NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #31/NN_1992_31.iso/spool/alt/lang/basic/973

Text File | 1992-12-21 | 2.0 KB | 46 lines

Newsgroups: alt.lang.basic
Path: sparky!uunet!spool.mu.edu!agate!ames!network.ucsd.edu!munnari.oz.au!bunyip.cc.uq.oz.au!qdpii!ianst
From: [e-mail] (Ian Staples)
Subject: Re: Has PRINT been used yet?
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Organization: Qld Dept Primary Industries
References: <[e-mail]>
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1992 08:46:24 GMT
Lines: 35

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] writes:
>This might be more an MS/DOS question, but I'll post it here, since I'm
>trying to accomplish this using Basic.  In DOS (v5.0), the *first* time
>you go to use the PRINT command, DOS will ask you where you want the
>file printed to;  You can override this question by using the "/D:"
>switch on the PRINT command line.
>
>However, *after* the first time you print, the "/D:" switch is no longer
>valid; in fact, it generates an error message.
>
>I've got a program where I want to shell out to DOS to print a report.
>However, I don't know how to setup the program so that it will know whether
>it needs to PRINT/D: or just PRINT.  Is there an environment variable
>or something that can be examined to determine whether or not the "/D:"
>switch will be required, or if a PRINT has already been done since the
>last boot?

I used to initiate PRINT in my AUTOEXEC.BAT file, using the format
PRINT /D:prn
This approach ensured it was ready when I needed it later.

However, I then realised that PRINT was taking up a lot of memory (it's
a TSR), which is probably why you often see instructions for printing
manuals etc. in the form COPY filename PRN

Now that I'm "networked" memory is a bit short, so I've stopped using
PRINT and use COPY like everyone else.

Cheers, Ian S.

--
Ian Staples                       | Internet : [e-mail]
c/- P.O. Box 1054,                | Fax      : [phone]
MAREEBA  Queensland  4880         | Voice    : [phone]
Australia.                        | Home     : [phone]