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UP.TXT
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1990-09-19
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|A╔══════════╦════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╦══════════╗
|A║ ^0Helpware |A║ ^1 UltPrint |A ║^0 Helpware|A ║
|A╚══════════╩════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╩══════════╝
^Cby
^CJohn B. Adams, Jr. and Richard Wong
Does the ^1Print Option^0 for a favorite program produce a report too wide
for easy reference? Would that "print-screen" be more helpful if printed
letter quality? Does the attached printer support compressed print and
letter quality mode print, but it takes too long to look up the codes?
UltPrint, a printer utility, allows full use of all the features supported
by the printer attached to your computer system. Use the printer manual to
set up the features and save them in easy-reference form for use at any time.
The memory-resident module is explained below under the heading "RESUP".
^CGetting Started
After selecting ULTPRINT from the menu, the Load/Create file screen will
appear. Each file represents the codes which have been set up and stored for
a specific printer. Use the cursor keys to highlight the printer code file
and press <ENTER> to select.
The Feature List screen will appear. Use the cursor keys to highlight the
appropriate feature. Functions available at this point are:
<ENTER> - Send command to printer.
<F1> - Get help.
<F2> - Edit the name or printer codes for the highlighted feature.
<F4> - Save file of codes for printer.
<F6> - Return to Load/Create file selection screen.
<F8> - Test codes in typewriter mode.
<F10> - Exit from UltPrint.
<ALT-1> - Change to parallel printer port LPT1:
<ALT-2> - " " " " " LPT2:
<ALT-3> - " " " " " LPT3:
^CHow to use UltPrint
For example, suppose you want to print some budget reports using your
printer's letter quality mode, but your accounting program does not allow you
to set printer options. Run UltPrint and load the file describing your
printer. On the Feature List, highlight the letter quality feature, and press
<ENTER>; the printer codes to enable that mode are sent to the printer.
Anything you print will be in letter quality mode until your printer is turned
off or reset.
^CEntering printer codes
The printer reference manual for the printer attached to your system should
have a section which details printer codes. The example used here is from the
manual for the Panasonic KX-P1124 printer in Epson LQ-2500 emulation mode.
An entry might appear similar to the following:
Character Highlight Selection
Name Function
ESC + - + 1 Sets Underlining (Dec: 27,45,1)
ESC + - + 0 Releases Underlining (Dec: 27,45,0)
On the Feature List Screen, highlight the "Underline Start" entry and press
<F2>. The detailed Feature Definition screen will appear. On this screen the
following functions are available:
<UP> <DOWN> Arrow Keys - Move between fields.
Keyboard Keys - Edit fields.
<F1> - Help.
<F4> - Accept feature as it now appears.
<F6> - Abort changes to feature.
On the line captioned "character:," type the codes from the printer manual
that correspond to Set Underline. In the example, the first two codes would
would be typed as <ESC> <->. For the third code, you must determine if your
printer manual means the numeral "1" (ASCII character number 49) or the
decimal value 1 (ASCII character number 1). Most printer manuals provide both
the character and decimal values for all printer codes. In the example,
notice that the decimal value for the final code is 1. The easiest way to
enter this final code is to type a 1 in the appropriate decimal value field.
Now that you have entered the entire code, press <F4> to accept the new
feature definition.
If you are uncertain about a printer code, look at the decimal values in
your printer manual, and enter those numbers into the decimal value fields.
To make sure you entered the correct code, you may test features using the
UltPrint's Typewriter mode. Press <F8> on the Feature Menu to enter the
Typewriter mode. Whatever text you type will be sent to the printer when you
press <ENTER>.
^CFile and Path Names
The codes for each printer will usually be stored in a separate file. Name
the files for easy recognition: For example "EP2500" for an Epson 2500. The
file, when created, will be stored in the (sub)directory identified by the
path on the Load/Create File screen.
Path: A:\
Filename: EP2500 Description: Epson LQ-2500
The above path and filename would store the codes in a file named
EP2500.UPC in the root directory of the disk currently in the drive designated
as the A: drive for the computer.
^CBackground Information
The computer sends signals to the printer using a coding scheme that the
printer manufacturer defines. The manufacturer furnishes this information to
purchasers in the Operating Instructions or Reference Manual for the printer.
The control codes (or signals) for any printer are unique.
Many word processing systems have stored the control codes for the printers
they support. Often the word processor will let the user define codes for
printers not explicitly supported.
This printer utility allows the user to define his printer's control codes
for use when the program doing the printing has no facility for sending the
codes to the printer.
The reference manual may define codes by their ASCII "name", their decimal
equivalent and/or their hexadecimal equivalent. UltPrint allows the user to
use either the ASCII "name" associated with a keyboard key or the decimal
equivalent in the Edit Feature function.
^CRES-UP
The memory resident module for UltPrint may only be run from the DOS
command-line prompt outside Big Blue Disk.
From the DOS command line, type:
resup filename
The memory-resident module for UltPrint will be loaded into memory. Each
filename represents the codes which have been set up and stored for a specific
printer.
Press <ALT><SPACEBAR> to activate the module. The Feature List Screen set
up in UltPrint will appear. Assume, for example, you want to print the
directory listing from a floppy disk in drive A, but wish to see each line of
the listing underlined.
From the DOS prompt, press <ALT><SPACEBAR>. On the Feature List Screen,
highlight "Underline Start" and press <ENTER>. UltPrint sends the pre-defined
signal to the printer telling it to begin underlining. Press <ESC> to return
to the DOS command line prompt.
At the DOS prompt, type:
dir a: >prn
The directory listing printed will be underlined if the correct codes were
stored in "filename" for the printer attached to the computer. Remember to
return to RESUP and send the printer the "Underline End" code in the same
manner.
The memory-resident portion of UltPrint uses approximately 30,000 bytes
of your computer's RAM. To remove RESUP from memory, press <ALT-SPACEBAR> to
pop it up, and then press <ALT-R>. If RESUP could successfully remove itself
from memory, then it will return to the interrupted program.
If you experience difficulty running RESUP with other memory-resident
programs, try loading RESUP first, before loading the other programs.
^CCommand-line options
The following options can be given for both versions of UltPrint:
filename - filename of printer code file to load.
If given, the filename must be the first parameter.
m - runs UltPrint in monochrome (black & white) mode.
1, 2, 3 - selects which parallel printer port UltPrint will use.
^COutside BBD
To run this program outside ^1Big Blue Disk^0, type: ^1UP^0.
For memory resident version: See RES-UP above.
DISK FILES THIS PROGRAM USES:
^FUP.EXE
^FRESUP.EXE (*Memory resident module*)
^FAll *.UPC