Lprint and printers

 BBS: Inland Empire Archive
Date: 07-02-92 (13:41)             Number: 2095
From: TOM HAMMOND                  Refer#: NONE
  To: BILL CAMPBELL                 Recvd: NO  
Subj: Lprint and printers            Conf: (2) Quik_Bas

BC>Problem 1)
BC>I want to trap for a device error (aka the printer is off-line) before my
BC>program executes an Lprint command.


    DECLARE SUB PrinterCheck ()     ' Revised: 12/10/91

    CALL PrinterCheck

SUB PrinterCheck
    DEF SEG = 0
    LPT% = 1     ' Use '1' for LPT1 and '2' for LPT2
    Port% = PEEK(1030 + (2 * LPT%)) + (256 * PEEK(1031 + (2 * LPT%)))
    Status% = INP(Port% + 1)
DO WHILE NOT Status% AND 8
    CLS
    SOUND 600, 1
    SOUND 800, 1
    SOUND 1000, 1
    LOCATE 11, 32
    PRINT "Printer NOT READY"
    LOCATE 13, 25
    PRINT "Set printer ON-LINE or TURN ON"
    SLEEP 2
    CLS
    Status% = INP(Port% + 1)
LOOP
    CLS
    DEF SEG
END SUB

-----------8<-------- Clip Here -----------8<---------------

or

-----------8<-------- Clip Here -----------8<---------------

    DECLARE SUB PrinterCheck (PrinterStatus%)    'Last touched: 03/04/92

    Call PrinterCheck(PrinterStatus%)

    IF NOT PrinterStatus% THEN
        PRINT "Printer is OFF-LINE and you decided to leave it that way"
    ELSEIF PrinterStatus% = -1
        PRINT "Printer was NOT OFF-LINE when tested"
    ELSEIF PrinterStatus% = 1
        PRINT "Printer was OFF-LINE when tested but is ON-LINE now!"
    ELSE
        PRINT "Unspecified printer error"
        STOP
    END IF

    STOP

SUB PrinterCheck (PrinterStatus%)
    'Returns:  0 if printer is OFF-LINE and you want it that way
    '         -1 if printer is ON-LINE and was NOT off-line when tested
    '          1 if printer is ON-LINE but WAS off-line when tested
    DEF SEG = 0
    LPT = 1' USE LPT=1 FOR LPT1 AND LPT=2 FOR LPT2
    PORT% = PEEK(1030 + (2 * LPT)) + 256 * PEEK(1031 + (2 * LPT))
    PrinterStatus% = -1
PRINTER.STATUS.CHECK:
    Status% = INP(PORT% + 1)
    IF Status% AND 8 THEN
        DEF SEG
        EXIT SUB
    ELSE
        IF PrinterStatus% = -1 THEN CLS
        PrinterStatus% = 1
    END IF
    AbortPrint$ = INKEY$
    IF AbortPrint$ = CHR$(27) THEN
        PrinterStatus% = 0
        EXIT SUB
    END IF
    LOCATE 9, 32
    Txt$ = "Printer {NOT READY}"
    CALL ScrnCtr
    LOCATE 12, 25
    Txt$ = "Set printer {ON-LINE} or {TURN ON}"
    CALL ScrnCtr
    LOCATE 14, 1
    Txt$ = "or press <Esc> to abort the print request"
    CALL ScrnCtr
    FOR I% = 440 TO 880 STEP 20: SOUND I%, .1: NEXT
    FOR I% = 880 TO 440 STEP -20: SOUND I%, .1: NEXT
    LOCATE 9, 32
    PRINT SPACE$(17)
    GOTO PRINTER.STATUS.CHECK
END SUB

-----------8<-------- Clip Here -----------8<---------------

BC>and Problem 2)
BC>I want to Lprint a string but have it underlined.

Assuming your printer uses standard EPSON/IBM control codes:

Text$ = "This is printing test"
LPRINT CHR$(27);CHR$(45);CHR$(1);Text$;CHR$(27);CHR$(45);CHR$(0)
       ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
             Underlining ON                 Underlining OFF

Good luck

Tom Hammond              N0SS
---
 þ SLMR 2.1 þ We all live in a yellow subroutine.


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