Maintain Printers {GPRT-1}

All printers to be used in printing of reports must be defined in this option, as well as their printer instructions and possible Escape Sequences.

Fields in the option:

Block 1: Printer Definitions

Field	Type & Length	Description
Printer Sequence	N4	The sequence in which the printers are to be displayed for users, should be entered here.
Printer Code	A10	PSEUDO name of this printer. The actual UNIX device (without the "/dev/" part) may be used if preferred.
Printer Description	A40	Enter the description to be displayed in the list of available printers on the print menu.
Use Batch	A1	The system will default to (N)o. Only printers set up as batch printers will be displayed when reports are generated. When starting a job in the deferred batch module, the question "Do You Want To Select A Printer For The Output At This Stage" will be asked. If a (Y)es is replied, the queue builder will display only those printer names and descriptions with a (Y)es entered here, and prompt for a printer selection. The output files with the extension .pc, .sql, may be printed to printers indicated as Batch 'Y'. A user may then select any of the printers to which he/she is linked.
Printer Definitions: Printer Instructions
Printer Code	A10	The PSEUDO printer name (as defined in Block 1 above). The <LIST> function will display all valid printer codes.
Seq	N2	The sequence number of the print instruction, should more than one instruction be necessary. Printer instructions will be executed in the sequence defined here.
Instruction	A80	This field may contain 80 characters although only 58 are displayed. It must contain all the necessary commands to drive the printer (e.g. for a printout on printer lp2, which is not the default system printer, the instruction should be "lp -dlp2 $B"). NOTE: '$B' is a substitution parameter. Whenever '$B' is encountered within the printer instructions, the printer program will replace the parameter with the generated output file name. Other replacement parameters available are: $A Will be replaced by the menu description of the option selected. $C Will be replaced by the Oracle user name of the person who initiated the request. In the batch processor, this will also work. $D Will be replaced by the REQUEST number if the job was run in BATCH mode, or '0' if the job was run on-line. $F Will be replaced by the form description when, and as defined in {GPRT-2}. $W Will be replaced by the current working directory.
Copy from		Specify the printer whose instructions you wish to copy.
Copy to		Specify the printer code to which you want the instructions copied.
Copy Printer Instructions		Copy the instructions. The procedure to do this is: Create the printer code in block 1 Query the new printer code in block 2 Enter the from printer code in the "Copy from" field Enter the new printer code in the "Copy to" field Press the "Copy Printer Instructions" button.
		Example 1

Example:

Block 3: Printer Escape Sequences

These Escape Sequence Codes may be defined here after a description has been added in Block 3 of this option. The system is supplied with a basic set for two generally used printers. The user may add, alter or change these as seen fit. One can be very resourceful with these sequences.

The output of printouts will be passed through a filter program that will substitute the user-defined codes by the actual printer escape sequences.

This facility can be used in any of the different Letter Documents Subsystems in the Financial, Personnel and Student Systems. For further use, the user should consult the appropriate manuals for a description of the use of the Letter Documents Subsystems.

The procedure here is to query the "Old Printer" name, and insert a "New Printer" name, which has already been defined in Block 3.

The set of escape sequence codes, which existed for the old printer, will now also exist for the new printer and appropriate changes may be made if necessary.

Field	Type & Length	Description
Printer Code	A10	The PSEUDO printer name (as defined in Block 1 above). The <LIST> function will display all valid printer codes.
Escape Code	A5	The Code for the Escape sequence. This is the user-defined name for this Escape, as defined on the 3rd TAB of this option. The <LIST> function will display all valid codes.
Escape Sequence	A80	This field may contain 80 characters although only 64 are displayed. It must contain all the necessary escape sequences as per the printer manuals. The \nnn notation should be used where nnn = the decimal code. The system will be released with a basic code set for a HP LaserJet, and an Epson dot matrix printer inserted here.
Copy from	A10	The PSEUDO printer name (as defined in Block 1) of which the codes are to be copied.
Copy to	A10	The new Printer name to which the escape sequences are to be copied.
Copy Printer Escape Sequence

Example:

Block 4: Printer Escape Sequences Descriptions

The Escape Sequence Descriptions are defined here.

