Re: Print File Defintions on the AS400 -- COBOL400-L

Phil

Welcome to the AS/400! The object in OS/400 called "Printer FIle" (prtf) contains information about what to do with the output from your program. It also contains information about what fonts to use, what CPI to use, what source drawer to pull from (on multi drawer printers), overlays to use (could be signatures or graphics containing logos) and much more. It can point your output to a specific output queue, or to a specific printer. The system supplies a generic printer file called QPRINT that you can point to from your program. You can use a CL (was OCL on the 36) program to wrap your COBOL program in that overrides what the file QSYSPRT points to. I have not done S/36 COBOL or OCL for 12 years, so I don't remember many specifics. I still have some S/36 code lying around somewhere on the disk, so I could look and see what we might have done in conversion.

The nice thing about printer files is that you can define the entire report (externally defined file), including headings, footings, special pages, etc. in the printer file, and then just fill in the fields in your program, and write the correct record. I know that does not help when trying to do a quick conversion, but something to consider for the future.

As I recall, one of the concepts that was hard to get into my mind when converting was that FILES are contained in LIBRARIES. If I remember correctly FILES and LIBRARIES were on an equal footing on the S/36 DASD.

Again, welcome. If I can be of some help, please email or call me directly.

Jim Essinger
Senior Programmer/Analyst
Student Loan Fund of Idaho
208-452-4058 Ext 133
esinger@xxxxxxxx

At 01:32 PM 9/15/2003, you wrote:

I'm trying to convert our S/36 COBOL programs to the AS400. When I do a report the program blows up because the print file is not 'defined'. When I 'create' the print file the program works. What have I done wrong in my system definition? As a COBOL programmer I NEVER had to worry about the DD name that I used. I've never had to 'create' a print file.

My assign's look like this:

ASSIGN PRINT-FILE ASSIGN PRINTER-PRFILE.

If you could help me it would be greatly appreciated.
Phil Campbell
Wisco Envelope
pcampbell@xxxxxxxxxxxx
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