+=+=+¢ PRINT TOOL 9.0¢ ¢ PRINT TOOL 9.0 --- a multi-purpose¢ printer utility for Epson or Gemini¢ printers. Program and text by:¢ Charles F. Johnson CIS # 75066,404¢ (File will be found on this disk.)¢¢ PRINT TOOL is a BASIC¢ program that will let you print out¢ any ATASCII text file with its CTRL ¢ graphics characters and all the other¢ special ATARI characters just as they¢ appear on screen. It lets you use¢ any character set that you wish (as¢ long as it is stored in the standard¢ 9 sector form used by most character¢ editor programs), and will also print¢ the date, author, and a nice boxed¢ title at the beginning of the¢ printout. This program is especially¢ good for printing files that have¢ been printed to disk with PaperClip¢ or SpeedScript. PRINT TOOL also lets¢ you print out a directory listing in¢ 2, 4, or 6 columns, or enter a line¢ of text to be printed at any point. ¢ There are three sizes of text¢ available; all use the entire ATARI¢ font or any alternate font you wish. ¢ You may also choose between three¢ line spacing settings.¢¢ PRINT TOOL is designed for the Epson¢ or Star Micronics (Gemini) printers. ¢¢ Using PRINT TOOL. ¢¢ When you run PRINT¢ TOOL, the first thing you see is the¢ OPTION MENU. Below the menu are¢ several lines which will hold¢ pertinent information as you use the¢ program. The menu selections are:¢¢ 1...Disk Directory.¢ This command will display the¢ directory of drive one or two in a¢ double column format, and then ask¢ for a filename to print. If you want¢ to print a text file from that disk¢ just enter its name, with no D:¢ specifier. If you're just looking at¢ the directory or the file you want to¢ print isn't on that disk, hit RETURN¢ and you will go back to the OPTION¢ MENU.¢¢ 2...Print Directory.¢ This will print the directory of¢ drive one or two in the currently¢ selected print mode (see change Print¢ Mode).¢¢ 3...Load Character Set. This command¢ enables you to load a character set¢ file from drive one or two. The new¢ character set will then be used¢ during any printing as well as¢ displayed on screen. This option¢ also allows you to return to the¢ default Atari font.¢¢ 4...Type a Line.¢ You may enter a line of text (up to¢ three physical lines) to be printed¢ in the current print mode and¢ character set. Any characters may be¢ used.¢¢ 5...Enter Filename.¢ This option lets you enter the name¢ of an ATASCII text file to be¢ printed. If you want to print out a¢ BASIC program with all of its special¢ characters, you should first LIST it¢ to disk and then use PRINT TOOL to¢ print the LISTed file. A SAVEd BASIC¢ program is in a tokenized form, so if¢ you try to print that, you're bound¢ to have problems. Some word¢ processors will allow you to print¢ text to a disk file, which can then¢ be printed with PRINT TOOL (say, with¢ a nice redefined font). (Ed. I beieve¢ that this can be done with 1stXLENT &¢ ATARIWRITER PLUS, maybe with others.)¢¢ 6...Enter Title.¢ Lets you enter a title for the file¢ you wish to print. The title will be¢ printed with a border around it, at¢ the top of the listing.¢¢ 7...Enter Author.¢ Lets you give yourself (or whoever)¢ credit at the top of your printout.¢¢ 8...Enter Date.¢ The date will be printed on the¢ same line as the filename and author¢ information.¢¢ 9...Change Print Mode. ¢ This option allows you to set¢ character size and line spacing. The¢ character size will determine how¢ many columns are used when you print¢ a directory listing; 2, 4, or 6.¢¢ 0...Print File. ¢ This is where you go after you have¢ everything set up the way you want¢ it. If you haven't already entered a¢ filename to print, you will be asked¢ for one. If you just press RETURN you¢ will exit to the OPTION MENU.¢¢ The lines beneath the Option Menu¢ display print size and line spacing,¢ the name of the file you have chosen¢ to print, and whatever data you have¢ entered for Title, Author, and Date.¢¢ PRINT TOOL sets your printer's¢ "skip over perforation" feature so¢ that you'll have nice, separate pages¢ in a long listing.¢¢ I've found this program to be very¢ useful --- I'm sure you will too. ¢¢ Address comments via Compuserve to¢ Charles F. Johnson 75066,404. ¢ <><>end<><>¢¢