Re: Host Print Transform & PostScript

["Paul Tykodi" <p.tykodi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Scott,

Host print transform up through V5R2 does not support converting either SCS
or AFPDS formatted spool files into PostScript. I believe that IBM might be
considering adding that feature to host print transform in a future release
of OS/400.

Today you have three options for supporting PostScript printers from an
iSeries or AS/400 host:

1. Use the old API you mentioned for AFPDS spool files. Users in the
comp.sys.ibm.as400.misc usenet newsgroup have mentioned that it can create
simple PostScript quite well. If the AFPDS file gets rather complex in terms
of its format, the API sometimes has difficulty converting the file
correctly into PostScript.

2. Use an iSeries Access PC5250 printer session for receiving SCS spool
files into a Windows operating system PC. If you were to configure an
iSeries Access PC5250 print session that was not using Host Print Transform
(uncheck the box Transform Print Data to ASCII on AS/400), the OS/400 EBCDIC
data would be transferred natively from the AS/400 to the PC running iSeries
Access. If you also make sure that you do not select the Use PDT checkbox,
iSeries Access will convert your EBCDIC
data into a Windows format known as GDI on the PC running iSeries Access.
The GDI format is the generic input format required by Windows print
drivers. You will be able to use PostScript print drivers in the Windows
environment to format the OS/400 data correctly maintaining all of the spool
file attributes.

3. Use a third party conversion software that runs under OS/400 (an example
would be Create!Print from Create!Form International) to convert your spool
files from their native format to PostScript before sending the data to the
target printer. You can also use a third party software that looks like an
IPDS printer to receive AFPDS spool files, converted into IPDS by PSF/400,
and then converted into PostScript by the third party software.

HTH

Best Regards,

/Paul
--
Paul Tykodi
National Product Manager
Print4sight Inc.

p: 603-431-0606 x115
f: 603-436-6432
E-mail: p.tykodi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
www.print4sight.com

Special Note: On November 30th, 2002, Print4sight Inc. acquired the business
assets and business activity of Intermate US Inc.

Print4sight Inc. as an official North American distributor will continue to
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in Portsmouth, NH, USA.


>Date: Fri, 2 May 2003 13:49:07 -0500 (CDT)
>From: Scott Klement <klemscot@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: Host Print Transform & PostScript
>
>
>Has anyone gotten Host Print Transform to output to a PostScript (only)
>printer?
>
>I know about the QWPZTAFP API...  But IBM says that Host Print Transform
>should be used instead.   And...  there doesn't appear to be any way to
>use HPT to output as PostScript!
>
>I have both AFP and SCS spooled files, and I'd like both of them to be
>automagically transformed to PostScript and then sent to the printer.