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DocPRINT
The Paper Saver
Version 1.30
January 26, 1991
A Documentation File Formatter for IBM PC Compatible Computers
using EPSON Compatible Printers
by
Lawrence Belan, ][
(This down here is the legal technobabble.)
DocPRINT is provided "AS IS" without any warranty of any kind,
either expressed or implied as to the merchantability or fitness
of purpose. The risk as to the quality and performance of the
software is the end user's. The Author shall have no liability
or responsibility to the user with respect to the liability, loss
or damage caused or alleged to be caused by this software,
including, but not limited to, any interruption of service, loss
of business or anticipatory profits or consequential damages
resulting from the use of, or the inability to use the software.
The information in this document is subject to change without
notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of the
Author.
Page 2 DocPRINT
Table Of Contents
Preface....................................................3
License & Registration.....................................4
Credits....................................................5
Trademarks.................................................5
Files Included With DocPRINT...............................6
Before Using DocPRINT......................................7
Using MLL..................................................8
Using DocPRINT.............................................9
DocPRINT's Main Menu......................................10
Setting DocPRINT Options..................................11
R Input Document File (the file to Read).......11
D Settings File Name (save to Disk)............11
L Form Length in Inches........................12
W Form Width in Inches.........................12
I Lines Per Inch...............................13
C Characters Per Line..........................13
H Horizontal (Left) Margin.....................13
G Gutter Margin................................14
O Output Printer Port..........................14
F Printer Font & Size..........................14
N Page Numbering...............................15
X Page Number Location.........................15
V Vertical Justification.......................16
M Multi-Pass Printing..........................16
U Save User Configuration......................17
Z ReDisplay the Main Menu......................17
P Print........................................18
S Save Settings................................18
Q Quit DocPRINT................................18
Alt-V View the DOC File............................19
Alt-S Shell Out to DOS.............................19
DocPRINT Examples.........................................20
Printing Using The Single Pass Option.................20
Enhancing The Single Sided Printout...................21
Printing Using The Double Sided Option................22
Getting Fancy With Double Sided Printing..............22
Comments & Counseling.....................................24
Advanced uses for DocPRINT............................24
Points Of Interest....................................25
1) Graphics Characters............................25
2) Printer Enhancement............................25
DocPRINT Worksheet........................................26
DocPRINT Page 3
Preface
Haven't you come across a Shareware program that you thought was
great? I've found many and probably the same for you. The only
problem with it is that the Documentation file that comes with
the program is SO LONG, printing it out takes an hour, and half a
box of paper! Of course after you have it printed, you want to
file it in some place for reference. Which means your new stack
of paper ends up in one of those computer printout holders (with
the nylon posts) or you tear it apart, punch holes in it (hoping
that you don't punch out any instructions) and stick it in a 3-
ring binder. Remember that ALL of those pages you've printed out
are only ONE sided! Essentially this means that HALF of your
printout is wasted! Why can't printers PRINT on BOTH sides of
the paper automatically? (Why did COKE change their formula?)
Who Knows? Currently on my desk I have an EPSON LQ-1050 printer
that allows you to switch between tractor feed paper and single
sheets at the flip of a switch. You don't have to play with the
tractor mechanism to do it either! One more lever would be nice
to actually turn the paper over for you. Just a dream now, I
believe. Printing companies print on BOTH sides of the paper.
So do the new line of photocopiers out these days. I thought it
was time to do something about it!
Back in the summer of '88, I saw a program on the BITNET Netnews
called PRINTDOC, a similar program written by Phillip Garding
that got DocPRINT started. It allowed you to print out ASCII
files using both sides of the paper. It worked well too; but,
I'm a nit-picker that has nothing better to do than find faults
with things. A few items were: 1: What if you want to print on
odd size paper (like index cards, and wide computer paper)? 2:
(sorta related to (1)) I love those IBM Documentation Books that
hold the 5½" by 8½" pages. I wanted to print out files that I
could easily cut down to size and put in those binders. 3: Page
Numbering: Printed books usually have the page numbers on the
outside corners of the pages (Good Place to have them when you're
looking for page 317.) 4: PRINTDOC needed disk space to save the
even pages of the printout. If you run PRINTDOC on a 300k file,
you need 150k of space to save the even pages. It Can't Be Done
on a 360k Floppy! I said to myself, "Hey, I can write a program
to do that!," so that's how DocPRINT came to be.
In June of '88, I sat down with my new copy of Microsoft QuickC
and began coding DocPRINT. Since I'd never programmed in C, it
took me ages to get the hang of the language. (Why some people
love to use it still makes me wonder. I started with FORTRAN and
still swear by it.) Two months later, finished product. I've
tried my best to work out all the bugs, but I'm no computer
myself and there's still the chance that something in there
smells of RAID.
Since I maintain a large library of Shareware programs and
documentation (even if I don't use them), DocPRINT should reduce
the amount (and weight) of my papers by half. It should do the
same for you. Even if you use the program rarely, the usefulness
of this utility should be worth the endeavor.
Page 4 DocPRINT
Now in January of '91, as I look back at the development of
DocPRINT, I wonder how long it will go on. The latest revision
(1.30) is the seventh set of improvements added at the request of
current users. Your feedback IS IMPORTANT! I'd never though of
many of them at the time. You have to enjoy something to use it!
License & Registration
DocPRINT is Copyright 1988-91, Lawrence Belan, ][
All Rights are reserved.
Now for the part you've all been waiting for. If you seem to be
financially well off, please consider sending a contribution.
I'm asking for only Ten Dollars. If you do, send along some
constructive criticism for things YOU may want to see in later
versions of DocPRINT. I don't plan on becoming rich with your
money, but it may help me stabilize my monetary standing and keep
my computer running. Think about it.
