Configuration Utility - Advanced Printer Options dialog box

Use this dialog box to define miscellaneous properties for spool printers. These options affect all documents sent to the selected spool printer. You can access this dialog box when you add or modify a spool printer on the Configuration Utility's Spool Printers tab. From the Printer Properties dialog box, under Options, click Advanced to view this dialog box.

Click an option you want to learn more about.

Advanced Printer Options Dialog Box

What do you want to do?

See also:


Printer initialization files

You can send printer initialization files to the printer at software startup. Printer initialization files contain settings to initialize the printer or printer resources. There are two methods of specifying multiple initialization files:

Add button

Specifies a printer initialization file. The file name displays in the text box.

Clear button

Clears the text box that contains the printer initialization file names.

Field selection

You can select a page layout based on the value of the specified field.

Page layout

Selects the field that contains the page layout file name. You can type the field name or click Modify to select the field from a list. If no field is specified or the field does not match a page layout, then the layout with the name default is used.

Code page

Typically, you do not need to use a code page. In most cases it works best to select Default and allow the Barr Host Communications Suite to choose the code page for you. Code pages are required only for special programs or printing needs, such as for printing foreign character sets.

If you use the Barr File port or Barr IP port with the default EBCDIC or ASCII code page, the Barr software will automatically determine the appropriate default code page to use. The code page selection is based on the file format selected during port configuration. See the following table for more information.

File Format

Code Page

ASCII

ASCII

Variable-length record (ASCII)

ASCII

Variable-length record (EBCDIC)

EBCDIC

Fixed-length record (ASCII)

ASCII

Fixed-length record (EBCDIC)

EBCDIC

S/370

EBCDIC

Unicode

Ignored

VBM

EBCDIC

Barr file transfer

Ignored

Binary

Ignored

Barr archive

Ignored

Xerox File Transfer (EPS)*

EBCDIC

* The Xerox File Transfer (EPS) format is only available in the Barr IP port.

Options

If FCB is not found, use default FCB named 'STD'

Uses the default FCB named STD (standard) if the selected FCB is not found. This option is selected by default.

If this option is not selected and the FCB is not found, a dialog will appear asking how you want to proceed. To print the job without an FCB or to use an embedded FCB, click OK. To place the job on hold so you can specify an FCB, click Cancel.

Printer in 'Disabled' state at startup

Disables the spool printer at software startup. The printer state column is set to Disabled and requires operator action to change the printer state to Ready. You can stop all spool printers at spool startup on the Spool Printers tab. This option is selected by default.

Printer can be hidden

Allows the printer to be hidden from the Spool Window. When the printer displays in the Spool Window, the Printer column will display a darker shade of gray. This indicates the printer can be hidden from the window. When printers are hidden from the view, the status bar displays a message that gives the number of hidden printers.

You must be granted the Printer - Show All user access right to access this option.

Printer does not check jobs for valid data type

By default, BHCS verifies that spool documents sent to this spool printer have the format the destination device requires. For example, if you try to send graphics data to a text-only printer, the software sets the document state to ERROR. Select this option to skip data type checking.

Bypass the Windows spooler

Bypasses Windows spooling and writes directly to the Barr port. Selecting this option will improve the accuracy of printer status messages in the Spool Window and the Operator Console.

This option is selected by default for outputs devices that use the Barr File, LPR, IP, NJE, and RJE ports. This option is required for all Barr port.

If you enable this option, you must restart the Windows Print Spooler service for the change to take effect.

This option cannot be used if the printer is configured for sharing.

Special

Special data-handling options. To enable a data-handling option, select this option and then choose the corresponding option from the drop-down list.

Pass the archive format to LPR port – Select this option to send files to the LPR port in the Barr archive format. You can also use this option to route jobs from one Barr Host Communications Suite system to another.

Pass data to printer without conversion – If this spool printer will route spool documents that are already in destination-ready format Data formatted for its ultimate destination. For example, if the data is intended for a printer, it becomes destination-ready when it gets converted to the format the intended printer requires., you must select this option to prevent BHCS from converting documents as they exit the spool.

Do not select this option if the spool printer will route data that has the internal Barr format. If you need to route both destination-ready and Barr-formatted data, you must define a different spool printer for each data type.

Printer uses transform – When using transforms, select this option to allow the transform process to occur while the job is being printed. Normally, transforms are processed for the entire data set, and then printing is started.