<< ** >>¢ Print Star 2.0¢ by¢ Thomas J. Andrews¢ Member of OL' HACKERS A.U.G., N.Y.¢ Copyright 1994 Thomas J. Andrews¢ The program "PRNTST20.BAS" is on this¢ OL' HACKERS newsletter disk.¢¢ This documentation package and¢ the accompanying program which is on¢ ths OL' HACKER newsletter disk, may be¢ freely distributed as long as they¢ remain together and unaltered.¢ Print Star is a program for¢ printing text in multi-column formats¢ on Epson- or Star Gemini- compatible¢ printers. It was originally conceived¢ as a way to produce hard copy of¢ program documentations meant to be¢ read from the screen without using¢ reams of paper doing it.¢ This version, 2.0, incorporates¢ nearly all the features of the¢ previous versions, a few new ones, and¢ a new user interface. Print Star 2.0¢ will operate on any Atari 8-bit¢ computer with at least 48K of RAM, an¢ Epson- or Star Gemini- compatible dot-¢ matrix printer, and a disk drive. It¢ is written in Atari 8-bit BASIC.¢ Somewhat more speed can be obtained by¢ using Turbo BASIC XL, but the speed is¢ largely dependent on your particular¢ printer. I have tested it with Atari¢ DOS 2.5 and MYDOS 4.5, and it has also¢ been used with SpartaDOS and SpartaDos¢ X. It should work with nearly any¢ DOS.¢ Input files must be continuous¢ ATASCII text with records not longer¢ than 40 characters. In general,¢ characters that your printer would not¢ recognize or might interpret as¢ control codes should not be included.¢ Print Star 2.0 supports¢ tabulation using the ATASCII TAB¢ character (CHR$(127). For other¢ exceptions, see the file EFFECTS.TXT,¢ an article from the OL' HACKERS ATARI¢ USER GROUP [OHAUG] newsletter,¢ included in a prior newsletter. The¢ file EFFECTS.PSP is the same article,¢ but should be dumped directly to your¢ printer.¢ Whenever Print Star 2.0¢ encounters a TAB character(CHR$(127))¢ imbedded in the input text, spaces¢ will be inserted into the output line¢ until the next tab stop is reached. If¢ no more tab stops are set for that¢ line, the TAB character will be¢ ignored. If the output line, with tab¢ spaces, is longer than 40 characters,¢ the excess will be cut off, so be¢ careful when using tabs. ¢ Tab stops are programmable (see¢ below). Text files that are not¢ compatible with Print Star may be¢ converted using a good word processor¢ or by using Reformat 2.01, a shareware¢ program that can be found on Genie,¢ Compuserve, the first Atari Classics¢ Magazine disk, OHAUG Library, and¢ several BBS's.¢¢ PROGRAM OPERATION¢¢ Running Print Star 2.0 is¢ simplicity itself. During¢ initialization, the program looks on¢ D: for a file named PSTRAUTO.DAT¢ containing configuration data. If¢ this file isn't found, or if there is¢ an error in reading it, Print Star¢ will configure itself internally. (See¢ below for more on creating¢ PSTRAUTO.DAT.) When initialization is¢ complete, Print Star moves on to the¢ Set Parameters screen.¢ The Set Parameters screen allows¢ the user to make temporary changes in¢ the configuration, or to exit the¢ program. A list of the changeable¢ factors is provided along with their¢ present settings (where applicable).¢ Use the up and down arrow keys (with¢ or without CONTROL) to highlight the¢ parameter you wish to change, then¢ press RETURN to select it. Some¢ parameters will change as you press¢ RETURN, but others will require¢ further action. Some choices are¢ available that are beyond the¢ capabilities of some printers, and I¢ leave it to the user to avoid those¢ that his printer can't handle. When¢ all changes are complete, press ESC to¢ continue with the program.¢ To exit Print Star and go to DOS,¢ press "D". To go to BASIC, press¢ "B".¢¢ Parameter Descriptions¢¢ LOAD/SAVE CONFIGURATION: This option¢ allows you to load a new¢ configuration, save the present one,¢ restore the defaults, or leave¢ everything alone. When RETURN is¢ pressed, you are moved to a new screen¢ where these options are presented. ¢ Press the first letter of the desired¢ action. If needed, you will be asked¢ for a filename. D: is the default¢ device, but any device may be used. ¢ If you wish to create a custom¢ configuration file to be loaded during¢ initialization, use the filename¢ PSTRAUTO.DAT.¢ # OF COLUMNS: This, of course is the¢ number of text columns on the Print¢ Star output page. Pressing RETURN¢ toggles between 2 and 3 columns.