RE: PC Objects to AFP Page segments?

I've never done what you are asking about, so keep that in mind when you
read the next bits...

Page Segments are images.  You can certainly use a PC application to create
a picture of the paragraphs you need, fully formatted, etc. and then create
AS/400 page segment objects from them, but I would guess that this will be a
very poor performer, especially if you have variable data to insert into the
paragraphs.

I have not had the need to do extensive dynamic paragraph formatting.
Neither AFP nor SCS do formatting on their own, as far as I know.  IBM sells
a product called PrintSuite/400 that *may* help you - I haven't used it...
Here's a link to the manual:
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com:80/cgi-bin/bookmgr/BOOKS/C5PX1M00/CCONTENTS

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

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Richard Wilson 
> Sent: Sunday, August 08, 1999 8:29 AM
> To:   MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com
> Subject:      Re: PC Objects to AFP Page segments?
> 
> Re my question about AFP,
> 
> Buck Calabro wrote:
> 
> > Generally, I would use AFP to print graphics (logos, barcodes, boxes) or
> > multiple fonts on AS/400 created output.  When you say "PC objects" are
> you
> > talking about text or image data?  For image data, I would fire up my PC
> >
> 
> snipped
> 
> > For plain text, I would simply FTP the text to an AS/400 file and read
> it in
> > the AS/400 program.
> >
> 
> The problem area is in construction of a document printout which is built
> from
> several, varying, paragraphs.  To allow flexibility on choice of font,
> size, etc
> the
> concept is to squirt a stream of text at the printer (AFP) and allow it to
> format
> 
> line endings etc as we go.  Did I mention that we have to insert variable
> length
> fields as we go.  Rather like a mail-merge, but adding font size and
> choice
> capability
> instead of the fixed length format of a normal PRTF.
> 
> There are printer PDL (Page Description Languages) which will allow this,
> by
> defining an area on page and then dynamically fitting whatever text you
> mark into
> the box area.
> 
> The nearest I can get to with my current level of knowledge of AFP is the
> Page
> segment.
> I can calculate the number of characters per line within the HLL, but I
> have no
> way of
> deciding when I reach line full when I'm using a proportional font at the
> printer.
> 
> 
> Or is there a way of defining a word wrap characteristic somewhere in all
> this?
> 
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