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-
- '.
- APrf2 - User's Guide
-
-
-
-
-
- AboutThisDoc
-
- This file describes release 2.10 of the utility APrf2. This program
- is (c)1989-1990-1991-1992 by Denis GOUNELLE, any commercial usage or selling
- without author's written authorization is strictly forbidden. You can copy
- and spread this program at the following conditions:
-
- - all the files must be provided
- - none of the file must have been modified
- - you don't charge more than $6 for copy fee
-
- "PowerPacker 2.3b" is (c)1989 by PowerPeak and Nico FRANCOIS.
- "PowerPacker Pro 3.0b" is (c)1990 by PowerPeak and UGA SoftWare. The
- "powerpacker.library" library is (c)1990 by Nico FRANCOIS. AREXX is (c)1987
- by William Hawes. The "reqtools.library" library is (c)1990-1991 by Nico
- FRANCOIS.
-
- No warranty is made that there's no errors in APrf. YOU USE THIS
- PROGRAM AT YOUR OWN RISKS. In no event will I be liable for any damage,
- direct or indirect, resulting of the use of APrf.
-
- Introduction
-
- APrf2 is a new version of APrf which can use the new functions of
- 2.0 system release. This program still works under 1.3 system release, but
- without offering some of the new features.
- APrf is a printing utility, which allows to add an header or a
- footer, to set up margins, to have a multi-columns output, etc... and uses
- your Preferences settings. It also have an AREXX-compatible message port, an
- application window (or "AppWindow", under 2.0 system release only) and can
- load files compressed with "PowerPacker 2.3b" or "PowerPacker Pro 3.0b".
-
- You can send me your suggestions and criticism writing to:
-
- M. GOUNELLE Denis
- Boite 71
- 6, rue des cailloux
- 92110 CLICHY - FRANCE
-
- You can also send a message to the following Internet address :
- gounelle@alphanet.ch. Note that this mailbox is not mine, so please send
- only short messages. As I don't have direct access to the messages, don't
- expect an answer before a dozen of days.
-
- Many thanks to Serge HAMMOUCHE, Jean-Yves PROUX, Jean-Philippe RAPP,
- Jean ROUGELIN, Michel SCHINZ, and Pierre VITET for tests and ideas.
-
- Running_from_CLI
-
- There's no need to use a "RunBack" or "ARun" utility, as APrf will
- detach itself from the CLI window. The command line is of the form:
-
- APrf [filename][-c#][-f#,#][-l#][-n#][-oF][-p#][-r#][-s#][-t#]
- [-x#][-A][-Cseq][-D#][-F{L|C|R}fmt][-H{L|C|R}fmt][-Ifont]
- [-N#][-Oopts][-P{p|e|f}][-Spages][-X]
-
- If you specify the <filename> argument, the corresponding file will
- be taken as the file to print. Here's a description of the other arguments:
-
- -c# (Columns number)
- Prints file in # columns.
- Default value: # = 1
- Minimal value: # = 1. Maximal value: # = 999.
-
- -f#,# (page Format)
- Selects page format and pages where to print header and/or
- footer. The first # can be one of:
-
- 0 nothing
- 1 header
- 2 footer
- 3 both header and footer
-
- Default value: # = 1.
-
- The second # can be one of:
-
- 0 on all pages
- 1 on all pages but the first
- 2 on even pages
- 3 on odd pages
-
- Default value: # = 0.
-
- You can modified only one of these parameters : "-f1,2",
- "-f1" and "-f,2" forms are accepted. See section 2.6 for
- more information.
-
- -l# (Left margin)
- Sets a left margin of # characters. Note that the margins
- set up in Preferences is ALWAYS used.
- Default value: # = 0
- Minimal value: # = 0. Maximal value: # = 999.
-
- -n# (line Numbering)
- Numbers lines with # digits numbers.
- Default value: # = 0 (no line numbers).
- Minimal value: # = 0. Maximal value: # = 10.
-
- -oF (Output)
- Printing will be re-directed to file F.
-
- -p# (Page length)
- Sets page length to # lines.
- Default value: "Paper length" set up in Preferences.
- Minimal value: # = 5. Maximal value: # = 999.
