Printing to a Printer

[John Ritter]

OK. I get it. Been spending way too many hours on this but GC can't directly print to a printer on Linux. Disappointing, as I look to convert 35 year old RM/COBOL programs that used a simple "ASSIGN TO PRINT "PRINTER". That's all that was needed to magically send to the lp command.

But I can't find any explicit step-by-step examples. All I've found is basically 'send to a text file, then call SYSTEM to print the text file.' But what happens when a bunch of people are printing to that same text file? The only recourse I see is to CALL C$GETPID and create a dynamic output file name.

Is there a short (ha!) COBOL example program that just sends "Hello World!" to a printer?

[Vincent (Bryan) Coen]

Under Linux the normal method is to use the default spooler, cups.

You assign a command using variable starting with lpr ending with the
name of the spooler / printer.
In between is the configuration for font, size, margins etc..

For the assign use ASSIGN "temp-print-name" and I use by habit "prt-1",
"prt-2" when use lpr with that file name with such a command as : -

>  Landscape
 01  Print-Report.
     03  filler          pic x(117)     value
     "lpr -r -o 'orientation-requested=4 page-left=21 page-top=48 " &
     "page-right=10 sides=two-sided-long-edge cpi=12 lpi=8' -P ".
     03  PSN             pic x(48)      value "Smart_Tank_7300 ".  >
This is the Cups print spool, change it for yours
     03  PP-Name         pic x(24)      value "prt-1". > Don't change
this line 18/02/23 was X(15)
>

Changing PSN for the spool name
    and PP-Name for the one used in the assign

Then issue it using :

call     "SYSTEM" using print-report.

Having ensured you actually have o/p to it first as it save wasting a
sheet of paper..

The above example is for landscape printing  but for portrait I use :

>
> 2023/02/18 vbc - Added PP-Name and Print-File-Name - Portrait
>
 01  Print-Report.
     03  filler          pic x(117)     value
     "lpr -r -o 'orientation-requested=3 page-left=36 page-top=24 " &
     "page-right=24 sides=two-sided-long-edge cpi=12 lpi=8' -P ".
     03  PSN             pic x(48)      value "Smart_Tank_7300 ".  >
This is the Cups print spool, change it for yours
     03  PP-Name         pic x(24)      value "prt-1". > Don't change
this line 2023-02-18 chngd from 15
>

PP-Name need to be large enough for any names you create.
PSN  "Should" be large enough already.

On 08/04/2024 23:16, John Ritter wrote:

OK. I get it. Been spending way too many hours on this but GC can't
directly print to a printer on Linux. Disappointing, as I look to
convert 35 year old RM/COBOL programs that used a simple "ASSIGN TO
PRINT "PRINTER". That's all that was needed to magically send to the
lp command.

But I can't find any explicit step-by-step examples. All I've found is
basically 'send to a text file, then call SYSTEM to print the text
file.' But what happens when a bunch of people are printing to that
same text file? The only recourse I see is to CALL C$GETPID and create
a dynamic output file name.

Is there a short (ha!) COBOL example program that just sends "Hello
World!" to a printer?

[John Ritter]

I did something similar, but my "Print-Report" name includes a process ID number so I don't have to worry about 2 users writing to the same file at the same time. I also have been using enscript instead of either lp or lpr because enscript recognizes a ENSCRIPT environment variable that each user can set to what they want. I don't know of such options for lp or lpr. Somebody might want a bigger font, or landscape vs. portrait and they can set it individually. Enscript doesn't seem to understand many CUPS options like you use, but fortunately I'm not there yet.

[Vincent (Bryan) Coen]

On 09/04/2024 01:58, John Ritter wrote:

I did something similar, but my "Print-Report" name includes a process
ID number so I don't have to worry about 2 users writing to the same
file at the same time. I also have been using enscript instead of
either lp or lpr because enscript recognizes a ENSCRIPT environment
variable that each user can set to what they want. I don't know of
such options for lp or lpr. Somebody might want a bigger font, or
landscape vs. portrait and they can set it individually. Enscript
doesn't seem to understand many CUPS options like you use, but
fortunately I'm not there yet.

I have a script that runs against the lpt-xx file that produces a pdf
file that in turn then prints if needed - see below for a sample :

13/12/2018 vbc - Tested with Mageia v6 X64 and Raspberry Pi 3B+

using its standard Debian Linux build.

enscript --quiet  --no-header -h -L 60 --font=Courier8@8/8 --landscape
--margins=30:30:10:10 -M A4 -p - logbook.rpt | ps2pdf14 - logbook.pdf
exit 0

This one is for my pilots flight logging program.

[Jack Tearle]

Since this is your problem and not mine, have you tried:
SELECT PRINT-FILE ASSIGN TO "|lp -dqueue_name".

  IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
   PROGRAM-ID. TESTPRT.
   ENVIRONMENT DIVISION.
   INPUT-OUTPUT SECTION.
   FILE-CONTROL.
   select print-file assign to printer "|lp -s -dLexmark_MS315dn".
   DATA DIVISION.
   FILE SECTION.
   FD print-file
   data record is prnt-line .
   01  prnt-line pic x(80).
   WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
   PROCEDURE DIVISION.
   SOJ.
      open output print-file
      write prnt-line from "ABBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB"
      close print-file
      stop run.

[Mickey White]

I also tried this program. It writes a file with the name in quotes as the file name and the data is in that file.
But the lp command works as a command line of: echo "asdfasdfasdf" |lp -2 -dHPprintername

[John Ritter]

Thanks, but that was about the third or fourth experiment, and no, it doesn't work. I'm sticking to my original method.

[Jack Tearle]

I changed the select line:
select print-file assign to '/dev/stdout'
and changed the execution to ./testprt |lp -ddestination

[Mickey White]

That works! much like display from sysout, but more control....

[Mickey White]

I may fiddle around with other options, perhaps, COB_DISPLAY_PRINT_PIPE and other environment variables... I will put on my projects to do list ! now .... back to work !