Send your Contribution to: Lawrence Belan, ][
P.O. Box 47
259 Fourth Ave.
Crucible, PA 15325-0047
Please include the version of DocPRINT you're using with your
phone number and/or CompuServe ID along with where you received
DocPRINT. If you downloaded DocPRINT from a BBS, please include
the phone number for it too. (It helps me distribute Updates a
lot faster!) A registration form is included.
Users may contact me via Electronic Mail at:
bp3@psuvm.psu.edu (internet) 75745,242 (CompuServe)
(I logon to CompuServe VERY seldom, so the internet address is
prefered.) Registered users will receive priority response time.
The end user of DocPRINT is free to copy and distribute DocPRINT
for noncommercial use provided:
NO FEE IS CHARGED FOR DISTRIBUTION.
The code is NOT modified in any way.
DocPRINT is distributed in the Compressed Format ONLY!
(DOCPRN.ZIP or DOCPRN.ZOO)
Clubs & User Groups are permitted to distribute DocPRINT provided
that any charges to the user reflect the Media Cost Plus one (1)
dollar. (Why should Groups profit from program distribution?
User Groups are established to provide a SERVICE to computer
users, not make a PROFIT.) If you wish to distribute DocPRINT,
write me, and we'll work out some arrangement that both of us
will be happy about.
DocPRINT Page 5
Commercial users of DocPRINT MUST Register. Site License fees
are as follows:
1 - 10 Copies ........................... $10.00 / Copy
11 - 50 Copies ........................... $ 8.00 / Copy
51 - 100 Copies ........................... $ 5.00 / Copy
100 + Copies ........................... $ 3.00 / Copy
If you look at the table, you'll see that it DOES pay to register
plenty of copies of the program. Let everyone have a copy!
Enjoy!
This documentation was created using Microsoft Word 5.0 and
printed to disk using the TTYFF printer driver. (Who said
everyone uses Word Perfect?)
Credits
Thanks go to the following people:
Phillip Garding, for the double sided printing concept.
Germaine Fotta, for providing the incentive for writing the code.
My brother Christopher, for assisting in the Menu Implementation.
Gino DePaolis, for his assistance in the beta testing phase.
All of the registered users, you know who you are!
Trademarks
IBM is a registered trademark, DOS and OS/2 are trademarks of
International Business Machines Corporation.
EPSON is a registered trademark of Seiko Epson Corporation.
Microsoft, QuickC and Windows are registered trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation.
Dots-Perfect is a trademark of Dresselhaus Computer Products.
Apple and LaserWriter are registered trademarks of Apple
Computer, Inc.
Word Perfect is a registered trademark of Word Perfect
Corporation.
Lotus and 1-2-3 are registered trademarks of Lotus Development
Corporation.
4DOS is a registered trademark of J.P. Software.
PC Magazine is a trademark of Ziff Communications Co.
CompuServe is a registered trademark of CompuServe, Inc.
COKE is a registered trademark of The Coca-Cola Bottling Co.
RAID is a registered trademark of S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
Page 6 DocPRINT
Files Included With DocPRINT
DocPRINT.EXE
DocPRINT is the executable program that does the formatting and
printing of your DOC files. There are no other files necessary
for DocPRINT to run other than the File that you wish to print.
MLL.EXE
MLL is a support program that determines the Maximum Line Length _ _ _
of the given input file. This program comes in handy when
determining how wide your printout should be.
VIEW.COM
VIEW is an ASCII file viewer. To use it enter VIEW <filename> at
the DOS prompt. The program is very simple to use. The
instruction are at the bottom of the screen.
PRSWAP.COM
PRSWAP is a TSR program that changes Extended ASCII graphics
codes into dashes and lines. Use this program First if you
printer does not support the Extended ASCII Set.
PRSWAP.DOC
The documentation file for PRSWAP.COM
*.DPS
These files are sample settings files used by DocPRINT. They
contain settings and measurements for different types of output.
(There are 6 *.DPS files.)
DOCPRINT.ICO
The DocPRINT Icon for Windows 3.0
DOCPRINT.PIF
The DocPRINT Program Information File (PIF) for Windows 3.0
DOCPRINT.DOC
The file you are reading now.
REGISTER.FRM
This is the registration form. Just copy it to your printer
(using COPY REGISTER.FRM LPT1 at the DOS promt), fill it out,
drop in $10, and mail. Thank you.
DocPRINT Page 7
Before Using DocPRINT
DocPRINT is simple to use, provided you have some information
about the file you wish to print and some measurements of the
paper you want to print on.
Some things to know are:
1: Does the file you want to print already have FORM FEEDS in
it? Use MLL, your favorite text editor or VIEW and see if
you find those strange FF characters in it. (I'd show one
for an example, but it won't show up on your printer.)
2: Does the file have Page Numbers in it already? Chances are
that if it does, you won't have to let DocPRINT add the page
numbers to the file. (If the file has page numbers and NO ___________________________________
Form Feeds make sure that you set the number of Body Lines __________________________________________________________
to 66 in DocPRINT.) __________________
3: What is the Maximum Line Length of the file to print? The
best thing to do is run MLL on the file and let it tell you.
This count gives you an indication of how wide the longest
line of print will be and gives you a chance to adjust the
margins and printer font if necessary.
4: What is the Length and Width of the paper you will be
printing on? (Not the length & width of the size you'd like
to print. DocPRINT will place the text where needed.)
DocPRINT does manage most of the calculations automatically, but
for SPECIAL applications, you may need a calculator and a copy of
the DocPRINT Worksheet (The last page in this file.)
