funny XPRINT thing with laserjet

[Chris Holbrook]

The following compileable 8.04 code, extracted from an application of mine, creates TWO pages of output on my HP laserJet 1020. If I comment out the XPRINT SET ORIENTATION line then a single page results. Funnily enough, other non-PB applications which I use do not result in a blank page being printed first, even when the orientation appears to have been changed.

I would prefer not to have to ditch XPRINT, as I have an investment of time in the application, but this blank page makes the application look inept.

Am I misusing XPRINT? Expecting too much of XPRINT? Will there be a happy ending?

#COMPILE EXE
#DIM ALL
#INCLUDE "WIN32API.INC"

%IDD_DIALOG1 = 101

CALLBACK FUNCTION ShowDIALOG1Proc()

    SELECT CASE AS LONG CBMSG
        CASE %WM_INITDIALOG
             XPRINT ATTACH "laserjet"
             XPRINT FONT "Courier New", 10, 0
             XPRINT SET ORIENTATION 2
             XPRINT : XPRINT :XPRINT "hello world!";
             XPRINT CLOSE

    END SELECT
END FUNCTION
'----------------------------------------------------
FUNCTION ShowDIALOG1(BYVAL hParent AS DWORD) AS LONG
    LOCAL lRslt AS LONG
    LOCAL hDlg  AS DWORD

    DIALOG NEW hParent, "LaserJet 1020 XPRINT test", 70, 70, 201, 121, %WS_POPUP OR %WS_BORDER OR %WS_DLGFRAME OR %WS_SYSMENU OR _
        %WS_CLIPSIBLINGS OR %WS_VISIBLE OR %DS_MODALFRAME OR %DS_3DLOOK OR %DS_NOFAILCREATE OR %DS_SETFONT, %WS_EX_CONTROLPARENT _
        OR %WS_EX_LEFT OR %WS_EX_LTRREADING OR %WS_EX_RIGHTSCROLLBAR, TO hDlg
    DIALOG SHOW MODAL hDlg, CALL ShowDIALOG1Proc TO lRslt
    FUNCTION = lRslt
END FUNCTION
'================================================
FUNCTION PBMAIN()
    ShowDIALOG1 %HWND_DESKTOP
END FUNCTION

[Michael Mattias]

Try setting the orientation before you set the font.

It may be that setting the font requires some kind of "new page" or "end of prior page" thingee and if that occurs AFTER the orientation is set you may not see the deleterious effects observered to date.

Hell, it's a thought anyway; and for sure darned easy to try.

[Walt Thompson]

Shot in the Dark

Hi Chris;

I notice that you have 3 XPRINT commands.

"XPRINT : XPRINT :XPRINT "hello world!";"

Perhaps, one of the blank XPRINT commands is acting like a form feed.

[Charles Dietz]

Chris, how about using XPRINT ATTACH CHOOSE, and selecting the printer yourself?

[Steve Rossell]

XPRINT SET ORIENTATION must be executed before any other XPRINT statements on a page. It must immediately follow an XPRINT ATTACH or XPRINT FORMFEED. Otherwise, the intervening statements give PowerBASIC the impression that the current printer page has been drawn on and must be ejected from the printer.

[Michael Mattias]

XPRINT SET ORIENTATION must be executed before any other XPRINT statements ...

Your reply looks like the "remarks" section for the XPRINT SET ORIENTATION help.

Well, the remarks in the next release of the help file, anyway.....

[Chris Holbrook]

XPRINT SET ORIENTATION must be executed before any other XPRINT statements on a page.

That works, thanks Steve!

[Gösta H. Lovgren-2]

Try setting the orientation before you set the font.

It may be that setting the font requires some kind of "new page" or "end of prior page" thingee and if that occurs AFTER the orientation is set you may not see the deleterious effects observered to date.

Not to quarrel with "On High", but Xprint allows the font to be changed any number of times on the same page (even on the same line I think). Changing the font does not, by itself, force a form feed.

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"A dog is the only thing on earth
that loves you more than he loves himself."
Josh Billings
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[Fred Buffington]

Chris, Thanks for your post. Had the same problem here on a landscape form.

Steve, thanks for your answer.