-
- -r# (Right margin)
- Sets a right margin of # characters. Note that the margins
- set up in Preferences is ALWAYS used.
- Default value: # = 0
- Minimal value: # = 0. Maximal value: # = 999.
-
- -s# (column Spaging)
- Columns are separated by # spaces.
- Default value: # = 1
- Minimal value: # = 1. Maximal value: # = 999.
-
- -t# (Tabulation)
- Sets tabulation stop positions to #+1, 2#+1, 3#+1, etc..
- Default value: # = 8.
- Minimal value: # = 1. Maximal value: # = 999.
-
- -x# (copies)
- Prints # copies of the file.
- Default value: # = 1
- Minimal value: # = 1. Maximal value: # = 999.
-
- -A (Arexx mode)
- Sets AREXX mode (see section 3.3 for more information).
-
- -Cseq (Control sequence)
- Selects the control sequence "seq" (see section 3.5 for more
- information).
-
- -D# (Date format)
- Sets date format in header. # can be one of:
-
- 0 AmigaDOS format (dd-mmm-yy)
- 1 International format (yy-mm-dd)
- 2 American format (mm-dd-yy)
- 3 European format (dd-mm-yy)
-
- Default value: # = 0.
- See section 2.6 for more information.
-
- -F{L|C|R}fmt (Footer format)
- Specifies page footer format.
- See section 2.6 for more information.
-
- -H{L|C|R}fmt (Header format)
- Specifies page header format.
- See section 2.6 for more information.
-
- -Ifont (Internal font)
- Select the given font.
- See section 3.5 for more information.
-
- -N# (page Numbers)
- Sets first page number to #.
- Default value: # = 1.
- Minimal value: # = 1. Maximal value: # = 899.
-
- -Oopts (Options)
- Allows you to modify several options. "opts" can be any
- combination of :
-
- l letter quality
- d draft quality
- 8 8 LPI spacing
- 6 6 LPI spacing
- F fanfold paper
- S single sheet paper
- t truncate too long lines
- f control characters filter
- a ANSI sequences filter
- k output buffer size of 1 Kbytes
- n don't send "Form Feed"
- u underline header
-
- See the description of "Options" menu, at section 2.5, for
- further informations.
-
- -P{p|e|f} (print Pitch)
- Selects print pitch :
-
- -Pp pica
- -Pe eelite
- -Pf fine
-
- Default value : "Pitch" set up in Preferences.
-
- -Spages (Selection)
- Selects the pages to print. "pages" can be one of :
-
- x only page x
- e even pages
- o odd pages
- x-y from page x to y
- x,y,z, pages x,y,z,... (up to 16 pages)
-
- You can also use the two last forms together, as in
- "-S1,3,5-8" or "-Se,1,3".
-
- CAUTION: the page numbers that you specify for page
- selection must depend of the first page number (see -N
- option)
-
- -X (eXpress) Sets "eXpress" mode (see section 3.2 for further
- information).
-
- If you make an error in your command line, a window will appear on
- the Workbench screen, with the message "Bad arguments". Click in the "OK"
- gadget to make the window disappear, and correct your command line. Then,
- run APrf once more.
- The "Tools" menu has a command that gives the command line
- corresponding to the current option settings (see section 2.5 for further
- information).
-
- Running_from_Workbench
-
- There's three ways to run APrf from Workbench, if you want to
- specify the files that hare to be printed:
-
- - by double-clicking on a "Project" icon whose "Default tool" is
- APrf
- - by clicking on one or more file icons, holding down the SHIFT
- key, and double-clicking on APrf icon
- - by clicking on APrf icon (and if required on some file icons),
- holding down the SHIFT key, and double-clicking on a file icon
-
- In any case, the selected files are transmitted to APrf. The program
- will display the first filename in the "File to print" gadget (see section
- 2.4). The "Next file" command in the "Project" menu allows you to skip to
- the next file (see section 2.5), and the "Default options" command in the
- "Tools" menu allows to go back to the first file in the files list (see
- section 2.5).
