Printing to file with SPOOL

[gus]

Hello, 

I just wanted to know the equivalent of:

   LPT1 = SPOOL "%ProgramFiles%\Windows NT\Accessories\wordpad.exe" #lpt1.txt

in VDOS latest version.

Mainly I just want VDOS to send all the printing data up to that point to a file. I don´t know how to do it in the latest version.

Thanks for the help

Gus

[Jos]

It should be:

LPT1 = TIO:SPOOL "%ProgramFiles%\Windows NT\Accessories\wordpad.exe" #lpt1.txt

But I noticed that by incorporating SPOOL into TIO with version 2020.03.01, TIO doesn’t allow a Windows program specification anymore.

I’ll look into that. For now probably the only way to accomplish what you want would be:

LPT1 = TIO:SPOOL

After Ctrl+S, cancel the Windows print job, and open #LPT1.TXT ‘by hand’ or a shortcut.

Jos

[Jos]

Sorry, I decided not to come with a solution for this issue.

I already was doubtful about the usefulness of SPOOL and if it should stay in at all.
Printing is since version 2020.03.01 done by a separate thread, so one can just leave the Windows Printer Selection open until a print is desired.

But the #LPTx/#COMx.asc/txt files are then not updated and this of course won’t work with a preselected printer.

SPOOL is no longer a separate option, I would have to make too many modifications to allow a Windows command after TIO:. Consider exceptions like if it is a Windows device, and excluded options like FONT and the like.

Jos

[jamesb52]

Sharkbase offers a built-in SPOOL output to a text-file which is really useful. Do other DOS programs have this option?

[Jos]

Several programs will have an option to save printer output to a text file.
But that will overwrite the contents already in there. So differs from the SPOOL option of vDos, accumulating output of printjobs.

Jos

[jamesb52]

Jan 22, 2022 17:12:02 GMT 1 Jos said:

Several programs will have an option to save printer output to a text file.
But that will overwrite the contents already in there. So differs from the SPOOL option of vDos, accumulating output of printjobs.

Jos

VP-Info SPOOLs output to a unique file name (an invoice number, for example:"12345.INV" thereby keeping all output stored nicely.  I'm thinking that any useful dBase-type application would be able to do this?  I've got 20+ years of invoices SPOOL'd in just a tiny bit of space on my C: drive.  I know it's a bit pointless, but I enjoy the fact that they're always there, easy to back up, easy to find, easy to email.