Club Amiga de Montreal - CAM/CAM_CD_1.iso/files/118.lha/print.doc

Text File | 1986-11-20 | 9KB | 179 lines

4-feb-88 - Ver 1.01 - Fixed page # bug when specifying multiple copies */

Print Version 1.0 12/27/87 for Amiga DOS
By Michael D. Black
Copyright 1987()

The executable version of this program is released to the public domain along
with the documentation.  The source code is Copyright 1987().  Source code
shall not be distributed without prior approval.

Token donations of $5.00 would be appreciated if you find this useful.
$10.00 and an SASE & disk and you get a copy of the current version with
source code.  $20.00, SASE & disk and I will CONSIDER making customizations
for you.  If I think you want to much, you will get back the current version
with source code, and $10 (the original $10 deal).  Money received without
SASE & disk will be considered a sincere thank-you.  All correspondence can
be sent to:
               Michael D. Black
               Attn: Print
               1380 Croftwood Drive
               Melbourne, FL 32935-5512

Suggestions will be accepted, but don't expect me to change the current
defaults (unless there's a good reason).  I may add features in the future
as people make desires known.  A workbench interface so it can replace
'More' might be nice for instance.

I wrote this utility due to a simple need to have some formatting capability
on text files.  I found some files had tabs embedded which didn't like to
expand on my printer.  The need for titles and page numbers was there.
I wanted a CLI interface, printer control, printer setup, formfeeds, etc.
Other functions were desirable, but not easily available.  So here it is!
This can replace Type, typ, and a previous Print utility that was
making the rounds, plus several others.

Features:

   1.  Output defaults to the screen.  This way you can see pretty closely
what your output will look like.  Without any options invoked, it looks
just like 'type'.  Some options (such as italics and boldface) work on the
screen.

   2.  Output can be redirected via the CLI '>' to a file or to the printer.
(Not my doing, just Amiga DOS peeking thru).  A redirected file can then be
printed and all options invoked will be used.  This also means the redirected
file can be 'typed' and boldface and italics  will be used in the printout.
This means you can also concantenate files to mix results via '>>'.

   3.  Tabs are expanded (defaults to 8) with spaces.  They are treated as
absolute column positions, so a tab will tab to the next tab position, not 8
spaces from the current position.

   4.  The settings invoked when print is run are still active after
completion.  They have to be reset by '-mn'.  This allows you to set up
your console or printer and keep it that way if you like.

   5.  Print can be invoked without a filename to simply set up your printer
to the various font modes.  You can also turn italics and boldface on the
console too.  i.e 'print >prt: -c' will turn condensed printing on.  Note
that margins are done with spaces, not special printer functions.  They
have an effect only on the file(s) being printed for the one run.

   6.  Multiple files can be printed.  They will all use the same switches.
Page numbering will continue (not reset to 1) if multiple files are
requested.  However, if multiple copies are requested the page number will
reset to 1 for each file and each copy requested.  If you want to print
multiple copies of files that you wish concantenated, you must invoke print
for each copy you want.

   7.  The title and page numbering is a little tricky.  If you provide a
title without setting a page length, it will only print on the first page as
the rest of the text will all run together.  If you provide a page length, a
page number will appear in the upper right corner of each page with the
title (if provided) in front of it.  If you want the title without page
numbers, you must suppress the page numbers with '-s'.  Most of the time I
like page #'s, so that's why it defaults that way.

NOTE:  The -m options may not work if your printer and printer driver don't
support them.  All others should work with any printer.

Usage: print [-acfhlmnoprstyz] filename [filename2,,,...]

           (#=number, "=string)
Where: -a# add to starting page # ( <0 skips pages)
       -c# number of copies of each file
       -f  formfeed after each file
       -h  hex output
       -l# left margin
       -m" mode of print: b=boldface, c=condensed,
           d=double strike, e=elite, g=enlarged, i=italicized,
           n=normalize, p=proportional, q=NLQ, u=underline
           v=1/8\" vertical spacing
       -n  numbers lines
       -o  turns off the title & page# on the first page
       -p# page length
       -r# right margin
       -s  suppress page numbers
       -t" title string (backslash=space, no spaces allowed)
       -y# tab stop intervals (default=8)
       -z" pause, a=after formfeed, b=before

-a# : Add number to starting page number.  If you wish page numbering to
      start at 5, simply say '-a5'.  If you wish to skip one page and start
      printing the second page of the file (like after your paper messed up),
      use negative numbers, like '-a-1'.  Page add defaults to 0.

-c# : Number of copies.  Will print as many copies as you specify, such as
      '-c5' will print 5 copies, and page numbers will reset to 1 for each
      copy.  This causes automatic formfeed between files which you can
      suppress with '-f'.

-f  : Formfeed after each file (for multiple files), OR turn off formfeed if
      multiple copies were requested.  There may be a case (I guess) where
      you may want multiple copies to run together, but usually I thought
      most people would want it to default to ON for that particular case.

-h  : Hex output.  Will print a hextable with pagelength, titles,
      pagenumbers, as requested.  This defaults to 3 different formats
      depending on print mode (to take advantage of the available space).
      16 bytes per line (bpl) for Pica, 24 bpl for Elite, and 32 bpl for
      condensed.  The right margin defaults to allow space for the table
      beyond the left margin, so you can overrun the right margin if you
      specify too large a left margin.  Specifying the right margin can give
      you a funny looking table, but you can play with it and get decent
      output with different sizes.  You can't get line numbers with this.
      If you want to have a 16 bytes table in compressed mode (for example),
      set up the printer in advance with 'print >prt: -mc' and then print
      your hex table in another command.

-l# : Set left margin to number, i.e. '-l10' sets left margin at column 10.
      This does NOT use special printer functions and should work on any
      printer.

-m" : Set print mode.  Does exactly what the switch options say, if your
      printer supports them.  You can specify more than one option, such
      as '-mbi' for boldface italics.  This works as long as the
      options are not mutually exclusive, in which case the right-most
      switch will win.  These modes will remain unless -mn is also selected.
      -mn by itself will ensure printer is printing in its 'normal' mode.
      -mn on a line with other -m options will reset the printer to normal
      at the end of the run.

-n  : Number the text lines.  Does not work for hex output.  Formatted for
      max of 99,999 (is that enough?).  Line numbers only reset to 1 for
      multiple copies.  Multiple files with single copies will count
      lines without resetting the counter between files.  This is the same
      behaviour as page numbers.

-o  : Turns off the title & page # on the first page.  Some people don't
      want it to start until the second page.

-p# : Page length.  Will print # lines per page.  Causes page numbers to
      appear which can be suppress with '-s'.  Formfeed after each page
      and prints title and page numbers as appropriate.

-r# : Right margin.  Sets maximum column position at which text will appear.
      Will affect hex output (screw it up).  This is relative to the left
      edge of the paper, not the left margin.

-s  : Suppress page numbers.  Necessary if you don't want page numbers to
      appear when page length ('-p') is set.

-t" : Title string.  No spaces are allowed, so you can create a space with a
       backslash '\' character.

-y# : Set tab stop intervals.  Defaults to 8.  This is done with spaces, not
      with special printer functions.  Should always work.

-z  : Pause before ('-zb') or after ('-za') formfeeds.  If you want to print
      something to console, and have it pause between pages, you can do
      something like 'print -zb -p20 print.doc'.  This will print 20 lines
      and wait for a key to be pressed.  No prompt is provided, as you may
      want to use this option for using special paper on your printer.  So,
      if your using single sheets, you can try 'print -za -p60 print.doc'.
      This will formfeed and then wait for a key press.  Handy for sticking
      in the next sheet of paper.