Re: Print images to network printer

From:Matt Olson
I looked at the AFPRSC examples that Pat sent, and reading those
caused my head to turn around just like in the movie the "Exorcist".

The syntax of AFPRSC looks fairly trivial to me. You specify a variable name containing the path to the resource (IFS file), the type (i.e. TIFF, PDF), and a couple other parameters. I imagine an RPG program could easily fill in those parameters and "write" the record (print the image or PDF).

The problem is wading through all IBM's documentation about IBM i print support, which covers A LOT of technologies and interfaces. Googling AFPRSC brings up a number of references of people struggling with it, and only a few saying it works great.

The configuration and programming interfaces appear to be easy and slick. Understanding and troubleshooting what may be going on under the covers if it doesn't work as expected appears to be the hard part.

I'm interested in this topic because we have a package with 80+ PDF reports which users access from web browsers, then print from there. At some point, I anticipate someone asking us to offer a menu option or two, to just print directly to a printer without downloading to the browser.

Although Kirk's example of a 10,000+ page printout tugs at my poor tree-hugging heart! How would anyone have the heart to require a stack of paper 40 inches high? Wouldn't state auditors accept, or even prefer viewing PDF's from a web browser interface? Printing a page or two when REALLY needed?

-Nathan.