RE: PC Objects to AFP Page segments?

[Buck Calabro <mcalabro@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

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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