(Page) When PAGE encounters a printer feature macro
character, if the printer feature is off, it
sends the ON string associated with that
printer feature. If the feature is on, it
sends the OFF string associated with that
printer feature.
All printer features default to OFF.
The ON and OFF strings are defined in a
PAGE.CTL file. This file, by deault is named
PAGE.CTL. When run, PAGE looks in the root
directory of the default drive for a file
named PAGE.CTL; if it exists, PAGE loads the
printer feature definitions. It then looks
in the current directory of the default
drive, and if a PAGE.CTL file is found, it
load that as well. Any feature macro
character defined in both files will remain
defined per the second file. This allows
printer features to be defined in the
"context" of a particular subdirectory while
also allowing a "global" definition for the
entire drive.
.RC can be used to read in a new PAGE printer
control file.
A "printer feature macro character" is a
single character which is used to indicate a
printer feature start or stop point.
Examples of "printer features" are:
The features above commonly found. However,
PAGE allows printer features to be defined
any way you choose, and can use any printer
feature your printer is capable of producing.
PAGE Printer Control Files
--------------------------
The PAGE.CTL file is a regular text file
which can be created with EDIT.
PAGE reads the file expecting 3 lines for
each printer feature to be defined. The
first line of each group of 3 must contain
one character only. That character is the
printer feature macro character which will
signal PAGE to toggle (turn on/off) the
feature. Normally control characters are
used as macros, since once a macro is
defined, it cannot be used for any other
purpose. Control characters are produced in
EDIT by holding the control character and
pressing P. This tells EDIT that the next
control character you press is to be inserted
in the text, and is not a command. Then hold
control and press the control character. For
example, is normally used to indicate
underlining, and will appear in EDIT as a dim
U.
The second line in the group of three lines
contains the string to be sent to the printer
to turn the feature ON, and the third line is
the string to be sent to turn the feature
OFF. Comments lines may be included by
putting a character in the first column of
a line. This allow PAGE.CTL files to be
commented as to each macros function.
Since any printer feature may be defined in
this way, separate PAGE.CTL file may be made
up for each printer used. This allows text
files to contain the same macro characters
and print properly on an unlimited number of
printers. Furthermore, you are not dependent
on the word processing software vendor for
proper printer support.
If you have too many printer features you
want to invoke to use control characters, use
PAGE Variables instead (see .SV). Use .SV to
assign a printer control string to a variable
name, then use the variable name in your text
where you want to invoke that printer
feature. For convenience you can set up
include files (see: .FI) containing printer
feature variable names. If you have more
than one printer, make include files with the
PRINTERNAME (see: PRINTERNAME) as the root
file name. Since PAGE automatically assigns
a value to the PRINTERNAME variable you could
add the following:
.FI &PRINTERNAME&.INC
which will automatically read the definitions
which correspond the output printer type.
Incode Systems, Inc.