HP 3000 Manuals HP 3000 Manuals
The FORMSALIGN Command
by Larry Byler
Commercial Systems Division
The new MPE/iX FORMSALIGN command configures one spooled printer, or a
group of spooled printers related by device class, to conditionally enter
into forms message dialog with the operator when the current spool file
includes a forms message. The conditions under which the spooler process
conducts the dialog are determined by the FORMSALIGN command options and,
possibly, by the spool file FORMID.
This article presents an overview of the command. A detailed description
can b found in the latest edition of the MPE/iX Commands Reference Manual
(32650-90003).
BACKGROUND
The MPE V and the MPE CM (pre-native mode) spoolers conducted a forms
message dialog with the operator for every copy of every spool file that
had a forms message. It did not matter whether the user was printing
several copies of the same file, single copies of related output
requiring the same special form, or completely unrelated outputs. If the
spoolfile had a forms message, the spoole conducted its dialog.
This mode of operation was not only operator-intensive, but also made it
impossible to print groups of such files unattended. In addition, the
alignmen pattern that accompanied the forms message dialog wasted one
form per copy. (CIPER printers do not print the alignment pattern except
in response to a printer front panel command, so this problem does not
apply to such printers).
To alleviate these problems, the Native Mode Spooler, first shipped with
XL Release 2.1, was designed to skip the forms message dialog whenever
the forms message o its previous spool file was the same as that of its
current one. Thus, the dialog was conducted for the first of consecutive
multiple copies but not thereafter. Also, if several different spool
files requiring the same form (an containing the same forms message) were
presented to the spooler consecutively, the spooler would then bypass the
forms message dialog on all but the first of these spool files.
In addition to the new forms message processing, the spooler also
bypassed any forms message dialog if consecutive spool files had the same
FORMID attribute. The FORMID is a new spoolfile attribute introduced
with the Native Mode Spooler. It allows users to treat related sets of
spool files requiring special forms as a group. The FORMID is a new FILE
equation keyword. It is also one of the keywords of the selection
equation option of the new SPOOLF and LISTSPF commands, allowing the
selection of a subset of spool files with the same FORMID.
The new FORMSALIGN command is a configuration command. With it, the
Native Mode Spooler can be configured to operate as it has since its
first release (this is now the default operation whenever the operating
system is restarted) or to operate as the MPE V and MPE CM spoolers did.
There are other operating modes as well.
COMMAND DESCRIPTION
The general form of the command, and a short description, is shown below.
Refer to the MPE/iX Commands Reference Manual for more complete
information.
:FORMSALIGN [DEV=]device specifier
[;[DIALOG=]option[,suboption]]
* device specifier can be an LDEV, a device class, or a device name.
If it is a device class, the command is applied to all devices in
the class. This parameter is required.
* option is one of EACHCHANGE, EACHFILE, or EACHCOPY. You may also
use the SHOW option, alone or with one of the EACHxxxx, as in
EACHCHANGE;SHOW.
* suboption is either FORMIDOVERRIDE or NOFORMIDOVERRIDE.
EACHCHANGE tells the spooler process to conduct the forms message dialog
only when the forms message of the current spool file differs from that
of the previous spool file printed by that process. This omits the
dialog for consecutive copies of the same spool file, or different spool
files with the same forms message.
EACHFILE is more restrictive. With this option in force, the spooler
process conducts the forms message dialog whenever the spoolid of the
current spool file differs from that of the previous spool file. This
omits the dialog for consecutive copies of the same spool file, but not
for different spool file with the same forms message.
EACHCOPY is the most restrictive, causing the spooler to conduct the
forms message dialog for every copy of every spool file.
FORMIDOVERRIDE causes the spooler to override (ignore) the current
EACHxxxx setting if either the previous or current spool file (or both)
contains a FORMID attribute. If the two FORMIDs are different, the
spooler always conducts a forms message dialog. If they are the same,
the spooler never conducts a forms message dialog. If neither spool file
contains a FORMID, the current EACHxxxx choice is observed. Note that
the current EACHxxxx setting is not cancelled when a FORMID is present,
it is merely ignored. It becomes effective once more when there is no
FORMID.
NOFORMIDOVERRIDE causes the spooler to ignore any and all FORMIDs, basing
its dialog decision solely on the EACHxxxx setting.
NOTE No matter what settings are in effect, if the device has special
forms mounted from the previous spool file, and the current spool
file has no forms message, the spooler conducts the "STANDARD
FORMS" dialog.
;SHOW displays the configuration of device specifier. If used with one
of the above options that changes the configuration, the change is made
first, then displayed. Any user can display the current configuration
with the ;SHOW option alone. To change the configuration, the user must
either be at the console, have been allowed the command, or have
associated device specifier. The FORMSALIGN command configuration
changes are kept in the device file(s) of device specifier. Any change
becomes effective at the start of the next copy printed by a spooler
process, because this is the only time that the configuration is read.
If a device becomes unspooled, its FORMSALIGN configuration is retained
in the device file and becomes effective once the device is again
spooled. Any changes made while the device is unspooled are also placed
in the device file and take effect when the device becomes spooled.
An unspooled device ignores any FORMSALIGN configuration and any FORMID
specifications. If a user FOPEN to such a device contains a forms
message, the forms message dialog is always conducted.
EXAMPLES
Here are three examples of the FORMSALIGN command:
* To obtain original (first release) Native Mode Spooler operation
for LDEV 6, enter:
:FORMSALIGN 6; EACHCHANGE,FORMIDOVERRIDE
_________________________________________________________________
NOTE This is the system default for all printers whenever the
system is restarted. To obtain different behavior, add one
or more FORMSALIGN commands to your SYSSTART file.
_________________________________________________________________
* To obtain the MPE V mode of operation for all devices in class LP,
enter:
:FORMSALIGN LP; EACHCOPY,NOFORMIDOVERRIDE
* To display the current FORMSALIGN setting of devices in class LP,
enter:
:FORMSALIGN LP; SHOW
FORMID
LDEV DEVNAME DIALOG OVERRIDE
19 00000019 EACHCHANGE YES
6 00000006 EACHFILE NO