-
- As when you run APrf from the CLI, you can give some arguments to
- modify default options. To do this, click on a file icon and select the
- "Information" item in the "Icons" menu (on Workbench screen). Then click on
- the "New" gadget in the "TOOL TYPES" field, and add the arguments according
- to the following syntax:
-
- APRF=[-c#][-f#,#][-l#][-n#][-oF][-p#][-r#][-s#][-t#][-x#]
- [-Cseq][-D#][-F{L|C|R}fmt][-H{L|C|R}fmt][-Ifont]
- [-N#][-Oopts][-P{p|e|f}][-Spages]
-
- These options are described in section 2.1. If you run APrf from
- Workbench without arguments (i.e. if you just click twice on APrf's icon)
- options will be taken from "TOOL TYPES" field of APrf's project icon. Please
- notice that -A (AREXX mode) and -X (eXpress mode) options can't be specified
- when running APrf from Workbench.
-
-
-
- Getting_started
-
- APrf needs "reqtools.library" v2.0c, so you must copy it in your
- "LIBS:" directory (if not yet done) before trying to run this program.
- If all goes well, a new screen will be opened, and you'll see
- several gadgets. The AREXX port is also opened (see section 3.3). Under 2.0
- system release, APrf will always open the application window (see section
- 3.4).
- Otherwise, a window will appear on Workbench screen with a message
- telling you what problem occurred. Click in the "OK" gadget to make the
- window disappear, APrf stops and returns a value of 10 (ERROR, see "IF"
- command of AmigaDOS).
-
- APrf can return a value of 10 without displaying any message, in
- only three situations:
-
- - APrf couldn't open "reqtools.library"
- - APrf couldn't open the error window
- - APrf couldn't open the Workbench screen
-
- Now, I will suppose that APrf is running well. The two following
- sections are going describe the gadgets and menus of APrf. If you are using
- APrf for the first time I suggest to run the program, in order to understand
- these explanations.
-
- Gadgets
-
- This section describes all the gadgets displayed on the screen, from
- the left top corner to the right bottom one:
-
- File to print
-
- This gadget shows the name of the file to print.
- To modify its value just click on it: a file requester will
- appear. If you click on the CANCEL gadget of this requester, or
- on the OK gadget without giving a file name, the previous name
- won't be modified.
- A '*' character will appear on the right of the file name, when
- the file is loaded in memory (see section 4.1).
-
- Output file
-
- This gadget shows where a file will be printed.
- Default value is "PRT:", but can be changed with -o option (see
- section 2.1).
- To modify its value just click on it: a file requester will
- appear. If you click on the CANCEL gadget of this requester the
- output file will become "PRT:".
-
- Page selection
-
- This gadget shows which pages will be printed.
- Default value is "*" (all the pages), but can be changed with -S
- option (see section 2.1).
- Please refert to section 2.8 to see how to modify the selection.
-
- The nine next gadgets allow to specify respectively: the left margin
- size, the right margin size, the tabulation size, the number of lines per
- page, the first page number, the line numbers size, the number of columns,
- the column spacing, and the number of copies that have to be printed.
- Each gadget shows the current value of its corresponding parameter.
- You can click on the value to modify it with the keyboard (press Amiga-X to
- erase the old value, don't forget to press RETURN to validate the new
- value). You can also increase the current value by clicking on the up arrow,
- and decrease it by clicking on the down arrow. If a value doesn't change,
- you have reached the lower or the higher limit ! As long as you keep the
- left mouse button down, the value will be increased or decreased.
-
- Left margin: (see -l option in section 2.1)
- Default value: 0
- Lowest value : 0
- Highest value: 999
-
- Right margin: (see -r option in section 2.1)
- Default value: 0
- Lowest value : 0
- Highest value: 999
-
- Tabulation: (see -t option in section 2.1)
- Default value: 8
- Lowest value : 1
- Highest value: 999
-
- Page length: (see -p option in section 2.1)
- Default value: "Paper length" set up in Preferences
- Lowest value : 5
- Highest value: 999
-
- First page number : (see -N option in section 2.1)
- Default value: 1
- Lowest value : 1
- Highest value: 899
-
- Page selection will be lost each time you will change the
- first page number.
