Getting Started with dBASE - print issue w/ dBase III

Author

print issue w/ dBase III

Jerry Mayer

2005-07-15, 8:23 pm

I have 2 Epson LQ590's hooked up to LPT ports 2 & 3 and an HP laser printer
on port 1 for printing invoices. OS is XP Pro. When I print shipping labels
to LPT2 or part number labels to LPT3, the last line of the label doesn't
print until the next print command is issued to that printer. It doesn't
matter if it's 1 or several lables. Does this sound like a print buffer
issue with the printer or is there a command to force it to print the entire
label? I've turned off the buffer in the XP printer properties & set it to
print direct, with no change in the result, but since this is a dos based
program, it may be ignoring that anyhow. :)

Jerry

Marilyn Price

2005-07-16, 7:23 am

In article <HZL$ZHYiFHA.444@news-server>, jmayer@comptroub.com says...
> I have 2 Epson LQ590's hooked up to LPT ports 2 & 3 and an HP laser printer
> on port 1 for printing invoices. OS is XP Pro. When I print shipping labels
> to LPT2 or part number labels to LPT3, the last line of the label doesn't
> print until the next print command is issued to that printer. It doesn't
> matter if it's 1 or several lables. Does this sound like a print buffer
> issue with the printer or is there a command to force it to print the entire
> label? I've turned off the buffer in the XP printer properties & set it to
> print direct, with no change in the result, but since this is a dos based
> program, it may be ignoring that anyhow. :)
>

Verify you're closing the print queue within dBase by either changing
the printer port (back to lpt1, for example), setting print off, or
setting display back to screen, depending on how you're printing.

If this doesn't help, show us a sample of how you're printing.

--
Marilyn Price
M. P. Data

Jerry Mayer

2005-07-16, 11:23 am

Hi Marilyn ...

Thanks for your reply ... I'm a real rookie at dBase & the person I had
write this program is long gone. :) After re-reading my post, I left out an
important item, the original setup was with W98se & Epson LQ570 printers &
worked fine. I just upgraded to XP & the 2 new printers at the same time.
Just to see what if, last night I installed one of the old 570's & the
entire lable prints fine. Do I need to tell dBase somewhere that I'm using a
new printer, or does it get this info from Windows? At any rate here's a
copy/paste (from Notepad if the display format comes out funky looking ) of
the print routine:

CLEAR
SET PRINTER TO LPT2
SELECT 1
USE CUSTOMER INDEX CUSTOMER
SELECT 2
USE INVHDR INDEX INVHDR
SELECT INVHDR
GO BOTT
STORE Invnum TO inv1,inv2
STORE CHR(27)+"P" TO cpi10
STORE CHR(27)+"M" TO cpi12
STORE CHR(27)+"g" TO cpi15
OK=.T.
CLEAR
@5,5 SAY "Print from Invoice:" GET M->inv1 PICTURE "9999"
*@6,5 SAY " to Invoice:" GET M->inv2 PICTURE "9999"
READ
@8,5 SAY "Hit any key to continue,"
WAIT " or hit 'X' to return to menu" TO anykey
IF UPPER(anykey) # "X"
SEEK M->inv1
SET DEVICE TO PRINT
SET CONSOLE OFF
@PROW(),0 SAY M->cpi12
@PROW()+6,45 SAY INVHDR->Ordernum
@PROW()+1,45 SAY INVHDR->PO2
@PROW()+1,20 SAY INVHDR->Contact
@PROW()+1,20 SAY INVHDR->Shipcomp
@PROW()+1,20 SAY INVHDR->Shipadr1
@PROW()+1,20 SAY INVHDR->Shipadr2
@PROW()+1,20 SAY INVHDR->Shipadr3
@PROW()+2,12 SAY INVHDR->Special
@PROW()+1,9 SAY INVHDR->Shipnote
@PROW()+0,0 SAY " "
SET DEVICE TO SCREEN
SET CONSOLE ON
ENDIF
SET PRINTER TO LPT1
RETURN
-------------
Thanks again,
Jerry

