RE: Print from a PC to iSeries output queue

[Mike Cunningham <mike.cunningham@xxxxxxx>]

"Print" to the IFS as a text file might let me do what I want. Had not considered that. I need to deal with printer output from a Windows ERP package and want to isolate myself as much as possible from direct database access of the ERP. I really have no desire to figure out their database structure and how to produce the data on the form myself. And at the same time make the user of the ERP package not change what are doing now to procure the output. I was thinking output queue since it was printing and I know I can trigger an event when something hits the queue to deal with the new file. Generic text printer that prints to drive mapped IFS mapping with a trigger on the ifs would probably do the same. Thanks for the idea



-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Charles Wilt
Sent: Monday, May 17, 2010 5:35 PM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: Re: Print from a PC to iSeries output queue

Printing from the PC to an iSeries outq will always result in a
*USERASCII type spool file which the iSeries will dutifully send to
the printer but that's about it.

To do what you're wanting to do, I'd suggest setting up a "Generic
Text Only" printer on the PC which prints to a file, then simply FTP
the resulting file to the iSeries.  Then use the IFS APIs to read it
from an RPGLE program and write the data to a PF.  Heck, using a
Netserver file share, you could have the PC place the file directly
into the IFS.

Note: I'd consider this method, parsing output designed to be printed,
 a last resort.  Isn't there any way to access or at least export the
data from whatever PC program has it?  Where does it originate?

Good Luck!
Charles Wilt


On Mon, May 17, 2010 at 4:49 PM, Mike Cunningham
<mike.cunningham@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> Success! (almost). Thanks to a few replies to my post I have setup NetServer to share a printer that I have configure in Windows as a printer and I can print to that printer from Windows and the file shows up in the iSeries output queue. I can move the spool file and send it to the printer. What I can't do is a CPYSPLF to a database file :( which is what I need to do next. If I setup the NetServer printer share with auto I get an ASCII spool file that I can't display or copy. If I change the printer share and specify SNA (aka SCS) I get a spool file I can display but it is all garbage (probably ascii characters displayed as ebcdic). There is one setting on NetServer printer share that I can't figure out what to enter. The Printer Driver. All documentation I can find points me to a directory in the IFS that I do not have. Qca400\Win32\Install\Printer  I have Qca400 but not Win32 and below.
>
> Anyone have any thoughts on where I might look next?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of DeLong, Eric
> Sent: Monday, May 17, 2010 10:36 AM
> To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
> Subject: RE: Print from a PC to iSeries output queue
>
> Mike,
>
> Just go into navigator and define a print share.  This lets you install
> printer drivers on your PC that use your midrange as a windows print
> server.
>
> -Eric
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Mike Cunningham
> Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2010 7:42 AM
> To: midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Print from a PC to iSeries output queue
>
> Is it possible to setup a Windows PC so it has a printer that would
> print to an iSeries output queue?  And then use whatever iSeries
> utilities there are to manage that spool file? Might be move it to a
> queue attached to a remote laser printer and print it, might be copy the
> spool file to a database file and process it with my own application,
> might be print it to a local attached printer. Would this be something
> IPP printing would handle? If so I think I can figure out the server
> side for setup of IPP but what would I need to do on the PC side to
> setup a Windows printer that points to the IPP device?
> --
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