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P r i n t e r B U D D Y (tm)
A Setup Utility For All Printers
Version 2.01
USER'S GUIDE
Copyright (c) 1991-1992 Lenard Dean
All Rights Reserved
March 7, 1992
Warranty And License
====================
This software and accompanying documentation is provided AS-IS.
Even though the author has tested this software and reviewed its
documentation, NO WARRANTY OR REPRESENTATION RELATING TO IT IS
MADE, WHETHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, WITHOUT
LIMITATION, THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND OF FITNESS FOR
ANY PURPOSE. THE AUTHOR ASSUMES NO LIABILITY FOR DAMAGES, DIRECT
OR CONSEQUENTIAL, WHICH MAY RESULT FROM THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE,
even if advised of the possibility of such damages. THE USER
BEARS ALL RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THIS
SOFTWARE. IN NO EVENT SHALL ANY DAMAGES EXCEED THE PRICE PAID
FOR THE LICENSE TO USE THIS SOFTWARE REGARDLESS OF THE FORM OF
CLAIM.
You ARE encouraged to pass along copies of PrinterBUDDY to
friends and your favorite BBSs. Please distribute ONLY the
original self-extracting file PB2O1.EXE you received. Anyone
that would like to distribute PrinterBUDDY for remuneration must
first contact the author. Vendors recognized by the ASP may
offer PrinterBUDDY immediately without any prior authorization
from the author.
Ombudsman (ASP)
===============
This program is produced by _______
a member of the Association ____|__ | (R)
of Shareware Professionals --| | |-------------------
(ASP). ASP wants to make | ____|__ | Association of
sure that the shareware | | |_| Shareware
principle works for you. |__| o | Professionals
If you are unable to resolve -----| | |---------------------
a shareware-related problem |___|___| MEMBER
with an ASP member by
contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP
Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP
member, but does not provide technical support for members'
products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road,
Muskegon, MI 49442 or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe
Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536.
Trademarks
==========
Product names mentioned in this documentation are trademarks or
registered trademarks of their respective owners. PrinterBUDDY
is a trademark of Lenard Dean.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
=================
Introduction ................................................. 1
Getting Started .............................................. 1
Creating Printer Configurations .............................. 3
Using PrinterBUDDY ........................................... 5
Running from a Batch File .................................... 6
Customizing PrinterBUDDY ..................................... 7
Questions .................................................... 10
Appendix A: Registration ..................................... 11
Appendix B: Color Chart ...................................... 12
Appendix C: Scan Code Chart .................................. 13
Appendix D: Decimal-Hexadecimal Conversion Chart ............. 14
Introduction
============
Today's printers, particularly lasers, have an extensive set of
programming commands and formatting codes built into them. How
many times have you wanted to setup a printer but had no real
simple way of doing so? If you are an intermediate or advanced
user, probably more than once.
PrinterBUDDY is elegant in its simplicity. No matter how complex
your printer setups may be, PrinterBUDDY lets you handle them
with ease. And unlike other printer utilities, ANY type of
printer can be configured with PrinterBUDDY. The more feature-
rich the printer command set is, the more powerful PrinterBUDDY
becomes.
PrinterBUDDY is available as a "normal" program and as a memory-
resident (TSR) program. Both versions allow you to select
printer configurations from a menu list. However, with the
normal program, you can also select a configuration from the
command line thus allowing you to run PrinterBUDDY from a batch
file. The memory-resident version on the other hand lets you
setup a printer within most MS-DOS applications.
PrinterBUDDY is completely customizable. Not only can you define
the location where the menu list will pop up but also the menu's
colors and border type. Since PrinterBUDDY is mouse-aware, mouse
sensitivity, scroll speed, and cursor color can also be defined.
Furthermore, with the TSR version, you have the option of
specifying your own hot key and choosing how the TSR will load
into memory (ie. conventional, swap-to-EMS, or swap-to-disk).
Getting Started
===============
To run PrinterBUDDY, you'll need the following hardware minimum:
- IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2, or 100% compatible computer
- 256K bytes of conventional memory
- monochrome or color monitor
- floppy disk drive or hard disk
- mouse (optional)
- printer
You will also need the software below:
- MS-DOS or PC-DOS, version 2.00 or later to run the
normal program (version 3.00 or later to run the TSR
program)
- text editor or word processor that can save in ASCII
1
Executing the self-extracting file PB201.EXE should have produced
the following files:
PB.EXE PrinterBUDDY program
PBTSR.EXE TSR version of PrinterBUDDY
PB.DOC Documentation
SAMPLE.PCF Sample printer configurations file
REGISTER.FRM Registration form
INSTALL.EXE Installation program
The quickest way to install PrinterBUDDY is to run INSTALL. If
you are upgrading from a version older than v2.00, it is
important that PrinterBUDDY be installed through INSTALL because
your existing PB.PCF needs to be modified.
