|Aͻ
|A ^0Helpware |A                       ^1 UltPrint |A                       ^0 Helpware|A  
|Aͼ            
^Cby
^CJohn B. Adams, Jr. and Richard Wong

    Does the ^1Print Option^0 for a favorite program produce a report too wide 
 for easy reference?  Would that "print-screen" be more helpful if printed 
 letter quality?  Does the attached printer support compressed print and 
 letter quality mode print, but it takes too long to look up the codes?  

    UltPrint, a printer utility, allows full use of all the features supported 
 by the printer attached to your computer system.  Use the printer manual to 
 set up the features and save them in easy-reference form for use at any time. 

    The memory-resident module is explained below under the heading "RESUP". 

 
^CGetting Started

    After selecting ULTPRINT from the menu, the Load/Create file screen will 
 appear.  Each file represents the codes which have been set up and stored for 
 a specific printer.  Use the cursor keys to highlight the printer code file 
 and press <ENTER> to select. 

    The Feature List screen will appear.  Use the cursor keys to highlight the 
 appropriate feature.  Functions available at this point are: 

        <ENTER> - Send command to printer.
           <F1> - Get help.
           <F2> - Edit the name or printer codes for the highlighted feature.
           <F4> - Save file of codes for printer.
           <F6> - Return to Load/Create file selection screen.
           <F8> - Test codes in typewriter mode.
          <F10> - Exit from UltPrint.
 
        <ALT-1> - Change to parallel printer port LPT1:
        <ALT-2> -    "   "     "        "     "   LPT2:
        <ALT-3> -    "   "     "        "     "   LPT3:


^CHow to use UltPrint

    For example, suppose you want to print some budget reports using your 
 printer's letter quality mode, but your accounting program does not allow you 
 to set printer options.  Run UltPrint and load the file describing your
 printer.  On the Feature List, highlight the letter quality feature, and press 
 <ENTER>; the printer codes to enable that mode are sent to the printer.  
 Anything you print will be in letter quality mode until your printer is turned 
 off or reset.  


^CEntering printer codes

    The printer reference manual for the printer attached to your system should 
 have a section which details printer codes.  The example used here is from the 
 manual for the Panasonic KX-P1124 printer in Epson LQ-2500 emulation mode. 

        An entry might appear similar to the following:

        Character Highlight Selection
        Name         Function
        ESC + - + 1  Sets Underlining     (Dec:  27,45,1)
        ESC + - + 0  Releases Underlining (Dec:  27,45,0)

    On the Feature List Screen, highlight the "Underline Start" entry and press 
 <F2>.  The detailed Feature Definition screen will appear.  On this screen the 
 following functions are available: 

       <UP> <DOWN> Arrow Keys - Move between fields.
                Keyboard Keys - Edit fields.
                         <F1> - Help.
                         <F4> - Accept feature as it now appears.
                         <F6> - Abort changes to feature.

    On the line captioned "character:," type the codes from the printer manual 
 that correspond to Set Underline.  In the example, the first two codes would 
 would be typed as <ESC> <->.  For the third code, you must determine if your 
 printer manual means the numeral "1" (ASCII character number 49) or the 
 decimal value 1 (ASCII character number 1).  Most printer manuals provide both 
 the character and decimal values for all printer codes.  In the example, 
 notice that the decimal value for the final code is 1.  The easiest way to 
 enter this final code is to type a 1 in the appropriate decimal value field. 
 Now that you have entered the entire code, press <F4> to accept the new 
 feature definition. 

    If you are uncertain about a printer code, look at the decimal values in 
 your printer manual, and enter those numbers into the decimal value fields.  
 To make sure you entered the correct code, you may test features using the 
 UltPrint's Typewriter mode.  Press <F8> on the Feature Menu to enter the 
 Typewriter mode.  Whatever text you type will be sent to the printer when you 
 press <ENTER>.  


^CFile and Path Names

    The codes for each printer will usually be stored in a separate file.  Name 
 the files for easy recognition:  For example "EP2500" for an Epson 2500.  The 
 file, when created, will be stored in the (sub)directory identified by the 
 path on the Load/Create File screen. 

        Path:  A:\
        Filename:  EP2500            Description:  Epson LQ-2500

    The above path and filename would store the codes in a file named 
 EP2500.UPC in the root directory of the disk currently in the drive designated 
 as the A: drive for the computer. 


^CBackground Information

    The computer sends signals to the printer using a coding scheme that the 
 printer manufacturer defines.  The manufacturer furnishes this information to 
 purchasers in the Operating Instructions or Reference Manual for the printer.  
 The control codes (or signals) for any printer are unique. 

    Many word processing systems have stored the control codes for the printers 
 they support.  Often the word processor will let the user define codes for 
 printers not explicitly supported. 

    This printer utility allows the user to define his printer's control codes 
 for use when the program doing the printing has no facility for sending the 
 codes to the printer. 

    The reference manual may define codes by their ASCII "name", their decimal 
 equivalent and/or their hexadecimal equivalent.  UltPrint allows the user to 
 use either the ASCII "name" associated with a keyboard key or the decimal 
 equivalent in the Edit Feature function. 

 
^CRES-UP

    The memory resident module for UltPrint may only be run from the DOS 
 command-line prompt outside Big Blue Disk. 
 
    From the DOS command line, type:
                                      resup filename

    The memory-resident module for UltPrint will be loaded into memory.  Each 
 filename represents the codes which have been set up and stored for a specific 
 printer.

    Press <ALT><SPACEBAR> to activate the module.  The Feature List Screen set 
 up in UltPrint will appear.   Assume, for example, you want to print the 
 directory listing from a floppy disk in drive A, but wish to see each line of 
 the listing underlined. 
 
    From the DOS prompt, press <ALT><SPACEBAR>.  On the Feature List Screen, 
 highlight "Underline Start" and press <ENTER>.  UltPrint sends the pre-defined 
 signal to the printer telling it to begin underlining.  Press <ESC> to return 
 to the DOS command line prompt. 
                                                
    At the DOS prompt, type:
                              dir a: >prn

    The directory listing printed will be underlined if the correct codes were 
 stored in "filename" for the printer attached to the computer.  Remember to 
 return to RESUP and send the printer the "Underline End" code in the same 
 manner. 

    The memory-resident portion of UltPrint uses approximately 30,000 bytes
 of your computer's RAM.  To remove RESUP from memory, press <ALT-SPACEBAR> to
 pop it up, and then press <ALT-R>.  If RESUP could successfully remove itself
 from memory, then it will return to the interrupted program.

    If you experience difficulty running RESUP with other memory-resident
 programs, try loading RESUP first, before loading the other programs.

 
^CCommand-line options

    The following options can be given for both versions of UltPrint:

    filename  -  filename of printer code file to load.
                 If given, the filename must be the first parameter.

           m  -  runs UltPrint in monochrome (black & white) mode.

     1, 2, 3  -  selects which parallel printer port UltPrint will use.


^COutside BBD
 
    To run this program outside ^1Big Blue Disk^0, type: ^1UP^0.

    For memory resident version:  See RES-UP above.
 
DISK FILES THIS PROGRAM USES:
^FUP.EXE
^FRESUP.EXE   (*Memory resident module*)
^FAll *.UPC

