own experiences; I'm sure you will find others.
As a programmer, I often have to work with three or four hundred lines of
code at one time. Using P4UP allows me to get this many lines printed out
on two pieces of paper which fit easily on my desk. Then I see the whole
picture at one time, making it easier to deal with problems.
When I've finished a program, I like to get an archive listing of all the
source. Chances are I'll never have to refer to it again, but should the
worst happen, I want to know there's a hardcopy backup around. Using P4UP
for archive purposes saves a lot of paper.
New software that I acquire often comes with a README or online documentation
file. Admittedly I don't spend more time reading the documentation than most
people, but having it printed out increases the chance that if I refer to it
I'll be able to quickly find what I'm looking for, just by scanning for page
headings. Using P4UP means I don't waste a lot of paper.
The obvious value of P4UP is that when it is appropriate to use, it saves
resources, space, and expense.
The P4UP Character Set
══════════════════════
P4UP contains the shapes for all 256 characters in the 8-bit ASCII code.
This includes all the single and double box characters. A few of the low
numbered characters won't print out because they are intercepted by other
hardware and software and interpreted as special control characters.
Although the box characters meet up across the page, they do not meet up
vertically. P4UP uses 12 lines per inch vertically. Since all P4UP
characters are formed with 16 dots per line, P4UP would have to print at
18.75 lines per inch (300 dots per inch / 16 dots per line), to achieve
vertical connections. This would make normal text unreadable.
The following table shows the P4UP character set:
!"#$%&'()*+,-./ 0123456789:;<=>?
@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNO PQRSTUVWXYZ[\]^_
`abcdefghijklmno pqrstuvwxyz{|}~
ÇüéâäàåçêëèïîìÄÅ ÉæÆôöòûùÿÖÜ¢£¥₧ƒ
áíóúñѪº¿⌐¬½¼¡«» ░▒▓│┤╡╢╖╕╣║╗╝╜╛┐
└┴┬├─┼╞╟╚╔╩╦╠═╬╧ ╨╤╥╙╘╒╓╫╪┘┌█▄▌▐▀
αßΓπΣσµτΦΘΩδ∞φε∩ ≡±≥≤⌠⌡÷≈°∙·√ⁿ²■
P4UP - A Text Printing Utility
______________________________
The Format Option (-F) and Printer Capabilities
═══════════════════════════════════════════════
This section contains background information which is necessary only
if you need to select a printing method for your printer.
In graphics mode, P4UP can draw characters in three formats which differ
in the number of dots used to construct each letter. The more dots, the
better the character looks, but the more memory and time required. The
three formats are summarized in the following table:
P4UP Graphic Format -F2 -F3 -F4
Dots per character (Width) 13 7 8
Chars per line 160 160 160
Dots per line needed 2080 1120 1280
Printer type LJII LJII HPTJ
Resolution (DPI) 300 150 160
Dots per line available 2400 1200 1280
Dots per character (Height) 16 8 8
Bytes per char (W*H/8) 26 7 8
Lines per page 122 122 122
Chars per page 19520 19520 19520
Printer memory needed 495K 133K 152K
Printer Requirements
If your printer supports soft fonts in the HPLJII format, use -F0 to print.
If your printer supports soft fonts in the HPDJ format, use -F1 to print.
These soft font methods result in the fastest, clearest printing.
If your printer supports 300 dots per inch and has at least 500K of AVAILABLE
memory, but doesn't accept the soft fonts used in -F0 or -F1, you can use -F2,
which draws each page in graphics mode at 300 dots per inch. -F2 uses 13 dot
characters, so a full page requires 495K bytes of data to be sent to the
printer. This can be a tight fit in 500K. Using 300 dots per inch, you may
encounter problems such as the HP errors codes 20 or 21, especially on pages
with every line filled with 80 characters. These errors mean that the page
contains too much data for the printer to handle. In this case, you must use
method -F3, which draws each page at 150 dots per inch.
You might want to use -F3 anyway to save printing time and memory. -F3 prints
faster but with somewhat coarser characters. -F3 requires about half the time
and one quarter the memory requirements of -F2. Since there are only 1200
dots per line at 150 dots per inch, P4UP uses 7 dots per character for -F3.
The HP ThinkJet supports 1280 dots per line. This allows P4UP to use 8 dot
characters. Since the ThinkJet prints each line as it receives it, there
is no memory problem. Use -F4 if you run the ThinkJet in Native mode
(switch 5 down) and -F5 if you run it in Emulation mode (switch 5 up).
The HPLJ+ is similar to the HPLJII, but the soft fonts available in P4UP do
not run on the HPLJ+. If you want to run P4UP on the HPLJ+, you will have to
use -F3 (150dpi graphics). Although the HPLJ+ has 500K of memory, some of it
is used up by the printer, so there will not be enough memory to run -F2.
P4UP - A Text Printing Utility
______________________________
Font Management Options (-P, -R, and -I) for HPLJ II and HPDJ
═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
This section contains information on managing soft fonts, which are
used by P4UP on the HPLJ II and HPDJ and compatibles. This information
is not necessary for normal operation.
On the HPLJII and HPDJ, P4UP generates and downloads a font with a
point size of 3.8 and a pitch of 21.4. This allows 171 characters
to be printed across an 8 1/2 inch page, and this font can be printed
at 12 lines per inch, allowing 120 lines to be printed down an 11 inch
page. You can make the P4UP soft font permanent for use with other
software besides P4UP, although other software might require a special
print driver or setup command to use the soft font.
Soft font printers have two classes of soft fonts, temporary and permanent.