-
- Line numbers : (see -n option in section 2.1)
- Default value: 0 (no line numbers)
- Lowest value : 0 (no line numbers)
- Highest value: 10
-
- Columns: (see -c option in section 2.1)
- Default value: 1
- Lowest value : 1
- Highest value: 999
-
- Col. Spacing: (see -s option in section 2.1)
- Default value: 1
- Lowest value : 1
- Highest value: 999
-
- Copies : (see -x option in section 2.1)
- Default value : 1
- Lowest value : 1
- Highest value : 999
-
- The four next gadgets are used to choose a value between severals
- one. Use the arrow-like gadget at the right of the value to change it. If
- you hold down one of the SHIFT keys when selecting the gadget, the values
- will change in reverse order.
-
- Print pitch
-
- This gadget indicates print pitch. Default value is taken
- from "Pitch" set up in Preferences, but can be changed with
- -P option (see section 2.1).
-
- Font
-
- This gadget indicates the internal font to use. Usually it's
- the defaut font, but this can be changed with -I option (see
- section 2.1). For more information, see section 3.5.
-
- Date format
-
- This gadget shows the date format in the header (see section
- 2.6). By default, the format is the AmigaDOS format, but
- this can be changed with -D option (see section 2.1).
-
- Page format
-
- This gadget shows the selected page format (see section
- 2.6). By default, the format is "header", but this can be
- changed with -f option (see section 2.1).
-
- on
-
- This gadget shows on which pages header and/or footer will
- be printed (see section 2.6) By default, its value is "all
- pages", but this can be changed with -f option (see section
- 2.1).
-
- The next gadgets allows you to personnalize the header and the
- footer.
-
- Header
-
- This gadget shows the format of the three parts of the
- header : the left part, the central part, and the right
- part. Default value of each part can be changed with -H
- option (see section 2.1).
- To modify the value of any part just click on it : a window
- with a string gadget will appear. Press Amiga-X to erase
- current value, RETURN to validate, or click on the window
- close gadget to abort.
- For more information, see section 2.6
-
- Footer
-
- Same as header gadgets, but for the footer. Default value of
- each part can be changed with -F option (see section 2.1).
- For more information, see section 2.6
-
- The two diamond-shaped gadgets on the bottom of the screen allows
- you to start printing (left gadget) or previewing (right gadget) without
- having to play with the menus.
- You can also click on the main window's close gadget (upper left
- corner) to quit the program, or on the "zoom" gadget (upper right corner,
- under 2.0 system release only) to iconify APrf.
-
- Menus
-
- APrf has three menus: "Project", "Tools" and "Options". Each command
- can be selected by mouse or by a keyboard shortcut, but "Options" menu items
- must be selected by mouse. Here are the options of the Project" menu:
-
- Next file (Amiga-N)
-
- If you have run APrf from Workbench and selected several
- icons, this command allows you to skip to the next file in
- the list of selected files. The "File to print" gadget is
- updated (see section 2.4), and the old file is removed from
- memory (if it had been loaded, see section 4.1).
-
- Print (Amiga-P)
-
- Start printing.
-
- Palette...
-
- Allows to modify APrf screen's colors. To save the new
- palette immediatly, select the "Save config" command and
- enter "palette" as a configuration name. Otherwise, when you
- will quit the program, APrf will ask you if you want to save
- the new palette.
-
- About...
-
- Displays some informations about APrf. To close the window,
- click inside it or press any key.
-
- Iconify (Amiga-I)
-
- APrf goes sleeping, freeing at least 32 Kb of CHIP memory
- and some other workspace (the current file is removed from
- memory if it had been loaded). The screen is closed and,
- under 1.3 system release, a small window which title is
- "APrf2 v2.10" will appear on the top left corner of the
- Workbench's screen. Under 2.0 system release, the
- application window remains opened. In both cases, AREXX
- messages are still waited for.
- To awake APrf, you must activate this window and click then
- on the right mouse button. You can quit APrf without having
- to awake it by clicking on the close gadget of the small
- window.
-
- Quit (Amiga-Q or ESCAPE)
-
- Quit APrf. A requester will apear: click on "YES" to
- confirm, or on "NO" to cancel.
-
- Here are the commands of the "Tools" menu:
-
- Default Options (Amiga-D)
-
- Restores the default options (first it loads Preferences
- then it scans the command line). If you have run APrf from
- Workbench and selected several icons, the first file of the
- list becomes the file that will be printed.