¢ LINES/INCH: This determines the¢ vertical line spacing of the output¢ text. Pressing RETURN cycles through¢ 6, 7, 8, and 12 lines/inch.¢ PRINT STYLE: Determines the print¢ style for the whole page. Choices are¢ DRAFT, DOUBLE STRIKE, and NLQ.¢ PAPER TYPE: Tells Print Star what¢ kind of paper you're using. Choices¢ are CONTINUOUS, cut sheet AUTOFEED,¢ and SINGLE sheets. When using single¢ sheets, Print Star pauses between¢ pages for a paper change.¢ OUTPUT DEVICE: This selects the¢ device code for Print Star's output. ¢ Possible choices are P, P2, D, D1-9,¢ and C. If one of the drives is¢ selected you will be asked for a file¢ name before printing takes place. ¢ This feature is essential for those¢ who want to add special effects as¢ explained in EFFECTS.TXT.¢ FIRST PAGE: This sets the starting¢ point of the printout. Any number¢ from 1 to 100000 is permitted, as long¢ as it doesn't exceed the value of LAST¢ PAGE, below. If Print Star should¢ reach the end of the input file before¢ getting to the FIRST PAGE number,¢ nothing is printed. To change the¢ value, press RETURN and a question¢ mark will appear on the line. Type¢ the new starting page number and press¢ RETURN.¢ LAST PAGE: Same as FIRST PAGE above,¢ except that it specifies the last page¢ to be printed. This value cannot be¢ less than that of FIRST PAGE. ¢ Printing ceases at the end of file if¢ the LAST PAGE has not been reached.¢ PAGES PRINTED: This option allows¢ you to print on one or both sides of¢ your paper. The possible settings are¢ All, Odd/Even, Odd, and Even. All¢ means that every page is printed in¢ consecutive order, on one side of the¢ paper.¢ The Odd/Even setting prints the¢ odd-numbered pages first, then pauses¢ so that you can remove your paper and¢ replace it so that the back side of¢ the first page is at the beginning. ¢ Then the even-numbered pages are¢ printed, thus printing the file on¢ both sides of the paper.¢ The Odd and Even settings allow¢ you to print several files on both¢ sides of the paper while reloading the¢ paper only once. To do this, print¢ the odd pages only of each file in¢ succession. Reload the paper when the¢ last odd page is completed and print¢ the even pages. If the total number¢ of pages for any one file is odd, the¢ paper will need to be advanced by one¢ sheet before printing the next file,¢ so be sure to check. ¢ Also, if the configuration was¢ changed between files, be sure to use¢ the same configuration for each file¢ on the even pages that you used on the¢ odd ones.¢ HEADER/BYLINE: This selects the¢ pages on which the header and byline¢ are to be printed. The choices are¢ All pages, the First Page Only, and¢ None at all.¢ The header is designed primarily ¢ to be used as a title or headline for¢ the printout. It can be no more than¢ 40 characters long. It is printed in¢ double width pica (5 cpi) and centered¢ at the top of the page. The byline,¢ or subhead, is in regular pica (10¢ cpi), can be 80 characters long, and¢ is centered beneath the header.¢ Pages that have no header/byline¢ will have approximately 1/2 inch more¢ text in its place.¢ FOOTER: This selects the pages for¢ the footer, much the same way as the¢ header/byline. Like the¢ header/byline, if no footer is printed¢ 1/2 inch more text is added to the¢ body of the page. For more on the¢ footer, see CHANGE FOOTER, below.¢ FOOT LINE: This allows you to print¢ a line beneath the body of the text,¢ mainly to separate it from the footer,¢ but it can be used without the footer,¢ if desired. The choices for this¢ option are the same as those for the¢ header/byline. Two lines of text are¢ added if the foot line isn't used.¢ PAPER SIZE: Normally, Print Star¢ output is printed for full-sized, 8¢ 1/2 x 11 inch paper. Some users,¢ particularly those submitting to club¢ newsletters, wanted to print a page to¢ be used as a master for a 5 1/2 x 8¢ 1/2 inch newsletter page. This¢ smaller format ignores the values of¢ certain parts of the configuration and¢ resets them before printing takes¢ place. The output is in two columns,¢ printed at 12 lines/inch in condensed¢ (17 cpi) superscript mode. The header¢ is printed in double width condensed¢ print (8 cpi) and the byline is in¢ condensed print. The footer is in¢ condensed superscript, and can be no¢ more than 79 characters long. The¢ pages are printed on full-sized paper,¢ then cut down for copying. ¢ Alternatively, of course, a regular¢ Print Star page can be reduced with a¢ copier.