RE: Printing images from the /400 -- MIDRANGE-L

Mark,

The plot gets thicker...

The AFPRSC keyword is currently only valid for spool files that are
transformed into PDF by Infoprint server.

From here:

http://www-912.ibm.com/s_dir/slkbase.nsf/62c08e2c0bfd35a886256b100068dd6
1/1ad308ccbeb4bd5286256fe90043ba35?OpenDocument&Highlight=2,AFPRSC
Or http://tinyurl.com/nuyrc

"V5R3 IBM(r) eServer(tm) i5 is required to use the new AFPRSC (AFP
Resource) DDS printer file keyword. The V5R3 IBM(r) Infoprint(r) Server
(product 5722IP1) IPDS to PDF transform supports this new DDS keyword.
We do not have information about any IBM(r) IPDS(tm) printer models that
support this new AFP Resource keyword yet. For information on IBM
printers, contact your marketing representative or the IBM Printing
Systems Company at 1-800-426-7378 and select Option 1. For information
on other printers, contact the vendor or manufacturer for that printer."

The IBM support person responded to my PMR worded the above like so:
"At this time, I don't know of any IPDS printer hardware models that

actually has AFPRSC support capabilities yet. The IPDS to PDF transform 
is the only "printer" that I know of that has this support."

Not sure I agree that the processing is convoluted on the iSeries.
Simple text and simple graphical printing: included in OS
Complex graphical printing: need PSF/400 and *IPDS printers
Complex multi-source or electronic document handling: need PSF/400 and
Infoprint Server.

I think however, that in this day and age, it would behoove IBM to throw
PSF/400 and Infoprint Server in the base price of the OS.

Charles Wilt
--
iSeries Systems Administrator / Developer
Mitsubishi Electric Automotive America
ph: 513-573-4343
fax: 513-398-1121

-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx 
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of 
mlazarus@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, August 08, 2006 11:44 AM
To: midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: Printing images from the /400

Charles,

 It is a fine difference and the DDS manual should be a lot 
more specific. 
With the information spread out over many manuals it's very 
difficult to
get clear picture of what's supported and how to easily get 
from point A to
point B.

 Third party products we've looked into are Formtastic (from 
Quadrant) and
we are waiting for a response from RJS.  I'm also waiting for 
a response
from someone at IBM's printing division.

 I'm amazed that it's still so difficult to get this "simple 
task" to work
without expensive add-on products and convoluted processing.

 -mark

Original Message:
-----------------
From: Wilt, Charles CWilt@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Tue, 8 Aug 2006 11:20:03 -0400
To: midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: Printing images from the /400

Mark,

You were looking in a different manual that I was.  I was 
looking in the
DDS Reference for printer files.  It only said:

In order to print based on the values specified for certain keywords,
PSF is required. For example, spooled files generated with
DEVTYPE(*AFPDS) can only be printed by PSF. Here is a list of DDS
keywords that are valid for printer files that have the printer device
type (DEVTYPE) parameter value specified as *AFPDS. 
Restrictions on DDS
keywords are contained in this list as well. 
v AFPRSC
v BARCODE 
v BOX
<snip>

The DDS manual is not (entirely) correct.

While it is true that all of those keywords require DEVTYPE(*AFPDS).
PSF/400 is not always required to print DEVTYPE(*AFPDS) spool files

You can print *AFPDS spool files:
1) via HPT to *ASCII printers with some limitations
2) via PSF/400 to *IPDS printers
3) via PSF/400 and Infoprint server to PDF printers

Notice that PSF/400 is only used in options 2 & 3.  As it happens,
AFPRSC is one of the keywords that HPT doesn't support.  But the DDS
manual doesn't specifically say that.

The DDS manual doesn't differentiate between keywords such as AFPRSC
which are not supported by HPT and those such as BOX and BARCODE which
HPT does support.

I agree that the manual you are looking at specifically says 
PSF/400 is
required for the AFPRSC keyword.

However, they key is that HPT doesn't support the AFPRSC keyword, thus
you are left with options #2 and #3 above both of which 
require PSF/400.

PSF/400 doesn't add any capabilities to HPT.  So you can't 
print a spool
file that uses AFPRSC to an *ASCII printer even if you have PSF/400.

It would be more correct to say that AFPRSC requires a device defined
TYPE(*IPDS) AFP(*YES).

Do you see the difference?

Of course, this whole discussion is only looking at IBM 
products.  There
are third party products that support converting *AFPDS spool files to
PDF.  Those third party products don't require PSF/400; as 
PSF/400 only
comes into play when the iSeries sends spool files to a printer.  I
wonder if any of the third party products support spool files 
that make
use of the AFPRSC command?

Charles Wilt
--
iSeries Systems Administrator / Developer
Mitsubishi Electric Automotive America
ph: 513-573-4343
fax: 513-398-1121

-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx 
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of 
mlazarus@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, August 08, 2006 9:18 AM
To: midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: Printing images from the /400

Charles,

 Maybe this will convince you - from a v5r4 manual:

http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/iseries/v5r4/topic/bo
oks/s5445319.p
df

 Check out (printed) page 18, table 4 (it's on page 36 of

the PDF.)


Table 4. DDS Keywords that Require PSF
AFP resource (AFPRSC) 
...

 -mark

Original Message:
-----------------
From: Wilt, Charles CWilt@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Tue, 8 Aug 2006 07:34:52 -0400
To: midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: Printing images from the /400


Mark,

I'm not convinced.

The v5r4 manual says specifically: "In order to print based on the
values specified for certain keywords, PSF is required. For example,
spooled files generated with DEVTYPE(*AFPDS) can only be printed by
PSF."

The is most definitely not true as *AFPDS spool files can be 
printed to
*ASCII printers via HPT without PSF/400.

The fact remains, PSF/400 is not used when printing to *ASCII 
printers.

Now it's entirely possible that HPT doesn't handle this

keyword, but I

don't see spelled out. 

If HPT doesn't handle this keyword, then to make use of it 
you'd need to
print it to an *IPDS AFP(*YES) printer which would indeed require
PSF/400.


HTH,
Charles

-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx 
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of 
mlazarus@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Monday, August 07, 2006 4:24 PM
To: midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: Printing images from the /400

Charles,

 From the v5.3 manual:
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/iseries/v5r3/index.js
p?topic=/rzakd
/rzakdmstafprsc.htm

Note:
Feature PSF/400 is required for use of this keyword. If

PSF/400 is not

installed, you will not be able to print files using this

keyword and

specifying DEVTYPE(*AFPDS).

 -mark

Original Message:
-----------------
From: Wilt, Charles CWilt@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Mon, 7 Aug 2006 15:59:56 -0400
To: midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: Printing images from the /400

Doug,

I don't see anything about AFPRSC requiring PSF/400 in the 
DDS Reference
for printer files.

As I understand it, PSF/400 plays no role when printing

*AFPDS spool

files to an *ASCII printer via HPT so I don't see why it would be
required.

Charles

-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx 
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of

Douglas Handy

Sent: Monday, August 07, 2006 3:42 PM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: Re: Printing images from the /400

Charles,

PSF/400 is _NOT_ required to print from the iSeries to *ASCII 
printers.

Sorry to not be more specific.  I was referring to the use of 
AFPRSC() for
adding TIFF images dynamically to the output.  In this

case, I believe

PSF/400 is required, even if it is an ASCII printer.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

Doug



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