Write a • (bullet point) using PCL 1

[JamesMoffitt]

I want to insert a bullet point • into PCL. How do I do this?! How would I insert other characters that there is no key on the keyboard for. Other posts in this forum have indicated using the octal code for the character, others the ASCII code. No examples were given. The ASCII (Decimal) code for the bullet is 149. The UNICODE Hex code is 2022. I am sure this is a really easy question for the right person. If possible can you give me some kind of example. Thanks in advance.

 

[UncleRick]

There is a basic intro to PCL here:

http://www.digitalissues.co.uk/html/software/utils/pcl_index.html

It includes, with examples, how to use a hex editor to do just what you’re asking. There are many ways to do this and this is only one.

Hope it helps,

 

[jlasman]

If you get the text editor "vim", you will find that it has a feature called "digraphs". It is widely available on the net.

Pick a symbol set that contains the bullet. The windows latin 1 symbol set(19U)contains a bullet at chr(149).

In vim you would type ...

:dig aa 149

As soon as you enter the : the cursor to the bottom of the screen as you type the balance, Press enter and yiu will be back in the text area.

Now when you want chr(149) in your text, enter CTRL-K and a question mark will appear. Enter aa and the ? will be replaced by chr(149). You can map all the characters you desire.

I use vim for entering all PCL text, be it from UNIX or DOS.


Jim Asman
jlasman@telus.net

 

[JamesMoffitt]

Thanks for the responses. UncleRick, the link you supplied, while being helpful, did not say how to insert special characters.
jlasman, I followed your instructions to the tee. Thank you for posting them. In VIM, the bullets showed as squares, I figured that they would just print out on the printer as round bullet points. When I transferred my image back into SCO Unix and printed it, there were no bullet points, where I had inserted them was blank. Nothing there... Using VI I edited the file and where the bullet points where supposed to be there was a \225 there. Where have I gone wrong??!!
Does anyone know how to do the bullet points in VI??!! That would be the most convenient.

 

[jlasman]

Get vim for SCO Unix. That is my primary platform.

Jim Asman
jlasman@telus.net

 

[jlasman]

That is just a difference in how "vi" displays it. Octal \225 is char(149)

You won't see it on the screen as your display is probably mapped to PC8. But if you print to your LaserJet, using the windows latin charset 19U as the symbol set you will see a bullet.

Enter <esc>(19U into your PCL document before the \225 and you should have

Jim Asman
jlasman@telus.net

 

[JamesMoffitt]

That Worked! Setting the <esc>(19U before the \225 was the key. Jim, you mentioned the windows latin symbol set in your initial post but I didn't know how to change to it until your last post. Thanks! For those who wanted the exact syntax in VI here it is.
^[(19U \225
The ^[ is the VI escape sequence which is made by pressing CTRL - V and then ESC. The \225 was made by following Jim's previous post and using VIM to add the bullet point. I tried to make one in VI but it didn't work, it merely printed \225. I tried pressing CTRL - V and then \225 but it did not work. I am sure that someone out there know how to do it, but that may be for another forum. My thanks to Jim, I literally spent a day trying to get that to work, and had given up.