¢ CHANGE FOOTER: Print Star 2.0 always¢ has a footer active in memory, whether¢ it's to be printed or not. This¢ option lets you change it. When¢ RETURN is pressed, the program goes to¢ a new screen where the present footer¢ string is displayed, and the new¢ footer is asked for. Pressing OPTION¢ at this point retains the current¢ footer. The footer may be up to 119¢ characters long for a full-sized page¢ and 79 for a "small" one. When the¢ footer is processed for printing, the¢ first time an inverse # (pound symbol)¢ is encountered the page number will be¢ printed instead. Printer and control¢ codes for things like italics or¢ underlining may be included, but they¢ will be counted as regular characters¢ for centering purposes, so the¢ centering may be a bit off as a¢ result.¢ CHANGE TABS: This allows you to¢ change the tab stops for use in¢ creating tables, etc. The tab stops¢ remain in effect for the whole¢ printout.¢ When RETURN is pressed, Print Star¢ changes screens and the current tab¢ stop values are displayed. To retain¢ these stops, just press OPTION. ¢ Pressing anything else clears the¢ present tabs. The new tab entries can¢ be any number from 1 to 40, and need¢ not be entered in any particular¢ order, but they must be entered one¢ stop per line. Invalid entries will¢ be ignored and a message will be¢ printed on the screen. When the last¢ stop has been entered, enter a "0" to¢ go back to the Set Parameters screen.¢ PRINTER TYPE: This toggles between¢ the Epson and Star Gemini printer¢ drivers. Print Star can be programmed¢ for other printers. I will program a¢ dot-matrix printer driver (if¢ possible) for users who have paid a¢ shareware fee for any of the Print¢ Star series. I will require a summary¢ of your printer commands, which may be¢ sent to one of the addresses at the¢ end of this documentation.¢¢ PRINTING¢¢ Upon leaving the Set Parameters¢ screen Print Star asks for the header¢ and byline, if they are to be used,¢ and the output file name if a drive¢ was specified as the output device. ¢ To get a directory of the output¢ drive, just press RETURN when asked¢ for the file name. To change the¢ output device, enter the device code¢ without a file name, but be sure to¢ include the colon (:). Only devices¢ in the list specified on the Set¢ Parameters screen will be accepted. ¢ If a device that doesn't require a¢ file name is entered, the program will¢ leave this screen and go on to the¢ input file name. A drive other than¢ that specified in the configuration¢ can be entered with the file name, if¢ desired. Devices specified on this¢ screen only temporarily override the¢ configuration.¢ Input File Name: The input file¢ name screen works much as does the¢ output file name screen. Press RETURN¢ for a default device directory and¢ enter a device code(with colon) to¢ change the default drive.¢ Before entering the input file¢ name be sure both input and output¢ devices are ready and on line. Once¢ the input file name is entered, Print¢ Star checks to see if it's a 40-¢ character file. If it is it begins¢ reading the file and formatting page¢ 1. Print Star won't print pages it's¢ not supposed to, but every page must¢ be formatted.¢ Print Star will continue¢ formatting and printing until¢ finished. The user will be prompted¢ for paper changes when they are¢ needed, or if there is some sort of¢ I/O error. When Print Star is¢ finished the user will be prompted to¢ press a key. To go back to the Set¢ Parameters screen, press any key but¢ the console and BREAK keys. Please¢ note that the BREAK key is disabled¢ when Print Star is operating.¢¢ This program is Shareware, and as¢ such I would ask that if you like it¢ and use it that you send the suggested¢ fee to me at the address below. This¢ will cover some of my expenses and¢ encourage me to further develop this¢ and other programs for the ATARI 8¢ BIT. My suggested fee is $4.00.¢ I would like to thank my beta¢ testers, Jeff Potter and Mike Todd for¢ their useful suggestions. This program¢ wouldn't have been the same without¢ them.¢ I would appreciate any comments¢ or suggestions about Print Star 2.0. I¢ can be reached via the following¢ addresses:¢ GEnie: T.ANDREWS16¢ Backstairs BBS (315) 458-0118:¢ Tom Andrews¢ USPS: Thomas J. Andrews¢ 7805 US Route 20¢ Manlius, NY 13104¢ **************** end *****************¢