- This command may be useful, for example, if you modify the
- Preferences settings and want APrf to know about it, without
- having to quit the program.
-
- Load file (Amiga-L)
-
- Loads immediately the file to print in memory. If the file
- was already in memory, yet this command reload it (see
- section 4.1).
-
- Unload file (Amiga-U)
-
- Removes the file to print from memory (see section 4.1).
-
- Preview (Amiga-V)
-
- Activates the preview function (see section 2.7).
-
- Command line (Amiga-K)
-
- Displays the argument list that you have to give in order to
- make the current options beeing the default options. To
- close the window, click inside it or press any key.
-
- Save config (Amiga-S)
-
- Save the current options (except the name of the file to
- print) in a new line of the "S:APrf.Init" file. A window
- appears, and you must enter the name of the new
- configuration. Close the window to cancel the operation. See
- section 3.5 for other informations.
-
- Doc Info (Amiga-X)
-
- Displays the page, line and character counts of the output
- file. Please notice that the character count will always be
- an approximation. To close the window, click on the "OK"
- gadget.
-
- Here are the items of the "Options" menu:
-
- Letter
-
- Selects the printing quality: "letter" or "draft". Default
- value is taken from "Print Quality" set up in Preferences,
- but can be changed with -O option (see section 2.1).
-
- 8 LPI
-
- Selects line spacing: "8LPI" or "6PLI". Default value is
- taken from "Spacing" set up in Preferences, but can be
- changed with -O option (see section 2.1).
-
- Fanfold
-
- Selects paper type: "fanfold" or "single". Default value is
- taken from "Pitch" set up in Preferences, but can be changed
- with -O option (see section 2.1).
-
- Truncate
-
- If active, too long lines are truncated instead of being
- wrapped on several lines. By default, it is not active, but
- this can be changed with -O option (see section 2.1).
-
- CTRL filter
-
- If active, the control characters (ASCII code lower than 32
- or greated than 126) found in the file to print are not send
- to the printer. By default, it is not active, but this can
- be changed with -O option (see section 2.1).
-
- ANSI filter
-
- If active, the ANSI sequences described in section 6 are not
- send to the printer. By default, it is not active, but this
- can be changed with -O option (see section 2.1).
-
- Buffer 1Kb
-
- If active, the output buffer size will be 1 Kb (instead of
- one page). By default, it is not active, but this can be
- changed with -O option (see section 2.1). See section 4.2
- for more information.
-
- Send FF
-
- If active, a "Form Feed" character is send each time the
- bottom of the page is reached. By default, it is active, but
- this can be changed with -O option (see section 2.1).
-
- Und. header
-
- If active, the header will be underlined. By default, it is
- not active, but this can be changed with -O option (see
- section 2.1).
-
- Header_and_footer
-
- APrf can add a header, a footer, or both, on your documents. The
- choice can be made when calling APrf (-f option, see section 2.1) or with
- the "Page format" gadget (see section 2.4). A header or a footer takes to
- line on the page.
- When you ask for a header (and/or a footer) format, APrf uses the
- values of the "Header" (and/or "Footer") gadgets to build this header
- (and/or footer). The left gadget shows what will be on the left, the central
- gadget what will be centered, and the right gadget what will be on the
- right. Format specifications can include the following sequences :
-
- %a name of the day (e.g. "Monday")
- %b name of the month (full, e.g. "September")
- %B name of the month (short, e.g. "Sep")
- %d day of the month (01 to 31)
- %D date as shown by the "Date format" gadget
- %f basename of the file (e.g. "foo")
- %F full name of the file (e.g. "RAM:Test/foo")
- %h hour (00 to 11)
- %H hour (00 to 23)
- %m month of the year (01 to 12)
- %M minutes (00 to 59)
- %n page number
- %p period of the day (AM or PM)
- %s file size in bytes
- %S seconds (00 to 59)
- %v program release (e.g. "APrf v4.10")
- %w day of the week (0 to 6)
- %x copy number
- %y year of the century (00 to 99)
-
- Default value for header is "%f" for the left part, "Page %n" for
- the central part, and "%D" for the right part. Default value for footer is
- "Page %n" for the central p art, and nothing for the other parts. You can
- also specify your own header (and/or footer) format, by clicking on the
- gadget corresponding to the part you want to modify, or (when starting APrf)
- with -H (and/or -F) option : "-HLformat" modifies left part of the header,
- "-HCformat" modifies central part, and "-HRformat" modifies right part.