Field	Type & Length	Description
Escape Code	A10	The user Name of the Printer Escape.
Description	A5	The Description for the Escape Sequence code. This is the user-defined description for this Escape Sequence.

Example:

Examples

A pseudo printer called "laser123" was defined to print compressed to a HP LaserJet. (The control characters to put the printer into compress mode and to reset it afterwards may differ depending on the printer make and model).

SEQ INSTRUCTION 1 echo "^(s17H" $Bt 5 cat $B $Bt 10 mv $Bt $B 15 echo "^E" $B 20 lp -dls $B

REMEMBER:

Parts of a report(s) or letter(s)/notices(s) can be sent to system users. For example, if a student/personnel member has books outstanding at the library and he/she has an email address, the user can email the notice to the person. There is also a parameter to indicate whether or not the email text part should be duplicated in the output file. A single letter can also be divided - sending part of it via email and the other part printed.

To mail data from the ITS system to users, the following must be done in Maintain Printers:

Step

Block

Action

Define a new printer in block 1 with the code 'itsemail' in lowercase, one word. This printer should not be linked to any user and is only used by the print formatting program.

Code	Sequence	Instruction
itsemail	1	Instruction: cat $B /XX/XX/disclaimer \| mailx -s "$A" $E The institution may want to add a disclaimer to all documentation sent by mail. This can be done by creating a disclaimer as a file under a specific directory and entering the full path in the instruction above. Replace /XX/XX/file by the correct path detail.

Define another printer with the code 'prepemail'. This printer code can be linked to users and must be used when preparing reports to send via email.

Code	Sequence	Instruction
prepemail	1	$W../g07ccc $B $B.out ls
	2	cat $B \| mailx -s "System eMail" $E
	3	mv $B.out $B
	4	#move .out to $B for subsequent viewing or printing

A new variable, $E is used. The various parameters will be substituted in the print process (as normally), and they represent the following:

$B : output file
$B.out : new output file used for splitting of original report (part email/part report)
$W : current working directory
$E : email address
'ls' can be any defined printer which the user wants to send the non-emailed parts of a report / letter to and formatting on this text can be done (e.g. bold and underline, as defined in the escape sequences for that printer).

In the notice/letter text set-up, do the following:

The start and end of an email message is indicated respectively with %ITSPRINTER Y/N itsemail email_address "Subject"
(Y : email text will also be written to output file)
and %ITSPRINTER END Note: the % must be in the first column

Example of sending a part of a document via email

This functionality is built into the ITS programs and cannot be added by the user.

Line Number	Instruction	Outcome
1	Text Line	sent to the output file.
2	text %ITSPRINTER N printer1	sent to the output file.
3	text %ITSPRINTER Y itsemail user@institution.ac.za "Overdue notices"	sent to printer1, but is NOT written to the output file.
4	text %ITSPRINTER END	is sent to "user" via email, and is also printed in the output file
5	text	is only printed in the output file

Example of sending a letter/notice via email

The users must add this instruction in the text of all notices/letters.

The printer name MUST be to send text to email.

Code	Instruction
'itsemail'	%ITSPRINTER Y itsemail $E$ Remember there can be nothing after $E$

Content of the documentation:

$D50$ $D56$

Dear student

Your current balance is R $D2$.

You are enrolled for the following subjects: $D1$

%ITSPRINTER END $F$

Processing Rules
	No special processing rules

Date	System Version	By Whom	Job	Description
24-Mar-2007	v01.0.0.0	Amanda Nell	t134794	New manual format.
10-Mar-2008	v01.0.0.0	Vaughn Dumas	t134794	System owner proof read.