[Contents] [Index] [Help] [Retrace] [Browse <] [Browse >]


   NAME
      CMD_WRITE -- send output to the printer

   FUNCTION
      This function causes a buffer of characters to be written to the
      current printer port (usually parallel or serial).  The number of
      characters is specified in io_Length, unless -1 is used, in which
      case output is sent until a 0x00 is encountered.

      The Printer device, like the Console device, maps ANSI X3.64 style
      7-bit printer control codes to the control code set of the current
      printer.  The ANSI codes supported can be found below.

   NOTES
      Not all printers will support all functions.  In particular you may
      not assume that the MARGINS or TABS can be set.  close to half the
      supported printers don't fully implement one or the other.  If you
      want the features of margins or tabs you will need to fake it
      internally by sending out spaces.

      Note that the printer device may have already sent out a "set
      margins" command to the printer.  If you are faking your own
      margins, be sure to cancel the old ones first.  (use the "aCAM"
      command)

      Defaults are set up so that if a normal AmigaDOS text file
      is sent to PRT:, it has the greatest chance of working.
      (AmigaDOS text files are defined as follows:)
              tabs            - every 8
              CR (0x0D)       - moves to start of current line
              LF (0x0A)       - moves to start of next line

   IO REQUEST
       io_Message      mn_ReplyPort set
       io_Device       preset by opendevice
       io_Unit         preset by opendevice
       io_Command      CMD_WRITE
       io_Length       number of characters to process, or if -1,
                       process until 0x00 encountered
       io_Data         pointer to block of data to process

   RESULTS
       io_Error : if CMD_WRITE succeeded, then io_Error will be zero.
              Otherwise io_Error will be non-zero.

   SEE ALSO
       printer.h, parallel.device, serial.device, preferences


   ANSI X3.64 style COMMANDS

 aRIS         ESCc            hard reset
 aRIN         ESC#1           initialize to defaults
 aIND         ESCD            true linefeed (lf)
 aNEL         ESCE            return,lf
 aRI          ESCM            reverse lf              *

 aSGR0        ESC[0m          normal character set
 aSGR3        ESC[3m          italics on
 aSGR23       ESC[23m         italics off
 aSGR4        ESC[4m          underline on
 aSGR24       ESC[24m         underline off
 aSGR1        ESC[1m          boldface on
 aSGR22       ESC[22m         boldface off
 aSFC         SGR30-39        set foreground color
 aSBC         SGR40-49        set background color

 aSHORP0      ESC[0w          normal pitch
 aSHORP2      ESC[2w          elite on
 aSHORP1      ESC[1w          elite off
 aSHORP4      ESC[4w          condensed on
 aSHORP3      ESC[3w          condensed off
 aSHORP6      ESC[6w          enlarged on
 aSHORP5      ESC[5w          enlarged off

 aDEN6        ESC[6"z         shadow print on
 aDEN5        ESC[5"z         shadow print off
 aDEN4        ESC[4"z         doublestrike on
 aDEN3        ESC[3"z         doublestrike off
 aDEN2        ESC[2"z         Near Letter Quality (NLQ) on
 aDEN1        ESC[1"z         NLQ off

 aSUS2        ESC[2v          superscript on
 aSUS1        ESC[1v          superscript off
 aSUS4        ESC[4v          subscript on
 aSUS3        ESC[3v          subscript off
 aSUS0        ESC[0v          normalize the line      *
 aPLU         ESCL            partial line up         *
 aPLD         ESCK            partial line down       *

 aFNT0        ESC(B           US char set (default)   or Font 0
 aFNT1        ESC(R           French char set         or Font 1
 aFNT2        ESC(K           German char set         or Font 2
 aFNT3        ESC(A           UK char set             or Font 3
 aFNT4        ESC(E           Danish I char set       or Font 4
 aFNT5        ESC(H           Sweden char set         or Font 5
 aFNT6        ESC(Y           Italian char set        or Font 6
 aFNT7        ESC(Z           Spanish char set        or Font 7
 aFNT8        ESC(J           Japanese char set       or Font 8
 aFNT9        ESC(6           Norweign char set       or Font 9
 aFNT10       ESC(C           Danish II char set      or Font 10

 aPROP2       ESC[2p          proportional on         *
 aPROP1       ESC[1p          proportional off        *
 aPROP0       ESC[0p          proportional clear      *
 aTSS         ESC[n E         set proportional offset *
 aJFY5        ESC[5 F         auto left justify       *
 aJFY7        ESC[7 F         auto right justify      *
 aJFY6        ESC[6 F         auto full justify       *
 aJFY0        ESC[0 F         auto justify off        *
 aJFY3        ESC[3 F         letter space (justify)  *
 aJFY1        ESC[1 F         word fill(auto center)  *

 aVERP0       ESC[0z          1/8" line spacing
 aVERP1       ESC[1z          1/6" line spacing
 aSLPP        ESC[nt          set form length n
 aPERF        ESC[nq          set perforation skip to n lines (n>0)
 aPERF0       ESC[0q          perforation skip off

 aLMS         ESC#9           Left margin set         *
 aRMS         ESC#0           Right margin set        *
 aTMS         ESC#8           Top margin set          *
 aBMS         ESC#2           Bottom margin set       *
 aSTBM        ESC[Pn1;Pn2r    set T&B margins         *
 aSLRM        ESC[Pn1;Pn2s    set L&R margin          *
 aCAM         ESC#3           Clear margins

 aHTS         ESCH            Set horiz tab           *
 aVTS         ESCJ            Set vertical tabs       *
 aTBC0        ESC[0g          Clr horiz tab           *
 aTBC3        ESC[3g          Clear all h tab         *
 aTBC1        ESC[1g          Clr vertical tabs       *
 aTBC4        ESC[4g          Clr all v tabs          *
 aTBCALL      ESC#4           Clr all h & v tabs      *
 aTBSALL      ESC#5           Set default tabs (every 8)

 aEXTEND      ESC[Pn"x        Extended commands
                              This is a mechanism for printer drivers to
                              support extra commands which can be called
                              by ANSI control sequences
 aRAW         ESC[Pn"r        Next 'Pn' chars are raw (ie. they are not
                              parsed by the printer device, instead they
                              are sent directly to the printer.


 (*) indicates that sending this command may cause unexpected results
     on a large number of printers.