- Last, you can select on which pages you want header and/or footer to
- be printed, by clicking on the "on" gadget (see section 2.4) or with -f
- option (see section 2.1).
-
- The_preview_function
-
- This function allows you to see the final aspect of a text,
- depending upon the current option settings. To use it, first set up your
- printing settings, then choose the "Preview" command from the "Tools" menu.
- A window will appear in the middle of your screen, and shows how will look
- the first selected page (window size is shaped by the page size). To look
- the next page, click inside the window or press RETURN. To stop, click on
- the window's close gadget or press ESCAPE.
- Please note that APrf won't be able to open the preview window if
- page length value is very high : highest value for page length is 93 lines
- in NTSC mode (122 in PAL mode).
-
- Modifying_page_selection
-
- To modify page selection, click on the "Selected pages" gadget: a
- window will appear in the midle of the screen, showing a grid with one
- hundred numbers, each number corresponding to a page number. These numbers
- are written on a white background if the corresponding page is selected, or
- on a blue background if not.
- If you click on a number, you will change the selection for the
- corresponding page. You can also use the following gadgets:
-
- ALL select all pages
- INVERT reverse selection
- NONE no page selected
- OK accept new selection (or RETURN)
- UNDO undo all changes (takes back old selection)
- CANCEL abort modification (or ESCAPE)
-
- There's also a string gadget, in which you can enter a selection
- specification. This new selection will be added to the current one. Licits
- values for the string are:
-
- * all the pages
- x page x only
- e even pages
- o odd pages
- x-y from page x to y
- x,y,z,... pages x,y,z,...
-
- You can also use the two last forms together, e.g. "1,3,5-8" or
- "e,1,3".
-
- Don't forget that page selection depends of the first page number,
- and that you won't be allowed to enter an empty selection (that is, with no
- page selected).
-
- Using_powerpacker.library
-
- APrf can use "powerpacker.library" according you have installed it
- in the "LIBS:" directory of your hard disk or Workbench disk. This allows
- you to print any files compressed with "PowerPacker 2.3b" or "PowerPacker
- Pro 3.0b": the file will be decompressed automatically at loading. If data
- file has been encrypted, APrf will ask for a password.
-
- The_eXpress_mode
-
- It can happen that you want to print a file quickly, without using
- the Intuition interface (if your Preferences are correctly set, it should be
- frequent). If you specify -X option when calling APrf, once the command line
- has been parsed, printing starts immediatly. APrf doesn't open any screen,
- and stops when printing is done. Error messages are displayed in a special
- window, on WorkBench's screen.
-
- The_AREXX_mode
-
- When starting, APrf always open an AREXX compatible port, nammed
- "APrf_rexx", and waits for messages on this port. Valid messages are :
-
- quit APrf closes the message port and terminates.
- wakeup APrf closes the message port and open its screen.
- reset APrf loads Preferences and sets all options to their
- default values
- load APrf loads the file to print
- print APrf starts printing
-
- Any other message will be considered as a command line, and scaned
- as described in section 2.1. If any error occurs, APrf will display a
- message on the WorkBench's screen, and terminates. If you send a "load"
- message and APrf don't know which file is to load, your command won't have
- any effect.
-
- Here is an exemple of AREXX program, which print the
- "S:Startup-Sequence" file with a left margin of 10 characters, and
- terminates APrf :
-
- /* Print S:Startup-Sequence */
- ADDRESS "APrf_rexx"
- "S:Startup-Sequence -l10"
- "print"
- "quit"
-
- Please note the " characters arround commands !
- If you specify -A option when calling APrf, it will go in AREXX
- mode: only the application window (under 2.0 system release) or the
- iconification window (under 1.3 system release) is opened, and the program
- works the same way as when iconified. From the Intuition interface you can
- go in AREXX mode just by selecting the "Iconify" command in the "Project"
- menu (see section 2.5).
