Re: Spool File too Wide - 350 chars per line -- MIDRANGE-L

For most reports I do a web page, look it in the browser, and if needed
print from there. The browser allows to create a pdf, with option to paper
sizes, orientation and scale.

But, it is not trivial to do your first web page...

El mié, 14 de ene de 2026, 18:32, Marco Facchinetti <
marco.facchinetti@xxxxxxxxx> escribió:

Hi Jim your ansewr is correct, Afpds printer files support a page size
specified in *UOM (*INCH/*CM).

Maybe the problem is when you convert the spool file in Pdf, many times
it's working and the aspect it's decent but sometimes alignment, margins
and colors behave.

Another possible solution is to produce HTML output in Ifs and then convert
it to PDF (perhaps applying a style sheet) using one of the many free
products available. In fact, I'm quite surprised no one has recommended
this method, given that so many on this mailing list use it.

HTH
--
Marco Facchinetti

Mr S.r.l.

Tel. 035 962885
Cel. 393 9620498

Skype: facchinettimarco

Il giorno mer 14 gen 2026 alle ore 23:06 Jim Franz <franz9000@xxxxxxxxx>
ha
scritto:

All,
My response before is not correct. Even though the screen prompt for
CRTPRTF says the max length is 378 - after reading the help text, "it
depends"...
Irregardless, with an external printer file, device type *afpds, and

fonts

and pointsize one can support more than 255 characters in a line -

however

it would.require a lot of trial and error to get the form readable,
especially after pdf transform.

A R $PRT05 FONT(2304 (*POINTSIZE 5))
A @XX1 50 POSITION(4.00 1.10)
A @XX2 50 POSITION(4.00 2.30)
A @XX3 50 POSITION(4.00 3.60)
A @XX4 50 POSITION(4.00 4.90)
A @XX5 50 POSITION(4.00 6.20)
A @XX6 50 POSITION(4.00 7.40)
A @XX7 50 POSITION(4.00 8.60)

the only compiler override is the DEVTYPE
CRTPRTF FILE(JIM/XYZ) SRCFILE(JIM/QDDSSRC) DEVTYPE(*AFPDS)
Jim

On Tue, Jan 13, 2026 at 8:12 PM Mohan Eashver <mohankva@xxxxxxxxx>

wrote:

Thank you very much Jim, appreciate your help.

----
Regards,
Mohan Eashver

On Tue, Jan 13, 2026 at 3:59 PM Jim Franz <franz9000@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

and compile parameter -

Printer device type . . . . . . *afpds *SCS, *IPDS,

*LINE...

jim

On Tue, Jan 13, 2026 at 3:46 PM Jim Franz <franz9000@xxxxxxxxx>

wrote:

use an external print file, source type PRTF
use font that is not fixed width - helvetica regular is 2304 and

bold

is

2305. the example below is pointsize 9 but you can go much

smaller).

There

are many other fonts, just know which are fixed width characters...
use position on the page (x and y coordinates ( not spacea (space

after)

or spaceb (space before) - the x & y coordinates can be field

values,

does

not have to be hardcoded in printer file.

your compile parameters - 255 is max for page length (not width)
378 is max width

Page size:

Length--lines per page . . . . 66 .001-255.000

Width--positions per line . . 132 .001-378.000

Measurement method . . . . . . *ROWCOL *ROWCOL, *UOM

Lines per inch . . . . . . . . . 6 6, 3, 4, 7.5, 7,5,

8,

9,

12
Characters per inch . . . . . . 10 10, 5, 12, 13.3,

13,3,

15...

sample
A R NCBOXPERM1 BOX(4.90 6.44 5.75 7.70

*NARROW)

A FONT(2304 (*POINTSIZE 9))
A @PERMIT1 16 POSITION(5.06 6.50)
A @PERMIT2 16 POSITION(5.18 6.50)
A @PERMIT3 16 POSITION(5.30 6.50)
A @PERMIT4 16 POSITION(5.42 6.50)
A @PERMIT5 16 POSITION(5.54 6.50)
A @PERMIT6 16 POSITION(5.66 6.50)

hope this helps
jim franz

On Tue, Jan 13, 2026 at 3:25 PM Mohan Eashver <mohankva@xxxxxxxxx>

wrote:

Hello and Happy new year to you all,

I need to produce a report [spool file] that is over 350

characters

wide.

That is my 1st goal.
My 2nd goal is to convert the spool into a PDF & e-Mail to an US
Government
Agency.
I got a 3rd party tool that will take a spool file as input &

convert

to

PDF hence I may be OK & no problem on the 2nd goal.

But I cannot get thru my 1st goal namely the DDS does not allow me

to

print
anything beyond 255 characters width.

Here are the 2 messages I get:
* CPD7807 10 2 Message . . . . : Length and

position

values cause fields to overlap.
* CPD7874 30 1 Message . . . . : Line or

position

value

greater than 255.

So, I do not have a way to produce a spool file far wider than 255

Chars.

This is USDA which is a bureaucratic government Agency hence they

are

not

accepting a CSV from us.

Is there a tool that will take a Physical File or a CSV from IFS

Directory

& turn it into a Spool file ?
OR
Is there a tool that will take a Physical File or a CSV from IFS

Directory

& turn it into PDF ?
OR
Is there another option ?

----
Regards,
Mohan Eashver
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