| mvBase
Tech Tip: |
#
mv118 |
| Pertinent
Release(s): |
All
Releases |
| Pertinent
Windows O/S: |
95
and/or NT |
Downloading,
Installing and Configuring mvBase Printer Drivers
NOTE:
This Tech Tip is written in general correspondence with releases
1.2.01 and 1.2.02, and applies to all releases through 1.2.02.
Several topics contained in this Tech Tip may change with future
releases, and will be documented accordingly. To ensure access
to the latest information, always refer to the Release Notes
and mvBase Installation Guide associated with your specific
release of mvBase, and to additional Tech Tips.
Generic/Text-only
Windows printer drivers are available on our Web site for Windows
NT 4.0 and Windows 95. These expand the printing capabilities
for Windows printers configured for use with mvBase.
Note
that that there are two ways of configuring printers under mvBase:
- In
the manner traditionally known as Pick (MultiValue) serial
printers
- As
printers defined as Windows printers
There
is a crucial distinction between a serial printer attached to
a COM port and configured as a traditional Multivalue printer
(i.e. one attached to a normal Multivalue line) and a
serial printer which is connected to a COM or LPT port (or to
a remote system or printer server) and defined to Windows. The
former does not use any Window printer drivers at all, and the
latter does require Windows drivers.
The
mvBase printer drivers downloadable for both Windows NT 4.0
and Windows 95 are only applicable for printers defined
as Windows printers, and not for traditional MultiValue printers
attached to serial lines. No special printer drivers are required
for Windows NT 3.51
The
remainder of this Tech Tip contains the following topics related
to the application of the mvBase printer drivers:
- "Understanding
‘Traditional’ MultiValue Serial Printers Used with
mvBase"
- "Understanding
Windows Printers Used with mvBase"
- "Downloading
the mvBase Printer Drivers"
- "Installing
the mvBase Printer Driver on Windows NT 4.0"
- "Installing
the mvBase Printer Driver on Windows 95"
- "Troubleshooting:
Suppression of a Form Feed at the Termination of a Windows
Print Job"
- This
procedure is related to solving a problem which is known to
occur on Windows NT 4.0. Depending upon its configuration,
the driver may add a trailing Form Feed (FF) to print files.
Understanding
"Traditional" MultiValue Serial Printers Used with
mvBase
Configuring
"traditional" serial printers entails attaching a
serial printer to a COM port, then defining that COM port to
mvBase as having a serial printer. This procedure is performed
using the Ports tab, accessed via the Workstation tab of the
Administration Utility. The procedure for configuring serial
printers in this manner is contained in the "Serial Printer
Setup on COM Port" topic of the mvBase Installation
Guide.
The
COM port needs to be connected to an mvBase server and line
number when the workstation (on which the COM port is defined)
starts up. Once defined in this manner, serial printers follow
the normal use of the STARTPTR command at TCL. This command
associates a process with the mvBase line to which the printer
has been connected and starts a despooler on that process.
NOTE:
Microsoft Windows printer drivers (and the Windows spooler/despooler)
are not involved in the printing process when serial printers
are defined and used in this manner.
NOTE:
Serial printers are configured via the Ports tab of the Administration
Utility, and not via the Printers tab of the Administration Utility,
which is used for Windows printers exclusively. Only Windows printers
display in the Windows Printers utility, not mvBase printers.
Understanding
Windows Printers Used with mvBase
Configuring
Windows printers entails two actions, described in Windows documentation
and the "Configuring Windows Printers in mvBase" topic
of the mvBase Installation Guide:
- Defining
a printer within Windows using the Windows Printers utility.
One path for adding printers of this type in Windows is:
Start
| Settings | Printers | Add Printer
A
printer defined within Windows may be:
- A
serial printer attached to a COM port on the local system
- A
parallel printer attached to an LPT port on the local
system
- A
network printer attached to either a printer server or
another PC on the network
In
addition to specifying the printer (and printer type)
to configure in Windows, this step also involves choosing
a Windows printer driver which the Windows spooler
(and despooler) uses to drive the particular make and
model of a printer.
Once
the mvBase printer driver has been downloaded and installed,
it can be added to Windows. It is selected from the
Add Printer option of the Printer utility. This is documented
in the procedures contained later in this Tech Tip.
- Once
the printer is defined to be a Windows printer in the step
above, that Windows printer is defined to be an mvBase printer
associated with a specific mvBase server and line on that
server.
This is done via the mvBase Printers tab, accessed via the
Workstation tab of the Administration Utility. The name of
this Windows printer (defined in the step above) is associated
with a particular mvBase server and line number.
Printing
from mvBase then follows the normal use of the STARTPTR
command at TCL, which associates a process with the line
to which the Windows printer has been connected and starts
a despooler. At this point, Windows printer drivers are
involved in the printing process as output is sent to the
Windows spooler/despooler from the mvBase server via the
mvBase workstation.
Downloading
the mvBase Printer Drivers
- Go
to the Pick site: www.rainingdata.com.
- Select
the Support and Services option.
- Select
the mvBase option.
- Select
the mvBase Download Area option.
- Select
the mvBase Printer Driver for either Windows NT 4.0 or Windows
95.