-
- The_Application_Window
-
- When running under 2.0 system release, APrf automatically opens an
- application window (also called "AppWindow") on the Workbench screen. Then
- you will have the following possibilities:
-
- - if you select one or several icons and drop them over the
- application window, APrf will eventually open it's screen, put
- it to front, and you will be able to print the file(s) as if you
- started the program from Workbench.
- - if you click on the close gadget of the application window, the
- program will stop running (no confirmation in AREXX mode)
- - if you activate the application window and click on right mouse
- button, APrf will open it's screen and normal interface will be
- accessible (same as sending "wakeup" command from AREXX)
- - to save the current size and position of the application window,
- enter "appwin" as a configuration name (see "Save config"
- command in section 2.5)
-
- Take notice that the application window replaces the iconification
- window.
-
- The_APrf.Init_file
-
- When starting, APrf tries to load the "S:APrf.Init" file. This file
- allows you to define typical configurations and/or fonts. To define a
- typical configuration, you add a line of the form:
-
- name:options:sequence
-
- where "name" and "options" are strings of characteres ("name" shouldn't be
- longer than 8 characters), and "sequence" is a list of decimal codes
- separated by spaces. "options" and/or "sequence" strings may be empty. Only
- the 8 first configurations will be used. Here are two examples:
-
- my8lpi:-p90 -O8:
- landscap:-p80:27 48 108 72
-
- Each name you gave will appear in a new "Control" menu. If you
- select one of these names, the "options" string will immediatly be parsed as
- a CLI command line. Also, at printing time, the characters whose ASCII code
- is given in the corresponding sequence will be send to the printer (after
- the initialisation sequences, but before the text itself). You can select
- several names at the same time.
- When calling APrf from the CLI or from the WorkBench, the -C option
- allows you to select a sequence at startup time. The "option" string will be
- parsed after the other calling options. If the sequence you specified in the
- -C option doesn't exist, the option will be ignored.
-
- The "S:APrf.Init" file can also give you access, from APrf, to the
- internal fonts of your printer. To define a font, you add a line of the
- form:
-
- fontdef:name:sequence
-
- where "name" is the name of the font, and "sequence" the list of codes to
- send to your printer to select the given font. Exemple :
-
- fontdef:Prestige:27 107 2 27 120 49
-
- You can enter any number of font. Font definitions should be specified at
- the beginning of the file, before typical configurations definitions. To
- select a font, use either the -I option (see section 2.1) or the "Font"
- gadget (see section 2.4).
-
- Another line format allows to specify APrf screen's colors. The
- format is:
-
- palette: c1 c2 c3 c4
-
- where "c1", "c2", "c3", "c4" are RGB color specifications. These values can
- be in decimal or in hexadecimal (in the latter case, add "0x" before the
- value, like "0x0F00"). If there are several palette specifications, only the
- last will be used.
-
- Last, you can specify the size and position of the application
- window (under 2.0 system release only) with a line of the form:
-
- appwin: x y w h
-
- where "x" and "y" are the position of the upper left corner, "w" the width
- and "h" the height of the window. There is no check upon these values, if an
- error occurs the window won't be opened.
-
- You can put empty lines in the "S:APrf.Init" file. Any line
- beginning with a semicolon character (";") is supposed to be a comment and
- is not interpreted.
- The "S:APrf.Init" file will be loaded again each time you select the
- "Default options" command in the "Tools" menu. In "eXpress" mode (see
- section 3.2), the file "S:APrf.Init" will be loaded only if required (i.e.
- if you specified a -C or a -I option). Take notice that the sequences will
- be written with a PRD_RAWWRITE command, so they won't be interpreted by the
- printer device.
-
- Memory_management
-
- Before printing or previewing a file, APrf loads it in memory. Once
- the file has been printed or previewed, it is kept in memory in prevision of
- another print or preview operation. The great advantage is that APrf has not
- to load a file each time you ask for previewing it, or when you ask for
- printing it after a preview.
-
- A file is removed automatically from memory either if you iconify
- APrf (see section 2.5), or if you choose to print another file (see section
- 2.4), or if you select the "Next file" command from the "Project" menu (see
- section 2.5). It can be removed too (but not always) if you select the
- "Default options" command from the "Tools" menu.
