dbaseIII Printing 1

[Saratoga]

I recently converted to a HP750 printer which uses USB (DOT4 002) instead of LPT1 as the printer port. How do I print to it from dbaseIII which expects an LPT or COM port?

 

[MiggyD]

Have you tried to capture the port?

Also, when you installed the printer double check that you had indicated that the printer will be used to print DOS programs.

 

[Saratoga]

The driver does not ask if a DOS program will use the printer.

The printer will not allow capture of the USB port (DOT4 001) by LPT1.

My best bet appears to be to use the SET ALTERNATE command to record a text file and then to list it in EXCEL of some other Windows program. I will have to convert all @SAY commands to ? or? ? commands or SET ALTERNATE will not record them on the text file.

There must be some way in WINDOWS 98 to redirect all LPT1 outputs to a file instead, but I haven't found it.

 

[MiggyD]

As for a "quick" fix, you might want to try using notepad to print out the file. After the SET ALTERNATE OFF add:

! "notepad.exe /p " + [text filename you just made]

This should activate NotePad and print the file to the defaulted printer (if that is what your HP750 printer is) with a few modifications to textual placement.

Just as a note, Notepad prints headers and footers. If you had a NT3/4 OS I can tell you that it is in the registry. However, you mentioned a Win98 OS...I'm not sure if there's a way to block/change the hearder/footers on it, let alone where to find it.

I'm curious, did you use an installation disk? or
did you click on ADD A PRINTER?

You may want to attemp uninstalling the printer and using the Window's ADD A PRINTER to re-install it or create a second copy of it and fiddle around with the second copy.

--MiggyD

 

[Saratoga]

I did use the installation disk for the HP750 Scan/Print/Copy unit.

I don't mind header and footer information on the printout - It's for my own use.

Thanks for your help!

 

[MiggyD]

Sooo?? it worked?

The Notepade /p (filename) thing?

-MiggyD

 

[Schweiger]

Check the following site

http://www.dse.nl/~tmk/clipper/clpwinprint.htm

hope this helps
Andreas

 

[Saratoga]

Sorry, the !Notepad did not work. I converted to ? and ?? and SET ALTERNATE. I opened Word and printed through that.

 

[MiggyD]

Ok I found this from an old file I made years ago. You should get two(2) print outs. If so, you should be able to get Notepad to work (unless you have already resolved the situation !OR! you don't opening word and printing from it.)

try this:


*---------------------------------------------------------------*
*-- Pc MD: Property Contact Management Database --*
*---------------------------------------------------------------*
* ---[Creation Information]--- *
* for: Bldg Insp Dept of North Smithfield Module: MAIN MENU *
* by: Mig Ver: 2.2 *
* modified: 10/05/97 Enviornment: dBASE 3+ *
*---------------------------------------------------------------*
SET TALK OFF
SET ECHO OFF
SET STATUS OFF
SET CONFIRM OFF
SET CENTURY ON
SET BELL OFF
SET TYPEAHEAD TO 50

*** ENVIRO. VARIABLES ***
PUBLIC TAXNO
PUBLIC AUTOPASS
TAXNO = "c:\TestVar.Txt"

*** MAIN PROGRAM ***
* this file printed in DBASE dir.
set alternate to TestMe.Txt
set alternate on
clear
? "This is only a test to check on printing with notepad"
? "See if this works"
?
? "--MiggyD"
set alternate off
close all
! notepad /p TestMe.Txt

*** MAIN PROGRAM Part 2***
* this file printed in ROOT dir.
set alternate to &Taxno
set alternate on
clear
? "This is to test the variable that contains the filename"
? "is actually passed in to the RUN command after this is"
? "recorded."
?
? "--MiggyD"
set alternate off
close all
! notepad /p &taxno

RETURN


--Note: you should have two files (somewhere on your drive)--My machine is ME and one file was in DBASE dir and the second one was in the root dir. I've indicated which one above.

Just try it and see if this works. If it still doesn't work, well I'm at a loss. You could try using WinExplorer and check "File Types" for TXT and see if NotePad is the default for OPEN and PRINT commands.

Good luck and Let us know the results.
--MiggyD

 

[MiggyD]

PS: Windows ME, HP DeskJet 540 on USB Port connection set as default printer.

 

[rjgmg]

FYI "Cannot print from DOS on USB cable."

I had the same problem with an Epson Photo 785EPX, which someone replaced my old printer with when I was out of the office...

I seem to have succeeded in redirecting output from LPT1 to the epson printer through "net use lpt1 \\server\epson /persistent:yes" and the computer was sending SOMETHING to the printer (it moved around and acted like it is going to print) but nothing came out. So, it seemed I was close, but I couldn't get any further. I wrote Epson support to see if there was something about this particular printer that was preventing it from accepting this redirected data.

Response:
"The program that you are trying print from is a DOS based application. Your printer is unable to print from DOS based applications due to the ESC/P raster printer language that is used by your printer. Epson offers a number of printers that are DOS compatible."

Thanks a lot. (You'll have a hard time finding out whether or not a given new printer can print from DOS, even from the manufacturer). So it seems in some cases redirection is not possible anymore, unless there is also code to translate from one printer language to another?

RJGMG