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- [from VOL6N21.ARC (PC Magazine, Nov? 87
- Downloaded from SEMPER BBS, Fayetteville NC, 10 Dec 87
- David Kirschbaum
- Toad Hall
- ]
- PRN2FILE
- Command
-
- Tom Kihlken 1987/No. 22 (Utilities)
-
-
- Purpose: Captures any output nominally directed to a printer to a file
- that can then be edited by a word processor or printed later.
-
- Format: PRN2FILE [d:][path]filename [/Pn] [/Bn] [/U]
-
- Remarks: PRN2FILE is a memory resident program that is normally loaded
- as part of your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. It should be installed before other print
- utilities, such as a print spooler or the DOS MODE command. Once installed,
- the program may be run multiple times to change the filename (the drive and
- path default to the current directory unless specified) designated to receive
- the printer output.
-
- Unless the filename is changed, successive print operations are
- appended to (rather than overwrite) the created file. To disable the printer
- output redirection, simply omit to specify a filename.
-
- The optional /Pn parameter designates the printer number (the default
- is LPT1) to be redirected. Note that output to a non-existent printer (/P2
- in a one-printer system) is supported. This is another way to permit normal
- printing while PRN2FILE remains resident. Legal values for Pn range from 1
- through 3.
-
- The optional /Bn parameter sets the buffer size. The default value is
- 4096 bytes, and values up to 64K may be specified. The buffer repeatedly
- empties when partially full in order to minimize the chance of buffer
- overflow even when DOS may be called on for other activities than writing the
- buffer to disk. Should buffer overflow occur an error message is produced,
- but some data will be lost, so the file should be re-written using a larger
- buffer.
-
- The optional /U parameter is used to unload PRN2FILE from memory. If
- other memory-resident utilities have been loaded after PRN2FILE and have
- chained onto the same interrupts, it will not be possible to unload the
- program, and a message to this effect will be displayed.
-
- All optional parameters may be entered in any order, but must each be
- separated by a single space character that acts as a delimiter.