- In addition, the "Load file" command from the "Tools" menu enforces
- APrf to load a file (this will be reloaded even if it was already in
- memory), while the "Unload file" command in the "Tools" menu makes APrf to
- unload a file from memory.
- To let you know if a file is or isn't loaded in memory, APrf
- displays a "*" character on the right of the file name when this file is
- actually loaded in memory.
-
- This behaviour can present two inconvenients. First of all, a file
- occupies memory even if you don't need it anymore. A solution is to iconify
- APrf (see section 2.5) or to select the "Unload file" command from the
- "Tools" menu.
- The second inconvenient is that if you modify a file on your disk,
- any changes could be ignored, because APrf don't load the file again. In
- order to avoid this, if APrf sees that the file has been modified, it will
- ask you if you want to reload it.
-
- The_output_buffer
-
- APrf uses an output buffer in order to make less "write" commands.
- With a 1 Kb buffer, printing to a file is twice faster than with the first
- releases of APrf whose buffer contained only one line. Even if printing to
- printer doesn't seem to be faster, the number of "write" commands is divided
- at least by 5 (at most by 14 or 15). Tests have shown that system charge was
- greatly reduced, and that THE OTHER TASKS WERE LESS SLOWED DOWN.
- By default, APrf uses an output buffer of one page (see section 2.5,
- "Buffer" option from the "Options" menu). When you change your page size,
- the output buffer is automatically re-allocated in order to store a whole
- page. If there's not enough memory to allocate this one page buffer, APrf
- will try to allocate a 1 Kbytes buffer (a message will inform you about
- this). If there's still not enough memory, APrf will stop with an error
- message "Not enough memory".
-
- Miscellaneous
-
- This section is a bric-a-brac of some informations that didn't find
- a place in previous sections. It deals with some importants points
- concerning how APrf works. I strongly advise you to read it once at least
- and to remind to read it again if you think APrf is working oddly.
-
- If "Fanfold" option is not activated, here is the behaviour of APrf:
- before printing a page, the program displays a requester asking you to
- insert a new sheet of paper in your printer. When you're ready, click on
- "YES" to print the page. If you click on "NO" printing will be aborted.
-
- You can abort printing at any time, by clicking in the box where the
- current copy and page numbers are displayed. A requester will appear, asking
- you confirmation: click on "YES" to stop printing and click on "NO" to
- resume printing. If you abort printing, APrf will immediatly stop to send
- data to the printer, and wait for the last write request to be finished
- (this can be quite long !).
-
- To make your files have a better looking, you can include the
- following ANSI sequences:
-
- ESC[0m Normal character set
- ESC[3m Italics on
- ESC[23m Italics off
- ESC[4m Underline on
- ESC[24m Underline off
- ESC[1m Boldface on
- ESC[22m Boldface off
- ESC[1"z Draft quality
- ESC[2"z NLQ quality
-
- All these sequences will be sent to your printer, but the characters that
- compose them will neither be retained, nor be displayed when APrf is in
- preview mode. Any other sequences will be not recognized and will be
- considered as part of text to be printed. You can filter these sequences if
- you don't want them to be send to the printer (see section 2.5, "ANSI
- filter" item in "Options" menu).
- The size of these sequences is limited to 32 characters by OUTPUT
- line (not input line !), i.e. to 6 or 8 sequences, which should be
- sufficient in most case. If there's too much sequences on an output line,
- the error message "Lines too long, printing aborted" will be displayed.
-
-
-
-
-
- 2.1 alias Running_from_CLI
- 2.2 alias Running_from_Workbench
- 2.3 alias Getting_started
- 2.4 alias Gadgets
- 2.5 alias Menus
- 2.6 alias Header_and_footer
- 2.7 alias The_preview_function
- 2.8 alias Modifying_page_selection
- 3.1 alias Using_powerpacker.library
- 3.2 alias The_eXpress_mode
- 3.3 alias The_AREXX_mode
- 3.4 alias The_Application_window
- 3.5 alias The_APrf.Init_file
- 4.1 alias Memory_management
- 4.2 alias The_ouput_buffer
- 5 alias Miscellaneous
-
-
-
-