Page 8 DocPRINT
Using MLL
I wrote MLL because I needed to find out what the maximum line
length was for my source code file. MLL will give you the count
in characters of the longest line any text file. MLL takes into
consideration any lines that may be overprinted, such as
underlining, backspacing, and tab expansion.
MLL is easy to use. At the DOS prompt enter:
MLL <filename>
The filename can have Drive and Path specifiers if needed. If
you do not give a filename on the command line, MLL will prompt
you for one.
If no extension is given, MLL will assume ".DOC" as the
extension. If the file you wish to test has no extension give
the name of the file as:
MLL <filename.> (include the period at the end of the filename)
MLL will search through the file and it will report the number of
characters in the longest line of text as shown:
The Maximum Line Length for filename is xxx characters.
(xxx is some number)
MLL will also inform you if there are FORM FEEDS in the file.
This count will be useful when having DocPRINT format odd files.
NOTE: MLL is now Built-In to DocPRINT and will automatically NOTE:
insert it's calculations. This should be beneficial to most
users, but MLL is still included for those of you who find it of
other value.
DocPRINT Page 9
Using DocPRINT
DocPRINT is just as easy to start as MLL. To start DocPRINT at
the DOS prompt enter:
DocPRINT <filename> <settingsname> /P
DocPRINT can have two files on the command line. The first is
the Document file to be printed and the second is the Settings
file. (For more on the Settings file, see Save Settings) Both
files can have Drive and Path specifiers if necessary. You MUST
enter a filename if you wish to enter a settingsname on the
command line.
The /P parameter instructs DocPRINT to automatically load the /P
file and start printing. You must supply the name of the file
that you wish to print for the /P option to work. If you supply
a settings file name, it will be loaded before printing begins.
This parameter puts DocPRINT into a Batch Mode. and requires NO
input if you have a Configuration file saved. (Please see Save
User Configuration about that file.) Use this option for files
that you create and print using a standard format.
As in MLL, if the filename has no extension, DocPRINT assumes
".DOC". If the file has no extension, enter a period (.) after
the filename on the command line.
The settingsname file is assumed to have the ".DPS" extension.
Since DocPRINT saves settings files with the ".DPS" extension,
you should be able to forget about entering the extension on the
command line.
You don't have to enter either filename on the command line. If
you choose not to, DocPRINT first determines if you have a Color
or Monochrome Display. If a Color display is found, DocPRINT
needs to know if a Black & White Monitor is attached. You can
respond accordingly. (Running DocPRINT in color mode on a B&W
monitor will cause some messages to be VERY hard to read.)
DocPRINT then displays a Title Screen before proceeding to the
Main Menu. In order to skip the Title Screen, you must enter at
least the filename on the command line.
One added feature to versions 1.10 and later is that DocPRINT
looks for a file called DOCPRINT.CFG which contains a user
configuration including the type of Display that you are using.
(See Save User Configuration in the Option listing.)
DocPRINT now has the capability to search your computer's
environment for TWO variables: DOCPRINT and PATH. When DocPRINT
need to find ANY file, it will First look in current directory,
then the directory named by the DOCPRINT variable, then last look
in the directories of the PATH variable.
Page 10 DocPRINT
DocPRINT's Main Menu
After starting DocPRINT, the Main Menu appears on the
screen. (If the Title Page appears, you did not filenames
on the command line. Just hit any key to proceed to the
Main Menu.)
This is how the Main Menu appears:
┌───────────────────────────┤ DocPRINT Main Menu ├─────────────────────────────┐
│ R Input Document File Name : │
│ D Settings File Name.......: │
│ L Form Length in Inches.... 11.00 O Output Printer Port...... LPT1 │
│ W Form Width in Inches..... 8.50 F Printer Font & Size...... DFT10 │
│ I Lines Per Inch........... 6 N Page Numbering........... NO │
│ B Body Lines Per Page...... 66 X Pg. Number Location...... N/A │
│ C Characters Per Line...... 80 V Vertical Justification... CENTER │
│ H Horiz. (Left) Margin..... 0 M Multi-Pass Printing...... SINGLE │
│ G Gutter Margin............ 0 U Save Current Configuration │
│ Z > ReDisplay Main Menu < │
│ │
│ Your Selection --» │
│Pick Letter or:Alt-V - View:Alt-S - Shell:P - Print:S - Save Settings:Q - Quit│
├───────────────────────────────┤ Message Area ├───────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
The selection of options is performed by entering the
highlighted letter before the option.
Once an option is selected the Message Area gives a
description of that selection and a list of choices or
allows you to enter a number (as in the Page Length).
You are able to Abort any option by hitting the Enter key
with no input.
Option Z is here to redisplay the Main Menu in case some of
the screen is lost or disfigured by DOS or when entering the
wrong sequence of keys at some options. (Hopefully in later
versions, this will not be necessary.)
Beside each option is it's setting. This may be different
if you are using a Settings File.
Each option has a unique letter. The correlation between
the option and it's assigned letter will become apparent
after a few DocPRINT runs.
DocPRINT Page 11
Setting DocPRINT Options
The following describes each DocPRINT option.
R Input Document File (the file to Read)
Default: none (or file entered on command line, if found.)
Value: any DOS ASCII file.
When selected, this option allows you to enter the name of
the file you wish to print. You can enter Drive and Path
specifications to locate the file. If you leave the
Extension off of the name, DocPRINT automatically appends
".DOC" to the filename. For reading files with NO extension
enter the filename followed with a period (.).
Examples: A:\docs\file (looks for A:\docs\file.doc)
sample (looks for sample.doc)
sample. (looks for sample)
DocPRINT will first search the directory specified in the
DOCPRINT environment variable. If not found, it will then
search your PATH variable. If it is not found, a message
will be printed, and DocPRINT will ask for another filename.