When the INSTALL program is run, you will be asked about the
following:
1) the directory to install PrinterBUDDY in. The default is
c:\pb but it might make more sense to put it into your
"utilities" directory.
2) if you are upgrading from a version older than v2.00.
3) whether you want PrinterBUDDY's location added to the
PATH statement in AUTOEXEC.BAT. (If it already exists,
it will not be added.) If so, the original AUTOEXEC.BAT
will be saved as AUTOEXEC.OLD.
4) if you have a monochrome monitor with a color card. If
so, you should select this option to force a "black and
white" color setup.
Check boxes are selected by clicking with the left mouse button.
To use the keyboard, select the TAB key to move between check
boxes and the SPACEBAR to mark them. When you're ready to
install, press ENTER. If you're not upgrading, a file called
PB.PCF will be created. (You'll be storing all your printer
configurations in this file.)
If you are not upgrading, you can install PrinterBUDDY manually.
To do this, copy all the files to the destination directory.
Then from the destination directory type:
pb
If you're installing on a system with a monochrome display and
color card, use the "/bw" switch to force a "black and white"
color setup as follows:
pb /bw
2
Once PrinterBUDDY has been installed, your next step is to add
printer configuration(s) to the PB.PCF file. The following
section shows how to do this.
Creating Printer Configurations
===============================
All printer configurations you create will be stored in the
PB.PCF file. To create the printer configurations, use a text
editor or word processor. Remember to re-save PB.PCF in ASCII
any time it is modified. Most text editors will do this but if
you are using a word processor this will not necessarily be true.
Consult your word processor manual on how to save to ASCII
format.
Each configuration is distinguished by a unique name and enclosed
in square brackets. When creating a name, any combination of
upper or lower case letters may be used. The name should be no
longer than 12 characters in length. (Any name longer than 12
characters will only be recognized from the command line.) For
example:
[CONDENSED]
To setup a printer connected to LPT2 or LPT3, insert a colon
after the name and type "LPT2" or "LPT3" like so:
[CONDENSED:LPT2]
For each printer command line, type some descriptive text of any
length and follow it with the "=" character. Place the
appropriate control codes after the "=" character, separating
each value with a comma. (A list of printer commands and
formatting codes for your printer can normally be found under a
section called "Command Reference" or "Mode Commands" in the
printer's reference manual.) PrinterBUDDY recognizes printer
codes in decimal or hexadecimal format. Make sure if you use
hexadecimal codes that you precede each value with "&H". Here
are some examples:
[CONDENSED:LPT2]
Master Reset =27,64
Condensed ON =15
Left Margin= &H1B,&H6C,&H7
Right Margin 27,81,127
Note how spaces (or TABs) may be inserted between the text and
"=" or between "=" and the first control code value for alignment
purposes. If you need to temporarily prevent a line from being
processed, leave out the "=" as shown in the last line. (It may
3
be more convenient to duplicate the configuration under a
different name without that line.)
Keep things easy to read by using a blank line between
configurations. Below is a copy of SAMPLE.PCF showing what a
typical PB.PCF file may look like:
HotKey=&H830
SwapMode=0
MouseSen=12
MouseSS=60
Sort=1
Row=7
Column=25
Length=10
Shadow=1
BorderType=3
BeepSound=6
TextColor=7
BorderColor=14
CsrColor=48
MouseCsrColor=71
[NLQ]
Master Reset =27,64
Select NLQ =27,120,1
Roman Font =27,107,0
Left Margin =27,108,5
Bottom Margin =27,78,7
[CONDENSED:LPT2]
Master Reset =27,64
Condensed ON =15
Left Margin =&H1B,&H6C,&H7
Right Margin =27,81,127
Bottom Margin =27,78,7
Tab Increments =27,101,0,2
[GRAPHICS:LPT3]
Master Reset =27,64
Graphic Mode =27,116,1,27,6
Left Margin =27,108,5
Note how each example starts with a "Master Reset". If you are
modifying a configuration set by an application, you should of
course leave it out. If not, you will clear the printer to the
settings set by its "dip switches". (This is the same thing as
turning your printer off and then back on again.) Also, keep in
mind that reset codes vary from printer to printer so the ones
used in the examples may or may not apply to you.
