win98 ignoring PCL Commands

[gee001]

I have a dbase iv application and needed to use an HP 5L printer. I include PCL commands in my program using the CHR() function. This worked out fine for a computer using Win2000. The same Program however when run on a Computer using Win98 ignores the PCL Commands.

Please Help !

 

[tviman]

I wouldn't think that the platform would make any difference so I'm thinking that maybe you're printing through a network, or, you need to load the HP 5L drivers on the W98 machine. If you're printing through a network, make sure that the drivers are available to the W98 machine.

I see this a lot when there is 1 W2000 machine acting as a network server to 1 or more W98 machines. W2000 sometimes is tempermental about resource access by other machines.

Whatever the reasons, this is an interesting problem so please post back when you figure it out!

Good luck to you! There's always a better way...

 

[gee001]

Hie !

The Printer needs to be switched off then on again if the PCL commands have to take effect. That is the reason i thought Win200 was working well because i would connect the printer then run the program. The user on the win98 computer would first run other dbase application then when she runs this particular program that has PCL commands, they would be ignored. So i switched the printer off then back on again and asked her to run the particular program and all was well.

For now i have asked the user to first switch printer off then back on again before running the program that has PCL commands.

I wonder why ?

 

[tviman]

Are you including the "reset" command after running yor PCL/dBase application? As I recall, it's something like CHR(27)+CHR("E&quot - but you should check the PCL guide. This is supposed to restore the default printer settings after the print job has completed. There's always a better way...