Queue Types
Queues are an integral part of RPM. understanding queue types and managing queues is one of the many features that set RPM apart from other LPD servers, hardware or software. Queue management is key to getting the greatest value from RPM.
Filter Queue | Text Queue | Raw Queue
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Text Printing |
Text printing allows RPM to adapt text to any Windows printer using the print driver. The ability to handle many text formats intelligently, while providing a simple interface, has been a key reason for administrators and other IT professionals to make the switch from their existing print server to RPM. |
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Text features include:
Printer
RPM lets you print to any Windows printer available to the PC; text printing goes one step farther by using the printer settings you select.
For instance, open a queue and select the printer, then the orientation (Landscape vs. Portrait) and the paper size (e.g. Letter vs. A4). Save these settings and RPM will use them whenever a print job is submitted to this queue.
Margins
RPM provides the tools to set page margins, using metric and US units, points and picas. RPM also retrieves the actual printer margins and adjusts as needed.
For instance, certain HP printers have a 0.667 inch margin. Given the default text margin of 0.5 inches, RPM automatically adjusts the printed margins, font scaling, line placement and wrapping as needed.
Fonts
RPM allows the user to select any font supported by the designated printer. However, if the user specifies a non-ASCII code page then RPM will limit the choice of fonts, if that code page uses a special character set.
RPM also gives you fine control over the font size. You can:
- Select the font and size using the Windows font dialog
- Specify the lines per inch or the lines per page (within the top and bottom margins)
- Specify the characters per inch or line length (between the left and right margins)
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This makes it very easy to print if you know the number of lines or columns. Just tell RPM how many lines and/or columns to use, and let it do the rest!
Lines
RPM can wrap or truncate lines, using either the margins or the line length.
Bold & Overstrike
RPM recognizes the backspace character (Ctrl+H or 0x08) as a command to overprint. RPM also recognizes line segments, which end in line feed or form feed, using carriage return as a command to return to the left margin. This format is used by many legacy systems such as mainframes and AS/400s.
Banner Page
The LPD specification states that a banner page prints by default and that the print client must suppress it. However, this is not practical in many situations, so RPM supports an option to suppress the banner, whether requested by the print client or not.
Blank Pages
By default, RPM will not print any page that contains only white space (non-printing characters). This has proved to be a significant cost savings to many of our users.
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Pass-through Printing (raw) |
 RPM can send data directly to the printer using pass-through printing. This feature is common among print servers, however, few software print servers can accomplish this without any modification of the data. This queue type acts as if the printer is locally attached to the mainframe. Enhanced features and translations such as EBCDIC, SCS and ASA to ASCII can be performed if necessary. In addition, the following features can be used.
Separator Page
Users can browse for a file that is sent to the printer between every print job. This is typically a printer ready file, however, many printers will print a plain text file without printer specific codes included.
"Raw" Banner Page
In RPM versions for Windows 2000/NT, RPM can optionally create a banner page, much like the text queue. If this option is enabled, every job printed from this queue will contain a banner page with data received in the control file, not just when specified. In RPM for Windows 95-98/Me, a banner must be requested by the sending side.
Translate LF to CR/LF
Many UNIX platforms use the line feed (LF) character to signal the end of each line of text. Most printers require the end-of-line to be both a carriage return (CR) and a line feed. This option should be enabled only if the data contains LF as the end-of-line character, without CR.
RPM offers much more with pass-through printing than hardware or other software print servers.
- RPM sends print jobs to any Windows printer, both local and networked. Most solutions offer pass-through printing only on locally connected printers.
- RPM performs any of a number of customizations on print data before printing.
- RPM allows you to specify a page separator string (which defaults to form feed), allowing the user to control the starting and ending pages when the job prints.
- RPM can append the page separator to the print job if needed.
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 Filter processing in RPM provides the means to integrate print data with third party software and custom processing, while continuing to use the established printing services in your business system.
Put simply, the goal is to save the print job on disk and optionally open the file in another software application.
Run your Software
To support running a Windows program, RPM provides the following:
- Browse for a program path, edit the command line
- Run one program at a time (e.g. reduce impact on interactive user)
- Remove the print job when the program is finished
- Select a folder, or directory to store incoming print data
Write to Disk
RPM also supports a variety of file naming and storage requirements:
- RPM uses long or short names for compatibility with 16-bit or newer software.
- Add a file extension to the name
- RPM offers fine control over the filename, including a custom prefix and optional use of the global sequence number or job specific data (e.g., host name, remote filename, etc.)
- RPM provides a guarantee of a unique filename by adding a numbered extension if needed.
- RPM can append the print job to an existing file.
As with pass-through printing, enhanced features can be used.
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