4
Using PrinterBUDDY
==================
As was mentioned in the introduction, the normal version of
PrinterBUDDY allows you to select a printer configuration from
the command line. Consider the following three "abbreviated"
examples from SAMPLE.PCF:
[NLQ]
Master Reset =27,64
Select NLQ =27,120,1
...
...
[CONDENSED:LPT2]
Master Reset =27,64
Condensed ON =15
...
...
[GRAPHICS:LPT3]
Master Reset =27,64
Graphic Mode =27,116,1,27,6
...
...
To configure a printer through the command line, the syntax is:
pb configuration
Therefore, to setup your printer with the first configuration
shown, you type:
pb nlq
To setup the printer with the last configuration, you would type:
pb graphics
If no configuration name is entered on the command line or if
ALT+B, the TSR hot key, is pressed (assuming PrinterBUDDY TSR is
installed), a menu list with all the configurations in PB.PCF is
displayed. To navigate through the list, use the HOME, END,
PGUP, PGDN, and ARROW keys. Alternatively, press the left mouse
button to move the menu cursor bar up or down the menu (or click
on the top or bottom menu borders). Clicking on the small arrows
on the right side of the menu box moves the menu's cursor bar up
or down one line at a time. A configuration is selected by
double clicking quickly over its name with the left mouse button
or by pressing the ENTER key. To abort from the menu list, press
ESC or the right mouse button.
5
That's all there is to it. If you are using the normal
PrinterBUDDY program and NOT using DOS 3.00 or higher, make sure
you execute PrinterBUDDY from its directory or an error "locating
PB.PCF" will result.
If PrinterBUDDY is run with the printer off-line, an error will
occur after a pre-determined amount of printer "checks".
Depending on the speed of your machine, this will translate into
a pause of anywhere from 72 seconds for a XT to less than 25
seconds for a 386 compatible. No delay will occur if the printer
is turned off, however.
Running from a Batch File
=========================
When running PrinterBUDDY from a batch file or program, the
following exit codes are returned to DOS after PrinterBUDDY
finishes executing:
0 = Printer Configured (command line, menu list)
1 = Printer Not Configured (menu list)
2 = PB.PCF Not Found (command line, menu list)
3 = Printer Not Ready (command line, menu list)
4 = Configuration Not Found (command line)
5 = No Configurations Found (menu list)
Remember to test error levels in a batch file in descending order
since a true condition is only returned if the exit code is equal
to or greater than the error level number. Therefore:
echo off
pb nlq /q
if errorlevel 5 goto error5
if errorlevel 4 goto error4
if errorlevel 3 goto error3
if errorlevel 2 goto error2
if errorlevel 1 goto error1
echo Printer Configured (No Errors)
goto quit
:error5
echo No Configurations Found
goto quit
:error4
echo Configuration Not Found
goto quit
6
:error3
echo Printer Not Ready
goto quit
:error2
echo PB.PCF Not Found
goto quit
:error1
echo Printer Not Configured
goto quit
:quit
One final note. To run PrinterBUDDY in "quiet" mode so that no
text is displayed when executing, use the "/q" switch. For
example:
pb nlq /q
Customizing PrinterBUDDY
========================
PrinterBUDDY uses the beginning of PB.PCF to store information
about itself. Both versions of PrinterBUDDY share the same
PB.PCF file. Below is a description of each parameter:
HotKey Defines the hot key that will activate
PrinterBUDDY TSR. The default is ALT+B.
SwapMode Determines how PrinterBUDDY TSR will be
installed: 0=conventional, 1=swap-to-EMS,
2=swap-to-disk. To un-install the TSR, use
the switch "/u". For example: pbtsr /u
MouseSen Sets the mouse sensitivity. Useful values
range between 0 and 100.
MouseSS Sets the menu's mouse scrolling speed. Use
values from 0 and up. Values reflect time
in milliseconds.
Sort Determines whether the menu list will be
sorted. 0=don't sort, 1=sort
Row Sets the row coordinate for the menu
Column Sets the column coordinate for the menu.
7
Length Sets the number of configuration names that
will be displayed on the menu. The minimum
number is 2.