Once DocPRINT finds the file, it asks if the MLL values
should be calculated. You can respond Yes or No. If you
choose Yes, DocPRINT calculates the longest line and sets
the line length to that number. The Horizontal margin will
be adjusted for centered lines. If you choose No, DocPRINT
skips the calculations and just loads the file. You should __________
know the line length of your file by running MLL previously ___________________________________________________________
or by loading a settings file that was previously saved. ________________________________________________________
D Settings File Name (save to Disk)
Default: none (or file named on the command line, if found)
Value: Any DocPRINT Settings File
When selected, this option allows you to enter the name of
the Settings file you wish to load. You can enter Drive and
Path specifications to locate the file. If you leave the
Extension off of the name, DocPRINT automatically appends
".DPS" to the filename. For reading files with NO extension
enter the filename followed with a period (.).
Examples: A:\docs\file (looks for A:\docs\file.DPS)
sample (looks for sample.DPS directory)
sample. (looks for sample)
Page 12 DocPRINT
DocPRINT will first search the directory specified in the
DOCPRINT environment variable. If not found, it will then
search your PATH variable. If it is not found, a message
will be printed, and DocPRINT will ask for another filename.
L Form Length in Inches
Default: 11.00 inches
Value: any number between 2 and 15 inches (I have never
seen a form with a length that is NOT a multiple
of ½", so please stick with WHOLE or HALF inches.)
Choosing this option allows you to change the length of the
paper you are using with DocPRINT. Enter the length in
inches and hit Enter.
Automatic Calculations:
Changing the length will automatically change the Body Lines
per Page (number of lines to print on each page) while
preserving the total Margin (Top & Bottom). If DocPRINT was
set at 11 inches per page and 66 body lines at 6 Lines per
Inch (no margin here), changing the form length to 12 inches
will increase the Body Lines per Page to 72. Going from 11
inches per page and 60 Body Lines at 6 Lines per Inch (6
lines of margin) to 10 inches per page will result in 54
Body Lines per Page (maintaining the 6 lines of margin).
W Form Width in Inches
Default: 8.50 inches
Value: any number between 2 and 13.5 inches (just for
simplicity, only use whole or half inches)
This option allows you to set the width of your paper in
inches. Please be sure not to set it larger than what your
printer can handle.
(MOST EPSON NARROW CARRIAGE PRINTERS CAN ONLY PRINT A LENGTH
OF 8 INCHES! IF YOU HAVE ONE OF THESE PRINTERS SET YOUR
FORM WIDTH TO A MAXIMUM OF 8 INCHES.)
Automatic Calculations:
By changing the width of your print form, the Horizontal
Margin will be increased or decreased so that the Characters
per Line in the Printer Font Size will be centered. If
there is NOT enough room on the line to print Characters per
Line you will be taken to select a smaller Font Size!
DocPRINT Page 13
I Lines Per Inch
Default: 6
Value: 6 or 8 Lines per Inch
This option selects the line spacing for the printout.
Automatic Calculations:
By changing the line spacing, DocPRINT will adjust the Body
Lines per Page so that the height of the Top & Bottom
Margins will remain constant. If you have 60 Body Lines at
6 Lines Per Inch on an 11 inch form (6 lines of Margin - 1
Inch) and you change to 8 Lines per Inch, DocPRINT will give
you 80 Body Lines (leaving 8 Margin lines - 1 Inch).
C Characters Per Line
Default: 80
Value: from 0 to the maximum allowed using the Form Width
and Font Size
This option allows you to change the length of the printed
lines on the printout. WARNING!, DO NOT USE ANY VALUE LESS
THAN THE LENGTH THE PROGRAM MLL GIVES YOU!
Automatic Calculations:
By changing the length of the print line, the Horizontal
Margin will be adjusted so that the print line will be
centered on the page. If you have the Multi-Pass option set
to DOUBLE, there will be no adjustment.
H Horizontal (Left) Margin
Default: 0 characters
Value: DocPRINT supplies the range of values the you can
offset the printing by using the current Form
Width, Characters Per Line, and Font Size.
This option allows you to change the left margin of the
paper when printing single sided pages (Multi-Pass option
set to SINGLE). This allows you to set a Left Margin to
enable hole punching, etc. of your printout.
Automatic Calculations:
None.
Page 14 DocPRINT
G Gutter Margin
Default: 0 characters
Value: DocPRINT supplies the range of values the you can
offset the printing by using the current Form
Width, Characters Per Line, and Font Size.
You have access to this option ONLY when printing on BOTH
sides of the paper (Multi-Pass option set to DOUBLE). This
gutter margin is on the Left side of the paper for the odd
pages and on the right side of the paper for even pages.
This gives you room for punching holes on the left side of
the odd pages.
Automatic Calculations:
None
O Output Printer Port
Default: LPT1
Value: from LPT1 to LPT4
This option allows you to set which Parallel port your
printer is attached to. For those of you that have your
EPSON printer connected to your serial port, try using the
DOS MODE LPTx = COMy command. (Why on earth would you have
a printer hooked to a serial port? I'm still waiting for
the day that Apple comes out with a LaserWriter with a
parallel input.)
For versions 1.23 and later:
AFTER this option is selected, you will then be asked it you
want the Leader Page printed. This leader page is VERY
IMPORTANT if your printer has a PULL tractor. Please set it
to YES if you have one. If your printer has a PUSH Tractor,
like the Epson FX/LQ 850/1050, you may set this to the NO
selection. This will save you an extra sheet of paper.
F Printer Font & Size
Default: Draft 10 CPI (Characters Per Inch)
Value: Either Draft or NLQ mode
at 10, 12, 15, 17, or 20 CPI
This option allows you to change the font and size of
characters printed. Those of you with EPSON LQ printers,
NLQ is Letter Quality Mode in the Roman Font. I think that
you should stick with Draft Mode unless you want you
printout to look it's best (The extra wear & tear on the
printhead may be costly over the long run.)