"Marilyn Price" <mprice@tri_con.net> wrote in message
news:MPG. 1d42c12fda951c169896
ba@news.dbase.com...
> In article <HZL$ZHYiFHA.444@news-server>, jmayer@comptroub.com says...
printer[color=darkre
d]
labels[color=darkred
]
doesn't[color=darkre
d]
entire[color=darkred
]
to[color=darkred]
based[color=darkred]

>
> Verify you're closing the print queue within dBase by either changing
> the printer port (back to lpt1, for example), setting print off, or
> setting display back to screen, depending on how you're printing.
>
> If this doesn't help, show us a sample of how you're printing.
>
> --
> Marilyn Price
> M. P. Data

Marilyn Price

2005-07-17, 11:23 am

In article <6PSyt7hiFHA.1812@news-server>, jmayer@comptroub.com says...
> Hi Marilyn ...
>
> Thanks for your reply ... I'm a real rookie at dBase & the person I had
> write this program is long gone. :) After re-reading my post, I left out an
> important item, the original setup was with W98se & Epson LQ570 printers &
> worked fine. I just upgraded to XP & the 2 new printers at the same time.
> Just to see what if, last night I installed one of the old 570's & the
> entire lable prints fine. Do I need to tell dBase somewhere that I'm using a
> new printer, or does it get this info from Windows?

Your code looks reasonable. The fact that the old 570 behaves under XP
the same as it did under Win98 sort of points the finger at the new
printers.

I don't know what the difference is. Usually, if a printer behaves
differently with a DOS based program (like dBASE III), then it just
plain doesn't print at all. There are a bunch of printers out there now
that are Windows only printers and there's NO way to get them to print
from DOS.

No, you don't need to tell dBase that you're using a new printer. dBase
III doesn't know anything about printer drivers or about Windows. It
was replaced long before Windows even came on the scene.

Sorry. But I don't have any other help for you. Perhaps someone else
will jump in with a suggestion.

--
Marilyn Price
M. P. Data

Jerry Mayer

2005-07-22, 11:23 am

Thanks again Marilyn. I was able to get the printer's buffer turned off thru
a remote configuration progam that was on the Epson CD, but no change in
behavior. If I hit the LF (line feed) button on the printer, it finishes the
label?! Also loaded a DOS GW basic app & works fine, so printer must be
ignoring/holding some final print command from dBase. At least I found a
workaround for now.
Jerry

"Marilyn Price" <mprice@tri_con.net> wrote in message
news:MPG. 1d444493ff8d46d9896b
b@news.dbase.com...
> In article <6PSyt7hiFHA.1812@news-server>, jmayer@comptroub.com says...
out an[color=darkred]
&[color=darkred]
time.[color=darkred]
using a[color=darkred]
>
> Your code looks reasonable. The fact that the old 570 behaves under XP
> the same as it did under Win98 sort of points the finger at the new
> printers.
>
> I don't know what the difference is. Usually, if a printer behaves
> differently with a DOS based program (like dBASE III), then it just
> plain doesn't print at all. There are a bunch of printers out there now
> that are Windows only printers and there's NO way to get them to print
> from DOS.
>
> No, you don't need to tell dBase that you're using a new printer. dBase
> III doesn't know anything about printer drivers or about Windows. It
> was replaced long before Windows even came on the scene.
>
> Sorry. But I don't have any other help for you. Perhaps someone else
> will jump in with a suggestion.
>
> --
> Marilyn Price
> M. P. Data

Marilyn Price

2005-07-23, 9:23 am

In article <fDCEGttjFHA.1528@news-server>, jmayer@comptroub.com says...
> Thanks again Marilyn. I was able to get the printer's buffer turned off thru
> a remote configuration progam that was on the Epson CD, but no change in
> behavior. If I hit the LF (line feed) button on the printer, it finishes the
> label?! Also loaded a DOS GW basic app & works fine, so printer must be
> ignoring/holding some final print command from dBase. At least I found a
> workaround for now.
>

Strange. At least you got something to work. Thanks for letting us
know!

--
Marilyn Price
M. P. Data

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