- The
mvBase printer drivers are only available in compressed (zipped)
format. A decompression utility such as Winzip or Pkunzip
is required in order to extract the file.
- Designate
the download drive and directory for these files. You may
choose to store these files in any location, including the
Mvbase directory, if used during previous installation or
upgrade.
Installing
the mvBase Printer Driver on Windows NT 4.0
Make
note of the COM port or LPT port or remote system or printer
server to which the serial printer is attached, and perform
the following steps to install the mvBase serial printer driver:
- Navigate
to the Windows Add Printer Wizard dialog box. Use the Add
Printer option of the Printers window (access via Start |
Settings | Printers or Windows Online Help).
- Select
the My Computer option.
- Select
Next.
- Designate
the COM port or LPT to which the serial printer is currently
assigned. Select other options and configurations as required.
- Select
the Next button.
The
Add Printers Wizard dialog box returns, listing manufacturers
and printer models.
- Select
the Have Disk button.
The
Install from Disk dialog box appears.
- Designate
the drive and directory to which you downloaded the printer
driver(s) fromour Web site in Step 7 of the download procedure
(e.g., c:\Mvbase).
- Select
OK.
The
Add Printer Wizard dialog box reappears, listing mvBase
Text Only in the Printers field.
- Select
the Next button.
- Proceed
through the remaining sequence of the Add Printer Wizard screens,
setting options as required by your configuration and network
requirements. The Add Printer Wizard includes troubleshooting
features if required.
- Ensure
that the serial printer device is physically connected to
the system prior to use or testing. Download and installation
of the mvBase printer driver is now complete. The mvBase printer
should display in the Windows Printers utility.
Printing
then follows the normal use of the STARTPTR command at TCL.
Installing
mvBase Printer Drivers on Windows 95
Make
note of the COM port or LPT port or remote system or printer
server to which the serial printer is attached, and perform
the following steps to install the mvBase serial printer driver:
- Navigate
to the Windows Add Printer Wizard dialog box. Use the Add
Printer option of the Printers window (access via Start |
Settings | Printers ) or Windows Online Help).
- Select
Next.
- Select
the Local Printer option and the Next button.
The
Add Printers Wizard dialog box returns, listing manufacturers
and printer models.
- Select
the Have Disk button.
The
Install from Disk dialog box appears.
- Designate
the drive and directory to which you downloaded the printer
driver(s) from our Web site in Step 7 of the download procedure
(e.g., c:\Mvbase).
- Select
OK.
The
Add Printer Wizard dialog box reappears, listing mvBase
Text Only in the Printers field.
- Select
the Next button.
- Proceed
through the remaining sequence of the Add Printer Wizard screens,
setting options as required by your configuration and network
requirements. The Add Printer Wizard includes troubleshooting
features if required.
- Ensure
that the serial printer device is physically connected to
the system prior to use or testing.
Download
and installation of the mvBase printer driver is now complete.
The mvBase printer should display in the Windows Printers utility.
Printing via serial printer(s) then follows the normal use of
the STARTPTR command at TCL.
Troubleshooting:
Suppression of a Form Feed at the Termination of a Windows Print
Job
Problem:
Once a printer has been properly defined for use with mvBase,
and the mvBase printer driver has been installed, there may be
instances in which the driver adds a trailing form feed to print
files. This is reported to occur on systems running Windows NT
4.0. Cause:
The Microsoft Windows printer conventions involves the issuing
of a Form Feed (FF) at the end of each Windows print job. This
is especially necessary in the case of page printers which need
the last page to be ejected into the output hopper at the end
of a print job. Most Hewlett-Packard LaserJet and InkJet printers
would be good examples of Page printers in this respect.
For
printers with continuous stationary, for example, most line
printers and dot matrix serial printers, the terminal FF simply
ejects to the top of the next page.
The
traditional MultiValue behavior of printing, which existed long
before laser printers or page printers, is to have the FF at
the start of the MultiValue print job rather than at
the end. This ensures that the printer is always at the top
of a page when the print job starts. This FF was put into the
MultiValue print job automatically if using English/Access or
the HEADING/PAGE statements in BASIC, or if it was explicitly
issued by programmers when printing from BASIC without using
HEADING/PAGE statements.
The
result of these two standards existing in the market is a clash
over the location of the FF: mvBase places it at the beginning
of a print job, and Windows places it at the end of a print
job. Rarely are both FFs going to be required or useful.
Solution:
It is possible to prevent the mvBase printer driver from issuing
a terminating FF (at the end of a print job) by altering the
print processor settings on Windows NT 4.0.
Perform
this procedure once download and installation of the mvBase
printer driver for Windows NT 4.0 is complete:
- Navigate
through this path to the Print Processor… edit
box:
Start
| Settings | Printers | (select a printer) | File pull-down
menu | Properties option | General tab | Print Processor…
button
- Select
the Always spool RAW datatype checkbox.
The
setting of the Default datatype list box is irrelevant.
- Select
OK in the Print Processor… edit box and General
tab, and close the Printers utility unless required for other
configuration.
This
action causes the mvBase printer driver to operate in RAW
mode, as opposed to its default setting of RAW with FF appended
mode. This prevents the issuing of the FF at the end of
the print job.
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