Temporary soft fonts are erased whenever the printer is reset, something
that occurs during many print operations. Permanent soft fonts are
retained until software specifically removes them, or until the printer
is turned off.
Normally, P4UP marks its font as temporary. It is downloaded every time
you use P4UP, and lasts only for the duration of the P4UP command. If you
plan to use P4UP several times in succession, you can tell P4UP to make
the font permanent in the first P4UP command, and all subsequent P4UP
commands to bypass the downloading operation. This will save some time.
The font takes up about 15K of your printer's memory. To mark the font as
permanent, enter:
P4UP -P
The -P option makes the font Permanent in the LaserJet (until the
printer is turned off). Without the -P option, the P4UP font lasts
only for the duration of the P4UP command.
In subsequent commands, use the R option:
P4UP -R filename
The -R option tells P4UP to Reuse a Resident font (after a previous
P4UP used the -P option). Normally the font is downloaded anew with
each P4UP invocation. If you run P4UP with the -R option but the font
is not resident, P4UP will use the built-in line printer font. Since
this font cannot support the necessary 171 characters, pages along the
right hand side will be truncated. Once the font is made permanent, you
can use it with other software. Select the soft font by calling for a
portrait font with a pitch of 21.4 or identifying it by font id. The
font can be printed at 12 lines per inch. A complete indentification of
the P4UP font in printer language is: E&l0OE(10UE(s0p21.43h3.84v0s0b3T
where the E's stand for the Escape character. In English, this means:
portrait orientation; PC-8 symbol set; fixed spaced; 21.43 pitch; 3.84
point; upright style; medium stroke; courier typeface.
The -I option can be used to give the soft font a specific font id. Normally
P4UP gives its font the id 1. You can give it a different id with the -I
option, as in -I33. Pick an id not in use by other programs. If you make
the font Permanent, you can use this ID later to select the font.
P4UP - A Text Printing Utility
______________________________
What? No Phone? No Credit Cards?
════════════════════════════════
When I asked my bank if I could take credit cards, they told me they
hate mail-order sales; they hate businesses run from home without a
store front; and they hate small-volume businesses. So, sorry, but
you'll have to pay by check.
I was thinking of getting a business phone put in, but no credit card
sales means I can't get any good news by phone. I hope that shareware
marketing of a simple program will let me get away with it. You've
already got a copy of the program. You already know whether it works or
not on your system. There aren't many questions that need answering.
The Public (Software) Library doesn't have my problem with banks. If you
choose, you can order and register P4UP from PSL (MC/Visa Accepted):
Call: 1-800-2424-PSL (for orders only)
1-713-665-7017 (for information)
or write: Public (Software) Library
P.O. Box 35705
Houston, TX 77235-5705
With each registration you get a credit towards future PSL disk orders.
If you have criticisms, suggestions for improvements, or requests for
support of a particular printer, I'd love to hear from you. If you need
a quick response, you can leave an EasyPlex message for me on CompuServe;
my account number is 76064,1776.
Acknowledgement
═══════════════
The rough edges of the soft font used by P4UP were smoothed out using
FONTFIX. This and other SoftFontWare programs are available from:
S. H. Moody & Associates, Inc.
1810 Fair Oaks Avenue
South Pasadena, CA 91030
A Note on this Document
═══════════════════════
This documentation file is formatted with 60-line pages making use of a
feature of P4UP. If you are using an HPLJII or compatible that is attached
as LPT1, you can print this document with the command:
P4UP P4UP.DOC
P4UP - A Text Printing Utility
______________________________
Shareware
═════════
P4UP is distributed as shareware: try it before you buy it. Make sure it
works on your system to your liking. Shareware is NOT freeware - unless you
pay for it, you don't have the right to continue using it beyond a test period.
ASP
═══
Hexagon Products is a member of The Association of Shareware Professionals
(ASP). ASP has established stringent standards for its members. ASP wants
to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable
to resolve a problem with an ASP member (other than technical support), ASP
may be able to help. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at PO Box 5786,
Bellvue, WA 98006.
Disk Vendors, Bulletin Boards, and Users Groups
═══════════════════════════════════════════════
ASP is in the process of establishing guidelines for the distribution of
shareware. Contact them and ask to be informed of their progress. In general,
you may distribute this program as long as the following guidelines are met:
You should distribute all files that make up the program essentially
unchanged.
You should charge less than $10 for distribution of the program.
You should be sure your customers know the program is not free but
is shareware, and that payment for your distribution is not payment
to the author.
You should forward copies of problems or complaints about this program
to the author. In return, the author will make an attempt to answer
such problems or complaints.
You should let the author know that you are distributing the program,
if possible by sending the author a copy of your catalog or literature
that mentions the program. In return, the author will supply you
with updates or corrections to the program.
You should distribute the latest version of the program when it is
made available to you.
P4UP - A Text Printing Utility
______________________________
Registration
════════════
The price of P4UP is $29.95. All registered users will also receive P4CUSTOM,
a program that can set the default values for all P4UP options at whatever
you choose. For HPLJ II users, you also get a small landscape soft font that
prints 240 characters across the page, suitable for spreadsheet printing.
Send your check to:
P4UP
Hexagon Products
P.O. Box 1295
Park Ridge, IL 60068-1295
When you register P4UP, please include the following information which will
be used for further product development.
Name: ___________________________________________________
Company: ________________________________________________
Address: ________________________________________________
City: ___________________________________ State: ________
Zip: _________________ Phone: ___________________________
Please circle what you use: DOS OS/2
VGA EGA CGA HERC MONO
Mouse NoMouse
What kind of printer do you use? ________________________
Where did you find P4UP? ________________________________