Re: Printing Bar Codes

Dear Lenny,

The IBM Midrange family uses block mode transmission to send information to
a display or printer. The original purpose for choosing this method was to
insure that a display screen would refresh all at once when using a low
speed communication line connection to an IBM host. One of the rules IBM
invented for block mode transmission was that only one data format type
could be included in a block.

When sending spool files to an IPDS printer, each individual data format
type included on a page is transmitted in a separate block. The IPDS data
stream is a page printer data stream. It sends a page of information to a
printer and then expects to receive a confirmation from the printer that the
page was printed correctly. From your description of how the 4234 is
printing each page, it seems that the DDS attached to the printer file that
your application is using is causing the OS/400 operating system to send
blocks that include all of the text for the page first followed by the
blocks with the bar code data. You should be able to change this operation
to send the bar code data first, followed by the text, by reordering your
DDS to request the bar code be created sooner in the list of steps outlined
in the DDS.

I can send you an example DDS and RPG source for an order form with a bar
code on it, where the 4234 prints the bar code when it is encountered rather
than as the last step in creating the page, if you think that could be
helpful.

Best Regards,

/Paul

Paul Tykodi
Director of Technical Services
LCI-Intermate US, Inc.

p: 603.431.0606 x238
f:  603.436.6432
paul@intermate-us.com
www.intermate.com

Date: Tue, 29 Feb 2000 16:22:34 EST
From: MrLennyB@aol.com
Subject: Printing Bar Codes

We are trying to print Bar Codes on reports using 4234 model 12 printers. We
want to print the bar code on the top of the page.  What we are experiencing
is all the normal text for the entire page is printed, then the printer
backs up the paper to the top of the page, and prints the bar code.  This is
a very slow process and it also causes the paper to jam quite often.  Is
anyone else using these printers to print bar code?

It is possible to print the bar code at the bottom of the page, but the
application is better suited for printing them at the top.

We were wondering if this is the way bar codes are processed on these
printers or do we have something setup incorrectly that is causing the page
to be printed in this manner?

Does anyone know opf any other printers that would be more suitable for
printing bar codes?  We need a printer that can use multi part paper.  The
forms we print are 3 and 4 part.

Thank you for your help

Lenny Bellott
Shop-Vac Corporation

+---
| This is the Midrange System Mailing List!
| To submit a new message, send your mail to MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com.
| To subscribe to this list send email to MIDRANGE-L-SUB@midrange.com.
| To unsubscribe from this list send email to MIDRANGE-L-UNSUB@midrange.com.
| Questions should be directed to the list owner/operator: david@midrange.com
+---