Generic spooled file concept

[Tom Liotta <qsrvbas@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I'm not looking for serious technical info on this since I can do 
most of the stuff on i that I want to do. What I'm looking for is 
some illumination. Just trying to understand mind-sets.

I regularly see requests about how to move or copy or display (or 
whatever) "our AS/400 reports" on Windows PCs.  I'm pretty sure most 
of us have seen related requests.

How often do requests happen like "How can I move (or copy or 
display or whatever) my Windows spooled files on another PC (or 
wherever)?"

I don't think I've personally ever seen a request for anything like 
what I see for spooled files from AS/400s.

Sure, everybody wants PDFs from everything; but, for those, it 
doesn't really matter what system is involved. I'm interested in 
hearing about requests for the actual spooled files themselves.

Does anybody see those kinds of requests for other platforms? Are 
there solutions that are anything like either CPYSPLF or the spooled 
file APIs to help with those requests? (If there are, can anybody 
supply some links?)

If not, why does the request show up for AS/400s?

Every rare once in a while, I've supplied an answer like "Do it just 
like you'd do it under Windows except use your AS/400 APIs instead 
of the Windows APIs." Most often, the response is something like 
"Windows spools printed output? Windows has print queues? Huh??"

So, why the apparent expectation that it's supposed to be easy on 
AS/400s?

Just curious...

Tom Liotta