’m trying out the latest version 1/10/16, previous versions have worked fine.
One of two print programs are used, namely, DOSPrinter and Printfil. For DOSPrinter, VDOS setup contains for example LPT3 = /SEL '\NESRV1\OKI C830(PCL)' /RAW I’ve not tried a PC with DOSPrinter yet.
VDOS Setup for Printfil sets LPT1 through 4 to dummy, then when an appropriate .asc or ,txt file appears, it’s printed out. The current VDOS defaults to a printer selection window, on a PC using Printfil, without any interaction results in two printouts. (Presumably one from the default widows printer, one from Printfil, the format/font of each print differs) The only way I’ve found to stop the printer section window appearing is to set LPT1 = :SEL \NESRV1\Kyocera FS-2100DN (a networked windows printer) instead of LPT1 = DUMMY, however this still results in two printouts! I note the SEL command has changed from /SEL to :SEL, how is the RAW command invoked.
I’m probably just missing something
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DOSPrinter:
Up to version 2016.06.01 this was the default printprocessor. You could use LPT3 = /SEL…, vDos would add some (missing) default options to the DOSPrinter command line and then start it. Since DOSPrinter isn’t the default anymore, you explicitly have to tell vDos to start that. See Printing.pdf.
PrintFil:
If DUMMY is set, vDos will only generate the .ASC and .TXT files. Mind, they have the same he content, the .ASC is ASCII based (to be monitored by PrintFil, expecting this), The .TXTone is the Unicode variant (to be opened by some Windows program).
For the new printing options, read the Printing.pdf document. vDos 2016.10.01 came with some ‘silent’ updates the first days. Eventually download and reinstall vDos if you missed those.
Of course it is recommended to use the new internal printprocessor, it's internal…
Jos
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Thanks Jos, I'll download a 'fresh' copy at work tomorrow. Printfil is something we've used for years, it does some tricks to do with file copying/renaming/moving and PDF printing. To produce just the .txt and .asc files is there anyway of stopping the printer select option appearing (assuming the LPT's are all = dummy) ?
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I suppose the Print selection dialog with the DUMMY option will be solved by a fresh download and install. At least I couldn’t reconstruct this behavior with the ‘final’ release.
Downloaded latest version – problem still exists.
In Config.txt, LPT1 to 4 set to = DUMMY
As soon as a file is selected for printing, a print setup box is overlaid on the VDOS window, the selected file is printed out by Printfil in the normal way, the print setup box remains till cancelled.
In Config, if used LPT is changed from DUMMY to SEL: ‘a windows printer’, the Print setup box does not appear, however, as you would expect, two printouts are produced, one from the Windows printer, the other from Printfil.
Creating two LPT1 commands e.g a SEL: command and later in Config.txt, a DUMMY command, results in a ‘No options allowed with DUMMY’ and a ‘Option specified more than once’ (as you would expect)
A networked PC, running Windows 7 32 bit Professional, the printers are networked.
A NET USE LPT command exists in the Autoexec.txt file for each printer
VDOS 1/11/2015 works fine with the same PC/settings
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I downloaded vDosSetup myself and installed vDos: No printer selection dialogs if LPTx is set to DUMMY. Are you sure you started the newly installed vDos.exe, dated 10-10-2016, not the previous one?
NET USE LPT has no meaning in vDos/4DOS, It will only generate a Unknown command "net" error.
Jos
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i've just downloaded VDOS 10/10/16 again and installed it on a windows 10 PC. Config.txt contains LPT1 = DUMMY. Within the running application, when a spooled print file is selected for printing, the Print set up box appears
Rename the shortcut to Sage – test, so you can easily verify you’re using the correct vDos.exe. Add the commands to start your application to autoexec.txt, and test if you get the printer selection dialog. If so, please post the vDos.log file again.
Jos
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Jos, I can reproduce this problem when the following two things are true:
LPT1 = DUMMY in config.txt
The application is set to output PCL data
I experimented with the WordPerfect ED.EXE program. When I set the printer driver in ED.EXE to "Generic" (i.e., plain text only), then the printer-selection dialog did NOT pop up. When I set the printer driver in ED.EXE to one of the HPLJ... drivers, the printer-selection dialog popped up.
I could not reproduce the problem in any DOS application that prints by sending plain text. In all such cases, the printer-selection dialog did not pop up.
Last edit: Edward Mendelson 2016-11-24
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If I choose the CANON printer driver in ED.EXE, then the printer-selection dialog DOES pop up. I don't know anything about the Canon printer language, but it looks a little bit like PCL.
If I choose EPSON, DIABLO, IBMPROPR, TOSHIBA, POSTSCR, etc., then the printer selection dialog does NOT pop up.
I've attached a copy of #LPT1.TXT created with the Canon driver.
I get the same result when copying PCL output. Will be a matter of priority testing what to do with the printers output, I’ll look into that and send Alan a corrected version.
Jos
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Just in case it has any relevance, the printer command string on LPT1
Starts 27 38 107 50 83 Ends 27 69, however nothing has been changed in the printer definition file in years!
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Problem found, the =DUMMY directive is essentially tested too late in the processing sequence, after the internal print processor already got it.
I’ll send you a fixed vDos.exe.
Jos
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Thanks Jos, i've dowloaded it, no sign of the Printer setup box! Thank you
I.m off on holiday for 10 days, so i'll not be able to test it in my work environment for a while
Thanks again.
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’m trying out the latest version 1/10/16, previous versions have worked fine.
