Re[2]: Page definitions/form definitions

Buck Calabro wrote to midrange-l:
<Much information deleted>
Anyway, do you think I'm barking up the wrong tree here?  I thought it'd  be a 
fairly simple matter to create my own FORMDF and merge my text with the  
graphics specified on the FORMDF, but it almost looks like FORMDF/PAGDFN are  
there only to allow mainframers to run their stuff on *our* box <g>.
Buck Calabro
Commsoft Albany, NY

Dear Buck,

The AS/400 Printing IV Redbook lists the following information about Form 
Definitions on Page 200:

"A Form Definition, which has an object type of *FORMDF on the AS/400, defines 
the position of the logical page on a form (physical page) and contains 
information about the presentation, direction, bin selection and duplexing. 
Form definitions can be:

        ( Provided by OS/400 in library QSYS
        ( Downloaded from a S/370
        ( Placed inline to the AFPDS file sent to the AS/400
        ( Uploaded from a PC

The form definitions shipped with OS/400 cannot be modified on the AS/400 or on 
a S/370. The form definitions created on a S/370 and downloaded to the AS/400 
cannot be altered on the AS/400. If changes need to be performed, the S/370 
site must be notified.

Form Definitions are not used with AS/400 native print output. The AS/400 uses 
the parameters from the printer file associated with the print job. The only 
exception is when using the Advanced Function Printing Utilities/400 Version 3 
(5763-AF1) to print overlays and page segments, or when using the Print Format 
Utility (PFU)."

"Form definitions are used with spooled files downloaded from the S/370 which 
are in AFPDS or AFPDSLINE format, and with the PRTAFPDTA command. You can also 
reference form definitions with the PrintManager/400 API's. Lastly, spooled 
files uploaded to the AS/400 using Client Access/400 virtual print with data 
type 5 (AFPDS data) can reference form definitions.

The form definitions shipped with OS/400 are documented in Chapter 13 of the 
AS/400 Printer Device Programming - Version 3, SC41-3713." 

It's hard to say whether you are currently barking up the wrong tree without 
investigating the pre-built form definitions provided by OS/400 and also 
checking to see whether PFU would allow you to build a custom form definition 
to suit your application needs. 

HTH

/Paul
--
Paul Tykodi, Technical Director                 E-mail: pault@praim.com
Praim Inc.                                           Tel: 603-431-0606
140 Congress St., #2                                Fax: 603-436-6432
Portsmouth, NH  03801-4019


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