DocPRINT Page 15
IF YOUR PRINTER DOES NOT SUPPORT ELITE MODES (12 CPI), YOU
SHOULD NOT CHOOSE ELITE OR CONDENSED ELITE (20 CPI) PRINT
MODES! THE SAME APPLIES TO PRINTERS THAT DO NOT SUPPORT
FIFTEEN PITCH MODES! CHECK YOU PRINTER MANUAL TO BE SURE!
IF YOU PRINTER DOES NOT SUPPORT NLQ MODE, DO NOT SELECT IT!
Automatic Calculations:
DocPRINT will adjust the Horizontal Margin so that the lines
are centered if the Multi-Pass Printing is set to SINGLE!
If you had manually adjusted the Horizontal Margin, you will
have to readjust it again. DocPRINT is just making sure
that your printout is neat looking. You may make it messy
if you wish.
If you select a LARGER size and the present Margins will not
allow it, you will be forced to select a smaller size. If
you insist on a larger Font Size, first reduce the Margins
then select the larger Font Size.
N Page Numbering
Default: NO page numbering
Value: YES or NO
This option lets you select if DocPRINT will print the page
numbers on each page of the print out. If you select YES,
you will automatically go to the option of where on the page
you want the page numbers printed.
Automatic Calculations:
If you choose YES, DocPRINT will reduce the Body Lines per
Page by TWO in order to put the page number on. If there is
already a margin of TWO OR MORE lines, DocPRINT will use TWO
of those lines automatically.
If you choose NO, and there are only TWO lines of margin on
the page, DocPRINT will reduce the margin to ZERO and
increase the Body Lines per Page by TWO.
X Page Number Location
Default: N/A (not applicable since page numbering is NO)
Value: select from the TOP or BOTTOM of the page
in the LEFT or RIGHT corners or CENTERED
TOP prints the page number then a blank line before the text
at the top of the page.
BOTTOM prints the text then a blank line then the page
number at the bottom of the page.
Page 16 DocPRINT
If Multi-Pass Printing is set to SINGLE, page numbers will
appear where selected.
If Multi-Pass Printing is set to DOUBLE, page numbers will
appear where selected for ODD pages and on the OPPOSITE side
(Centered if Centered was selected) on EVEN pages.
Example: If printing Double sided pages with the page
number in the TOP Right corner of the page, Page 1 will have
the number in the top right corner, page 2 will have the
number in the top left corner. (If your confused, pick up a
book and look at the page numbers, you'll understand.)
PAGE NUMBERS ARE PLACED IN RELATION TO THE PRINT LINE
LOCATION, NOT THE PRINT FORM. (Centered numbers will be
centered under the text, NOT centered on the page.)
V Vertical Justification
Default: CENTER
Value: TOP, CENTER, or BOTTOM
This option allows you to justify the pages on the paper.
TOP starts printing at the Top of the Form.
CENTER allows half of the margin to be printed at the top
of the form and half to be printed at the bottom
of the form (If the Body Lines is Less than the
Maximum lines per page.)
BOTTOM allows all of the margin to be printed at the Top of
form.
This option is useful if you want to print on 8½ x 11 paper
to achieve a 5½ x 8½ sheet of paper by TOP justifying the
text. This option also makes an 8 line per inch printout
look good when CENTERED.
IF PAGE NUMBERING IS ON, TWO OF THE MARGIN LINES ARE USED
FOR THE PAGE NUMBER.
M Multi-Pass Printing
Default: SINGLE
Value: SINGLE or DOUBLE
This option allows you to print using just one side of the
paper or both sides. This feature is the main function of
DocPRINT. When printing DOUBLE the printer first prints
pages 1, 3, 5, etc. then tells you to turn over the paper.
Then DocPRINT prints pages 2, 4, 6, etc. on the back of the
other pages so you get a nice printout with page 2 on back
of page 1, etc.
DocPRINT Page 17
DocPRINT PRINTS A MESSAGE ON A LEADER PAGE (IF YOU'VE CHOSEN ________________
TO PRINT IT OUT FROM THE PRINTER PORT OPTION) TO REMIND YOU ____________________________________________
THAT DOUBLE SIDED PRINTING HAS BEEN CHOSEN.
WHEN THE ODD PAGES ARE FINISHED, YOU TAKE OUT THE PAPER AND
TURN IT OVER, SO THAT THE LEADER PAGE MESSAGE IS NOT ON THE
PRINTING SIDE AND THEN CONTINUE WITH THE EVEN PAGES.
THIS LEADER PAGE IS PRESENT FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE A
PULL TRACTOR (THE TRACTOR HOLDS PAPER AFTER IT HAS BEEN
PRINTED.) PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU START WITH THE
PERFORATION BELOW THE PAGE WITH THIS MESSAGE!!! _____
YOU MAY SHUT OFF THE PRINTER TO CHANGE THE PAPER.
CHANCES ARE THAT YOU WILL MESS UP A FEW TIMES BEFORE YOU
BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO CHANGING THE PAPER. IT HAPPENED TO ME
MANY TIMES.
U Save User Configuration
This option allows you to save the current state of
DocPRINT's settings and configuration (including monitor
type, Print Style, and leader page selection) to a file
called DOCPRINT.CFG. When you use it the first time,
DocPRINT will save this file in the CURRENT directory.