Shadow Determines whether a shadow will be projected
when the menu is up. 0=no shadow, 1=shadow
BorderType Sets the menu's border type. There are four
to choose from:
1 = single line all around
2 = double line all around
3 = double line horizontally, single line
vertically
4 = single line horizontally, double line
vertically
BeepSound Sets the type of "beep sound" for error
messages. Values range from 0 to 10.
0=no sound.
TextColor Sets the menu's text color. (Appendix B)
BorderColor Sets the menu's border color. (Appendix B)
CsrColor Sets the menu's cursor bar color. (Appendix B)
MouseCsrColor Sets the mouse cursor color. (Appendix B)
If PrinterBUDDY TSR's default hot key conflicts with an existing
TSR or program, you will have to define a new one. The hot key
is made up of two parts: a shift mask and a scan code. The shift
mask specifies the ALT, CTRL, or SHIFT keys to be used. Below
are their shift mask values:
Hex
Value Key
8 ALT
4 CTRL
2 Left SHIFT
1 Right SHIFT
When creating a hot key with more than one shift mask, simply add
the hex values together. Because the shift mask values are less
than 10, you can add the values as if they were in decimal. If
the result is greater than 9 don't forget to refer to Appendix D
to convert your result to hexadecimal.
The second part of the hot key, the scan code, specifies the
other keyboard keys. The chart in Appendix C lists all the valid
8
scan codes. When creating a hot key, remember to precede the hot
key code with "&H". Here are a few examples:
ALT+B HotKey=&H830
Shift Mask: 8
Scan Code: 30
ALT+P HotKey=&H819
Shift Mask: 8
Scan Code: 19
CTRL+B HotKey=&H430
Shift Mask: 4
Scan Code: 30
CTRL+P HotKey=&H419
Shift Mask: 4
Scan Code: 19
ALT+CTRL+B HotKey=&HC30
Shift Mask: 8+4=12, C in hex
Scan Code: 30
ALT+CTRL+P HotKey=&HC19
Shift Mask: 8+4=12, C in hex
Scan Code: 19
ALT+(Left)SHIFT+P HotKey=&HA19
Shift Mask: 8+2=10, A in hex
Scan Code: 19
CTRL+(Left)SHIFT+P HotKey=&H619
Shift Mask: 4+2=6
Scan Code: 19
When PB.PCF is first created, SwapMode is set to 0. This mode
installs PrinterBUDDY TSR as a normal TSR and uses about 38.5K of
conventional memory. If you find the memory penalty too high,
use one of the two "swapping" modes. The swapping modes create a
small kernel of code (6.4K) in conventional memory when the TSR
is idle. When the TSR is activated, the underlying program is
saved to disk or expanded memory and the TSR program is loaded in
its place. When the TSR is finished, the underlying program is
re-loaded into memory and the TSR program saved back to disk or
expanded memory.
If PrinterBUDDY cannot install as a swapping TSR, check the
amount of expanded memory (if installed) or disk space available.
Chances are that you don't have enough. If you plan to install
PrinterBUDDY as a disk swapping TSR, don't expect instant menu
"pop up" and "pop down" like in the memory modes. It takes a
9
couple of seconds to save and load the underlying program.
Having a fast hard disk with a cache helps speed things up.
Questions
=========
Well, that's about it. If you have any problems, questions, or
suggestions regarding PrinterBUDDY, I would like to hear from
you. You can write to me at:
Lenard Dean
3052 Cedar Ridge Dr. S.W.
Calgary, Alberta T2W1X6
Canada
You can also reach me through one of the following electronic
services:
CompuServe ID: 70312,415
GEnie ID: L.DEAN1
Happy Printing!
10
APPENDIX A
==========
Registration
------------
Starting with version 2.00, PrinterBUDDY is being distributed as
SHAREWARE. This method of distribution means that you may
evaluate PrinterBUDDY for a reasonable period of time. (I'll
leave the "reasonable" part up to you.) If you find that
PrinterBUDDY meets your needs and you continue to use it, please
license your copy by registering it. (See REGISTER.FRM) If you
are a commercial user, please contact me for liberal site license
terms.
The registration fee for using PrinterBUDDY is $15 US. When you
register, you will receive a printed manual and the latest
version of PrinterBUDDY and PrinterBUDDY TSR. You will also be
notified when major PrinterBUDDY upgrades are released.
