RE: DDS vs 'O' specs (was: RLU (vs) handcoded prtf DDS)

On Tuesday, June 16, 1998 12:05 PM, Rick Baird [SMTP:rbbaird@Premsys.com] 
wrote:
> Hey all,
>
> All this talk about RLU, Printer files and the like has gotten me to
> thinking.
>
> I know the politically correct way to do printer output in RPG is
> using print files, but what, if anything, significant can you do with
> printer files that you can't do using rpg 'O' specs?
>
> I'm comfortable working with either, but mostly prefer 'o' specs, for
> no other reason than convenience.
>
> Just wondering...

Rick,
  First, let me say that technically, you can do *anything* with O specs: 
_if_ you're intimate with the target printer's command/datastream.

Having said that, it's highly unlikely that you'll be embedding IOCA and 
BCOCA commands inside your HLL program when you can easily perform the 
same functions in DDS unless you have some very particular printing needs.

Check out the DDS manual for specifics, but DDS makes the following chores 
much easier:
Barcodes, pictures, lines/boxes, variable fonts/sizes, variable cpi/lpi, 
variable paper drawer selection, graphs (GDF), variable page rotation, 
variable text rotation, underline and bold print.

Plain jane (no graphics, barcodes, etc.) output works great with O specs.

Buck Calabro
Commsoft, Albany, NY
mailto:mcalabro@commsoft.net

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