Controlling Printer Activity

You may use the SPOOLER command to start, suspend, resume and stop spooler processes, and release spoolfiles from a spooler process. The SPOOLER command may be entered only at the console unless enabled to other users with the ALLOW or ASSOCIATE commands.

To start the spooler

Entering the START parameter with an ldev parameter opens the spool queue for the specified device and starts a spooler process for only that device. The use of SPOOLER;DEV=nn;START allows spoolfiles targeted for that device and any device class name that contains that device to print. To start a spooler process for each device in devclass LP, enter:

   SPOOLER DEV=LP;START

Or, because DEV= is optional, enter:

   SPOOLER LP;START

To suspend spooling

The SUSPEND parameter within the SPOOLER command temporarily suspends the spooler process. The spooled device remains spooled and the queue maintains its current status (open or shut). To suspend printing, enter:

   SPOOLER 6;SUSPEND

To suspend spooling but let current spoolfile finish

When a spooler is suspended, spoolfiles may continue to be created but the spooler process does not continue to print files. To suspend spooling but allow a current spoolfile to finish printing, enter:

   SPOOLER 6;SUSPEND;FINISH

To reprint a specified number of pages

The - option of the OFFSET parameter indicates that the offset is backward rather than forward. In the example below, printing would resume three pages back from the last page printed, unless the offset is further adjusted with the ;RESUME or ;RELEASE options. To reprint three pages, enter:

   SPOOLER 6;SUSPEND;OFFSET=-3

To move ahead a certain number of pages

The + option of the OFFSET parameter indicates that the offset is forward. In the example below, printing would resume five pages forward, unless the offset is further adjusted with the ;RESUME or ;RELEASE options. To move ahead from the last page printed, enter:

   SPOOLER 6;SUSPEND;OFFSET=+5

To begin printing on a specified page

The absence of a + or - indicates an absolute offset from the beginning of the spoolfile.

To begin printing on a specified page, enter:

   SPOOLER 6;SUSPEND;OFFSET=7

If ;OFFSET is not specified, printing resumes at the page where it was stopped. This is also the default.

To print a spoolfile at its beginning

It is important to understand that pages are defined only for control of intelligent peripherals (CIPER) protocol devices and HP 2680 and HP 2688 page printers. For these devices, a page is one physical sheet. Pages are not defined for other devices, and the results of using the ;OFFSET parameter are unpredictable for them. To print a spoolfile from the beginning, enter:

   SPOOLER 6;SUSPEND;OFFSET=1

To suspend spooling immediately

The combination of the NOW, KEEP, and zero OFFSET parameters (all defaults) is a unique situation. When the spooler receives this form of the SUSPEND option, it suspends after processing the current record. To suspend printing immediately, enter:

   SPOOLER 6;SUSPEND;NOW

Because ;NOW is the default, it may be omitted.

To resume spooling

Use the ;RESUME option of the SPOOLER command to restart the spooler process. If the spooler process retained a spoolfile while it was suspended, you can specify where to restart the printing. To resume printing, enter:

   SPOOLER 6;RESUME

To resume printing at the beginning of the spoolfile

Use the OFFSET parameter of the SPOOLER command to resume printing at the beginning of a spoolfile:

   SPOOLER 6;RESUME;OFFSET=1

To resume printing on a particular page

If you know the page number of the spoolfile that you want to start on (for example, page 7), enter:

   SPOOLER 6;RESUME;OFFSET=7

To resume and reprint a certain number of pages

Use the - option of the OFFSET parameter to back up a certain number of pages:

   SPOOLER 6;RESUME;OFFSET=-4

To resume and move ahead a certain number of pages

Use the + option of the OFFSET parameter to move ahead to certain pages:

   SPOOLER 6;RESUME;OFFSET=+4

The plus sign means advance four pages from where it is now. Without the plus sign, it means page number 4.

To stop a spooler process

Use the STOP option of the SPOOLER command to stop a spooler process. For example:

   SPOOLER 6;STOP

This command also closes the spooling queues for logical device 6.

To stop the spooler process but leave spooling queues open

Use the OPENQ option to stop the spooler and leave the spooling queues open. For example:

   SPOOLER 6;OPENQ;STOP