Money orders or personal, certified, and traveller's checks are
accepted. Make sure the amount is in US funds although not
necessarily drawn from an US bank. If you are ordering outside
North America, please add an additional $2.00 US for shipping and
handling (even if it is being sent by registered mail).
Thankyou for your support.
11
APPENDIX B
==========
Color Chart
-----------
BACKGROUND
Black Blue Green Cyan Red Magenta Brown White
Black 0 16 32 48 64 80 96 112
Blue 1 17 33 49 65 81 97 113
Green 2 18 34 50 66 82 98 114
F Cyan 3 19 35 51 67 83 99 115
O Red 4 20 36 52 68 84 100 116
R Magenta 5 21 37 53 69 85 101 117
E Brown 6 22 38 54 70 86 102 118
G White 7 23 39 55 71 87 103 119
R Grey 8 24 40 56 72 88 104 120
O BrBlue 9 25 41 57 73 89 105 121
U BrGreen 10 26 42 58 74 90 106 122
N BrCyan 11 27 43 59 75 91 107 123
D BrRed 12 28 44 60 76 92 108 124
BrMagenta 13 29 45 61 77 93 109 125
Yellow 14 30 46 62 78 94 110 126
BrWhite 15 31 47 63 79 95 111 127
12
Appendix C
==========
Scan Code Chart
---------------
Hex Hex
Key Code Key Code
--- ---- --- ----
ESC 01 L SHIFT 2A
1 ! 02 \ | 2B
2 @ 03 Z 2C
3 # 04 X 2D
4 $ 05 C 2E
5 % 06 V 2F
6 ^ 07 B 30
7 & 08 N 31
8 * 09 M 32
9 ( 0A , < 33
0 ) 0B . > 34
- _ 0C / ? 35
+ = 0D R SHIFT 36
BKSP 0E * PRTSC 37
TAB 0F ALT 38
Q 10 SPACE 39
W 11 CAPS 3A
E 12 F1 3B
R 13 F2 3C
T 14 F3 3D
Y 15 F4 3E
U 16 F5 3F
I 17 F6 40
O 18 F7 41
P 19 F8 42
[ { 1A F9 43
] } 1B F10 44
ENTER 1C NUM 45
CTRL 1D SCROLL 46
A 1E HOME 47
S 1F UP 48
D 20 PGUP 49
F 21 GREY - 4A
G 22 LEFT 4B
H 23 CENTER 4C
J 24 RIGHT 4D
K 25 GREY + 4E
L 26 END 4F
; : 27 DOWN 50
' " 28 PGDN 51
` ~ 29 INS 52
DEL 53
13
Appendix D
==========
Decimal-Hexadecimal Conversion Chart
------------------------------------
To convert from decimal to hexadecimal, locate the particular
decimal number (0-255) you want to convert. Then read up to the
top row for the first digit and across to the first column for
the second digit. To convert from hexadecimal to decimal,
reverse the procedure. For example:
12 in decimal is equal to 0C (or C) in hexadecimal
0A (or A) in hexadecimal is equal to 10 in decimal
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F
0 0 16 32 48 64 80 96 112 128 144 160 176 192 208 224 240
1 1 17 33 49 65 81 97 113 129 145 161 177 193 209 225 241
2 2 18 34 50 66 82 98 114 130 146 162 178 194 210 226 242
3 3 19 35 51 67 83 99 115 131 147 163 179 195 211 227 243
4 4 20 36 52 68 84 100 116 132 148 164 180 196 212 228 244
5 5 21 37 53 69 85 101 117 133 149 165 181 197 213 229 245
6 6 22 38 54 70 86 102 118 134 150 166 182 198 214 230 246
7 7 23 39 55 71 87 103 119 135 151 167 183 199 215 231 247
8 8 24 40 56 72 88 104 120 136 152 168 184 200 216 232 248
9 9 25 41 57 73 89 105 121 137 153 169 185 201 217 233 249
A 10 26 42 58 74 90 106 122 138 154 170 186 202 218 234 250
B 11 27 43 59 75 91 107 123 139 155 171 187 203 219 235 251
C 12 28 44 60 76 92 108 124 140 156 172 188 204 220 236 252
D 13 29 45 61 77 93 109 125 141 157 173 189 205 221 237 253
E 14 30 46 62 78 94 110 126 142 158 174 190 206 222 238 254
F 15 31 47 63 79 95 111 127 143 159 175 191 207 223 239 255
14
