Print Text File in NW 3.12?

Question

I have to admit some ignorance regarding NetWare printing, so my
apologies in advance...
I work for a document management company, and am trying to find a
solution for a customer running a fairly archaic, DOS 6.22-based
application that utilizes a NetWare 3.12 server for file and print
services. My need is to retrieve print output from their application,
in the form of a text file, and then reprocess it for automated faxing
through a fax server device.
My problem is this: their application seems to print directly to a
printer by defining what it calls a "network port" (which seems to map
to a spooler, 0 through 5) or LPT1, and by referencing a printer
definition. As far as I can tell, the files that are deposited in the
print queue are byte streams, i.e., they're not human-readable (they
have extra characters that I'm assuming are control characters). They
therefore aren't usable by my print distribution software.
I've tried using CAPTURE to send to a text file, but the application
seems to conflict with the command. If I set CAPTURE, then start the
application and send a job to LPT1, the application returns an error
that the printer is unavailable. Upon exiting the application the port
is no longer being captured (although I've tried all of the options I
can think of to keep it so). Oddly enough, the application does
successfully print a text file to LPT2 (for a barcode printer), which
is CAPTUREd via a command in the system autoexec.bat. This is done a
different part of the application.
If anyone can help me figure out a way to generate a text file in this
environment, or to work with the print file that's currently being sent
to the queue (e.g, can it be translated somehow to a simple text file?),
that would be much, much appreciated. This customer is in a tight spot,
with an unsupported application that they can't presently afford to
upgrade. My solution would save them enough money over time to replace
the system.
Again, thanks in advance for any help!
wynand32

Answer 1

If the Dos app has no print drivers included, then indeed it is relying
on NW and PRINTDEF/PRINTCON to do the formatting stuff. That must have
already been set up for it to be successfully printing now, it's just a
matter of adding a definition that doesn't do anything to the print text.
>In fact, given my ignorance of the NetWare environment, I'm not sure
how the term "driver" even applies, unless it would refer to the
printer definition.
I was referring to a driver within the Dos app, nothing to do with
NetWare. For instance Word Perfect for Dos came with Dos drivers for all
sorts of printers, one of which was a generic text driver.
>I wonder: is there a setting in PRINTDEF that could be changed for one
of the printer configs that would influence the output? Or, would
PRINTCON apply in this environment?
Not supplied, AFAICS, but either one of the simpler print drivers
supplied such as Diablo will do, or you'd need to set one up. Hopefully
http://www.novell.com/documentation/...a/fm19724.html
will help you enough as it's been too long since I did it to remember
the details.
Andrew C Taubman
Novell Support Forums Volunteer SysOp
http://support.novell.com/forums
(Sorry, support is not provided via e-mail)
Opinions expressed above are not
necessarily those of Novell Inc.