Subsequent runs of DocPRINT will search the current
directory to see if DOCPRINT.CFG exists. If not found, it
will then search your environment for a variable called
DOCPRINT. You can set this by issuing the command:
SET DOCPRINT=C:\UTILS
in your autoexec.bat file or a batch file that runs
DocPRINT. If the DOCPRINT variable is not found, the search
will continue using the PATH variable. Once the
DOCPRINT.CFG file is found, the program remembers where it
was loaded from and will OVERWRITE it is you wish to resave
the configuration later.
Z ReDisplay the Main Menu
This option is here in case the display becomes corrupted
either by DOS messages or bad entry of data. Since I'm not
writing in assembly yet, the input routines for some of the
options may cause the cursor to get lost on the screen.
If you think that this has happened, first hit the Esc key,
then hit the Enter key. After that hit Z to clear and
redisplay the Main Menu.
Page 18 DocPRINT
P Print
Once you have selected the Print option, DocPRINT asks to
continue. After that, DocPRINT checks to see if the printer
is ready. If not, you will be instructed to check the
printer. Error checking is done by DocPRINT throughout the
printing process. Should an error occur, DocPRINT will
notify you. (Just to be safe, make sure that you have
plenty of paper for the printout! That will usually be the
major cause of Errors.)
While DocPRINT is sending the file to the printer, you may
pause the program at any time by striking any key. DocPRINT
will acknowledge that it has paused. You may hit the
SPACEBAR to continue or hit the Q key to Abort the printout
and return to the menu.
S Save Settings
This option allows you to save all of DocPRINT's settings
except the Document Filename and the Settings Filename. You
will be prompted to enter a filename to save the settings.
Drive and Path specifications are permitted. If the file
already exists, DocPRINT will ask if you wish to overwrite
it. You may respond Y or N. Once the settings are saved,
the name of the file appears in the Main Menu.
If you wish to use the same settings for another file, you
may specify the name of the file as the second filename on
the command line when starting DocPRINT.
Q Quit DocPRINT
If DocPRINT's settings are NOT saved, DocPRINT will ask if
you're sure you want to quit. (Like Lotus 1-2-3.) If you
don't wish to save them, just reply Y to the prompt.
Self Explanatory. (Back to DOS)
DocPRINT Page 19
The Following Commands are NEW to version 1.20 and later of ___________________________________________________________
DocPRINT ________
Alt-V View the DOC File
The Alt-V combo will shell out of DocPRINT and call the
VIEW.COM program to allow you to see what you are about
ready to print. VIEW.COM must be in the current directory or
available via the PATH variable. (Please consult your DOS
manual about the PATH variable.)
To exit the VIEW program, hit the Esc key, and you will
return to DocPRINT.
Alt-S Shell Out to DOS
The Alt-S combo allows you to shell out of DocPRINT to DOS
to perform any command you need (like a DIR or COPY). If
memory permits, the command interpreter indicated by the
COMSPEC environment variable will be loaded.
By using the COMSPEC variable, you can be assured that the
correct version of COMMAND.COM (or other programs like 4DOS)
will automatically load. And since COMSPEC is automatically
assigned, you don't have to worry about it (unless you're a
power user).
REMEMBER you must type EXIT at the DOS prompt to return back REMEMBER
to DocPRINT. Your DOS prompt will remind you that you have
shelled to DOS from DocPRINT.
Page 20 DocPRINT
DocPRINT Examples
Printing Using The Single Pass Option
The first DocPRINT example will be to print out a file using only
one side of the paper.
If you wish, you may use the DocPRINT.Doc file.
Start up DocPRINT by entering DOCPRINT at the DOS prompt. After
you see the title message strike any key to continue to the Main
Menu. Hit the R key to bring up the input file menu.
Enter: drive:\path\DOCPRINT
(The drive and path are where you have DocPRINT)
The menu will show after the selection that DOCPRINT.DOC is
selected to be printed.
(Since this file already has Form Feeds AND Page Numbers,
selections N (Page Numbering) and X (Page Number Location) can be
set to NO and N/A respectfully. If they are not, select N from
the Main Menu then hit N for No page numbering.
The number of Characters Per Line is 80 so hit C then type in 80
and hit enter.
This file will print nicely on 8½"(W) x 11"(L) paper, (which
should be used for this example) so set the Form Length to 11 and
the Form Width to 8.5 inches. Strike the L key for Form Length
and type in 11 and hit enter. Then strike the W key for Form
Width then type in 8 and hit enter.
(IF YOU HAVE AN EPSON PRINTER WITH AN 80 COLUMN CARRIAGE SUCH AS
THE MX OR FX-80 OR THE LQ-800, SET THE FORM WIDTH TO 8 INCHES AND
CENTER YOUR PAPER ON THE TRACTOR SO THERE IS A ¼" OF SPACE ON
BOTH SIDES! THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR PRINTING DOUBLE SIDED
PAGES!)
(Those of you that have the wide carriage, keep the width to 8
inches for this example.)
You may now choose the line spacing you wish. Hit I for Lines
Per Inch and select 6 for the line spacing.
For the Vertical Justification, set it to CENTER. Hit V then C
for CENTERED output.
Next, set the Printer Font & Size to Draft 10CPI (DFT10). strike
the F key then enter 0 for the Draft Font in 10 Characters Per
Inch. Notice that the Horizontal Margin has been adjusted so
that the lines will be centered. (If the Form Width is 8" there
is No margin, it will be set to 0.)