One of two print programs are used, namely, DOSPrinter and Printfil. For DOSPrinter, VDOS setup contains for example LPT3 = /SEL '\NESRV1\OKI C830(PCL)' /RAW I’ve not tried a PC with DOSPrinter yet.
VDOS Setup for Printfil sets LPT1 through 4 to dummy, then when an appropriate .asc or ,txt file appears, it’s printed out. The current VDOS defaults to a printer selection window, on a PC using Printfil, without any interaction results in two printouts. (Presumably one from the default widows printer, one from Printfil, the format/font of each print differs) The only way I’ve found to stop the printer section window appearing is to set LPT1 = :SEL \NESRV1\Kyocera FS-2100DN (a networked windows printer) instead of LPT1 = DUMMY, however this still results in two printouts! I note the SEL command has changed from /SEL to :SEL, how is the RAW command invoked.
I’m probably just missing something
DOSPrinter:
Up to version 2016.06.01 this was the default printprocessor. You could use LPT3 = /SEL…, vDos would add some (missing) default options to the DOSPrinter command line and then start it. Since DOSPrinter isn’t the default anymore, you explicitly have to tell vDos to start that. See Printing.pdf.
PrintFil:
If DUMMY is set, vDos will only generate the .ASC and .TXT files. Mind, they have the same he content, the .ASC is ASCII based (to be monitored by PrintFil, expecting this), The .TXTone is the Unicode variant (to be opened by some Windows program).
For the new printing options, read the Printing.pdf document. vDos 2016.10.01 came with some ‘silent’ updates the first days. Eventually download and reinstall vDos if you missed those.
Of course it is recommended to use the new internal printprocessor, it's internal…
Jos
Thanks Jos, I'll download a 'fresh' copy at work tomorrow. Printfil is something we've used for years, it does some tricks to do with file copying/renaming/moving and PDF printing. To produce just the .txt and .asc files is there anyway of stopping the printer select option appearing (assuming the LPT's are all = dummy) ?
I suppose the Print selection dialog with the DUMMY option will be solved by a fresh download and install. At least I couldn’t reconstruct this behavior with the ‘final’ release.
If you’re in generating (automated) high quality PDF files and printing, perhaps this will help: https://sourceforge.net/p/vdos/discussion/printing/thread/932cdf0f/#9959
Jos
Downloaded latest version – problem still exists.
In Config.txt, LPT1 to 4 set to = DUMMY
As soon as a file is selected for printing, a print setup box is overlaid on the VDOS window, the selected file is printed out by Printfil in the normal way, the print setup box remains till cancelled.
In Config, if used LPT is changed from DUMMY to SEL: ‘a windows printer’, the Print setup box does not appear, however, as you would expect, two printouts are produced, one from the Windows printer, the other from Printfil.
Creating two LPT1 commands e.g a SEL: command and later in Config.txt, a DUMMY command, results in a ‘No options allowed with DUMMY’ and a ‘Option specified more than once’ (as you would expect)
A networked PC, running Windows 7 32 bit Professional, the printers are networked.
A NET USE LPT command exists in the Autoexec.txt file for each printer
VDOS 1/11/2015 works fine with the same PC/settings
I downloaded vDosSetup myself and installed vDos: No printer selection dialogs if LPTx is set to DUMMY. Are you sure you started the newly installed vDos.exe, dated 10-10-2016, not the previous one?
NET USE LPT has no meaning in vDos/4DOS, It will only generate a Unknown command "net" error.
Jos
i've just downloaded VDOS 10/10/16 again and installed it on a windows 10 PC. Config.txt contains LPT1 = DUMMY. Within the running application, when a spooled print file is selected for printing, the Print set up box appears
Mystifying, could you:
Jos
No setup printer box
LPT file
OK,
Rename the shortcut to Sage – test, so you can easily verify you’re using the correct vDos.exe. Add the commands to start your application to autoexec.txt, and test if you get the printer selection dialog. If so, please post the vDos.log file again.
Jos
Jos, I can reproduce this problem when the following two things are true:
I experimented with the WordPerfect ED.EXE program. When I set the printer driver in ED.EXE to "Generic" (i.e., plain text only), then the printer-selection dialog did NOT pop up. When I set the printer driver in ED.EXE to one of the HPLJ... drivers, the printer-selection dialog popped up.
I could not reproduce the problem in any DOS application that prints by sending plain text. In all such cases, the printer-selection dialog did not pop up.
Last edit: Edward Mendelson 2016-11-24
Also, to continue:
If I choose the CANON printer driver in ED.EXE, then the printer-selection dialog DOES pop up. I don't know anything about the Canon printer language, but it looks a little bit like PCL.
If I choose EPSON, DIABLO, IBMPROPR, TOSHIBA, POSTSCR, etc., then the printer selection dialog does NOT pop up.
I've attached a copy of #LPT1.TXT created with the Canon driver.
Last edit: Edward Mendelson 2016-11-24
Thank you Edward, that will solve this mystery.
I get the same result when copying PCL output. Will be a matter of priority testing what to do with the printers output, I’ll look into that and send Alan a corrected version.
Jos
Setup printer box did appear and I printed from it.OK
Just in case it has any relevance, the printer command string on LPT1
Starts 27 38 107 50 83 Ends 27 69, however nothing has been changed in the printer definition file in years!
Problem found, the =DUMMY directive is essentially tested too late in the processing sequence, after the internal print processor already got it.
I’ll send you a fixed vDos.exe.
Jos
Thanks Jos, i've dowloaded it, no sign of the Printer setup box! Thank you
I.m off on holiday for 10 days, so i'll not be able to test it in my work environment for a while
Thanks again.