DocPRINT Page 21
At this point, DocPRINT's menu should look like this:
┌───────────────────────────┤ DocPRINT Main Menu ├─────────────────────────────┐
│ R Input Document File Name : DOCPRINT.DOC │
│ D Settings File Name.......: │
│ L Form Length in Inches.... 11.00 O Output Printer Port...... LPT1 │
│ W Form Width in Inches..... 8.00 F Printer Font & Size...... DFT10 │
│ I Lines Per Inch........... 6 N Page Numbering........... NO │
│ B Body Lines Per Page...... 66 X Pg. Number Location...... N/A │
│ C Characters Per Line...... 80 V Vertical Justification... CENTER │
│ H Horiz. (Left) Margin..... 0 M Multi-Pass Printing...... SINGLE │
│ G Gutter Margin............ 0 U Save User Configuration │
│ Z > ReDisplay Main Menu < │
│ │
│ Your Selection --» │
│Pick Letter or:Alt-V - View:Alt-S - Shell:P - Print:S - Save Settings:Q - Quit│
This sample is on the disk called SINGLE.DPS. If your printer
isn't on LPT1, go ahead and change it to the port that you have
your printer on.
Also make sure that the Multi-Pass Printing option is set to
SINGLE. (Change it if necessary.)
You may wish to print it out now, BUT DocPRINT can do a better
job of printing for you. Using a little math, you will see that
there will be very little room on the side of the paper for
punching holes in the pages. DocPRINT can give you that extra
room.
Enhancing The Single Sided Printout
If we print out 80 characters at 10 CPI, that makes a line length
of 8 inches. (That's as wide as our paper almost!) Let's reduce
that by changing the Printer Font & Size.
Select F for Font & Size and select Draft 17CPI. Notice that the
Horizontal Margin has changed to 28 characters (almost 1.75
inches of margin). That's plenty of room to punch holes on the
side!
If you wish you can now print out the file. Make sure your paper
is aligned at the Top of Form (The perforation of the paper
should be right above the Print Head). Turn on your printer and
let it go! This sample is on the disk as SINGLEM.DPS.
Of course you can change the line spacing, move the Horizontal
Margin some more, etc. Change an option and print it out again.
Tinker with DocPRINT till you get the output you like best, then
SAVE the settings using the S option. Then instead of
remembering what was set to what, load the Setting File using the
D option.
Page 22 DocPRINT
Printing Using The Double Sided Option
Hopefully, you have worked through the Single Sided example. Now
we will set DocPRINT for printing double sided pages.
Setup DocPRINT like below:
┌───────────────────────────┤ DocPRINT Main Menu ├─────────────────────────────┐
│ R Input Document File Name : DOCPRINT.DOC │
│ D Settings File Name.......: │
│ L Form Length in Inches.... 11.00 O Output Printer Port...... LPT1 │
│ W Form Width in Inches..... 8.00 F Printer Font & Size...... DFT17 │
│ I Lines Per Inch........... 6 N Page Numbering........... NO │
│ B Body Lines Per Page...... 66 X Pg. Number Location...... N/A │
│ C Characters Per Line...... 80 V Vertical Justification... CENTER │
│ H Horiz. (Left) Margin..... 0 M Multi-Pass Printing...... DOUBLE │
│ G Gutter Margin............ 17 U Save User Configuration │
│ Z > ReDisplay Main Menu < │
│ │
│ Your Selection --» │
│Pick Letter or:Alt-V - View:Alt-S - Shell:P - Print:S - Save Settings:Q - Quit│
This sample is on the disk as DOUBLE.DPS. Taking a close look at
the settings, DocPRINT is ready to print double sided pages using
a 17 character gutter margin in 17CPI characters (a 1" margin).
This means on the ODD pages a 1 inch margin will be on the Left
side and for the EVEN pages a 1 inch margin will be on the Right
side. That should be enough room to punch holes in the paper.
The Body Lines per page is set to 66 since this DOC file has Form
Feeds in it already.
You could now print the file out Double Sided. Page 2 would be
on the back of Page 1, etc. Just like a book would be printed.
Saves paper too!
Getting Fancy With Double Sided Printing
The question now, is how can you reduce the size of the output to
print on a sheet that can be cut down to 5½" x 8½". This is
where the DocPRINT Worksheet comes in handy.
The key to printing smaller sheets is by telling DocPRINT the
ACTUAL size of the paper that you are using then adjusting the
spacing, margins, font, and justification. Make sure that
DocPRINT has the ACTUAL Form Width and Length. (Remember, if you
have a narrow carriage, set the Form Width to 8".)
In order to have DocPRINT print on 8½" x 11" paper to achieve a
5½" x 8½" page is a little complicated, but after doing it a few
times, you should get the hang of it.
DocPRINT Page 23
First, find the Maximum Line Length of the file. Run MLL to see
how long it is and set Characters Per Line to that number.
Second, set the Vertical Justification to begin printing at the
TOP of the sheet of paper. (If you have to cut it down, why not
start with a square edge at the top.)
Third, most DOC files assume 66 lines per page (11 inches at 6
lines per inch = 66 lines). For a 8½" page, you can fit 68 lines
on the page at 8 lines per inch, so set the Lines Per Inch to 8.
Fourth, given the Characters Per Line, find out how many inches a
line would take to print. (If it were 80, at 10CPI it would take
8" to print it out, at 17CPI it would take only 4.7 inches, quite
a reduction! If your printer supports 20CPI it would only take 4
inches!) Your task is to calculate the best Font Size to print
the Characters Per Line in less than 5 inches! (Not too Hard.)
When you have it, set the Printer Font & Size accordingly.
Last, set the Gutter Margin to at least ½", this will give you
enough room to punch the sheets to put in your DOS binder. (You
can throw out the contents, unless you need them.) Set the
Gutter Margin from 8 - 10 characters if the Font Size you are
using is 17 or 20 CPI.
There is a sample Setting file called IBMBKNP.DPS.. You may wish
to compare it's settings to yours. Another sample file,
IBMBKPG.DPS is the same except that page numbers are to be
printed also.
The Main Menu for IBMBKNP.DPS looks like:
┌───────────────────────────┤ DocPRINT Main Menu ├─────────────────────────────┐
│ R Input Document File Name : │
│ D Settings File Name.......: IBMBKNP.DPS │
│ L Form Length in Inches.... 11.00 O Output Printer Port...... LPT1 │
│ W Form Width in Inches..... 8.00 F Printer Font & Size...... DFT17 │
│ I Lines Per Inch........... 8 N Page Numbering........... NO │
│ B Body Lines Per Page...... 66 X Pg. Number Location...... N/A │
│ C Characters Per Line...... 80 V Vertical Justification... TOP │
│ H Horiz. (Left) Margin..... 0 M Multi-Pass Printing...... DOUBLE │
│ G Gutter Margin............ 10 U Save User Configuration │
│ Z > ReDisplay Main Menu < │
│ │
│ Your Selection --» │
│Pick Letter or:Alt-V - View:Alt-S - Shell:P - Print:S - Save Settings:Q - Quit│
You can now print the file and see the results.
Page 24 DocPRINT
Comments & Counseling
DocPRINT has many uses, probably more than I had imagined when I
started writing it. I hope that you enjoy using DocPRINT.
Advanced uses for DocPRINT
As mentioned earlier in the manual, DocPRINT has been updated to
be used in a Batch Mode by using the /P parameter. If you print
the same types of files using DocPRINT, and saved corresponding
".DPS" (settings) files, you can run DocPRINT without any user
input (other that the prompt to tell you to flip the paper over).
By storing all of your DocPRINT ".CFG" and ".DPS" files in one
directory, and adding the statment: SET DOCPRINT=<drive>:\<path>,
DocPRINT will automatically look in that directory for these
files. No more dozens of DOCPRINT.CFG floating around on your
hard disk! Let's say you keep all of you DocPRINT files in your
C:\UTILS directory. Here's a simple batch file to speed up your
work; You can call it DCP.BAT.
ECHO OFF
CLS
SET DOCPRINT=C:\UTILS
DOCPRINT %1 LETTER /P
SET DOCPRINT=
The %1 allows you to enter the DOC file name from the batch file.
If the file was called SAMPLE.DOC, you would enter DCP SAMPLE,
and away it goes!
If you have planned ahead and placed your DocPRINT files in a
directory listed in your PATH variable, you're already set, since
DocPRINT will search your PATH variable if the DOCPRINT variable
is not set.
My system PATH variable is set to:
C:\BATCH;C:\UTILS;C:\DOS33;C:\;
and I keep DocPRINT files in the UTILS directory. That finds
them every time. (Yes, all of my batch files are in the C:\BATCH
directory.)
DocPRINT Page 25
Points Of Interest
1) Graphics Characters
DocPRINT passes all extended ASCII characters to the printer!
(Those are the ones like the box drawing characters, etc.) If
your printer does not support the graphics characters, I
recommend that you use a utility called PRSWAP by John Dickinson
that appeared in PC Magazine. This is a Resident program that
intercepts all those graphics characters and replaces them with
normal dashes and lines. It is included with DocPRINT. (Since I
believe you could find it on any BBS I don't think I'll get sued
for including it here.)
2) Printer Enhancement
If by some chance you are still using an OLD EPSON printer (like
the MX's, RX's and FX-80 & FX-100), without the NLQ features,
then please consider purchasing Dots-Perfect. Dots-Perfect is an
upgrade kit for older EPSON printers that gives you NLQ
capability, the IBM Graphic Character Set, Push-Button Font
Selection and an Option Menu similar to the EPSON SelectType
features on newer printers. Cost is about $80 but it sure beats
buying a new printer! EPSON has even acknowledged Dots-Perfect
and says that installing it will NOT void the Warranty! If
you're interested, give them a call or write to:
Dresselhaus Computer Products
8560 Vineyard Avenue, Suite 405
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730
(714) 945-5600
Take the word of a satisfied customer.
Just a Reminder: If you like DocPRINT, please consider sending a ________________
$10.00 contribution. It will help me send contributions to other
Shareware programmers.
Remember, only YOU can make Shareware Work!
DocPRINT Page 26
Page 26 DocPRINT
DocPRINT Worksheet
Q1: Does file have Form Feeds? Yes or No
(if Yes set Body Lines Per Page to 66)
(Use MLL to check)
Q2: Does file have Page Numbers? Yes or No
(if Yes set Page Numbering to NO)
(Use VIEW.COM to check)
Q3: Put on Page Numbers? (Yes or No)
Where on page? (Top or Bottom)
(Left, Centered, Right)
Q4: Maximum Line Length of File _____ chars.
(Use MLL.EXE or let DocPRINT find out. p.??)
Q5: Printer Port ? (LPT1, LPT2, LPT3, LPT4)
Q6: Size of printer paper ______ Length _____ Width
(In Inches. If narrow carriage set width to 8.)
Q7: Size of printed page ______ Length _____ Width
(If no reduction same as Q6)
Q8: Line Spacing (6 or 8 LPI)
(If reducing page size, use 8)
Q9: Printer Font & Size? (Draft or NLQ)
(10, 12, 15, 17, 20 CPI)
Q10: SINGLE or DOUBLE Sided Printing? (set Multi-Pass)
Q11: If SINGLE, Horizontal (Left) margin _____ Chars.
(To check length, (Q11 x Q9 CPI) + (Q4 x Q9 CPI) <= Q7 Width)
Q12: If DOUBLE, Gutter Margin _____ Chars.
(To check length, (Q12 x Q9 CPI) + (Q4 x Q9 CPI) <= Q7 Width)
Q13: Vertical Justification (TOP, BOTTOM, CENTER)
(Use TOP if page size is reduced. If Q7 < Q6)