Name

ln03rof, ln03rof_isolatin1, ln03rof_decmcs − LN03R ASCII to PostScript translation filters

Syntax

/usr/lib/lpdfilters/ln03rof [−c] [−nlogin] [−h host] [−wwidth] [−lnum] [−iindent]  [accounting file]

Description

The ln03rof filter translates ASCII to PostScript, handles the device dependencies of a PostScript printer and performs some accounting functions. PostScript printers print documents formatted in the PostScript Page Description Language only.

The ln03rof_isolatin1 and ln03rof_decmcs filters are alternatives to ln03rof, and affect how ASCII documents are printed. They cause the encoding vectors for ISO Latin1 or DEC MCS to be used instead of the Adobe Standard Encoding Vector described in the LN03R PostScript Programmers Supplement.  The ln03rof filter uses idle cycles to cache the fonts when accessed by the standard encoding vector. The cached fonts cannot be used by ln03rof_isolatin1 or ln03rof_decmcs which means that small jobs are slowed down.

The ln03rof filter is transparent to documents already formatted in PostScript.  The filter assumes that all other documents are plain ASCII and translates them into PostScript. The decision to translate is based on the first two characters in the document. If they are ‘%!’, the filter assumes the document has already been formatted in PostScript.  If the first two characters are not ‘%!’, the filter assumes that the document is plain ASCII and translates it into PostScript.  The ln03rof filter ensures that the printer receives documents formatted in PostScript only. The ln03rof filter maintains accounting information only for documents that it translates. You specify the accounting file with the af field in the /etc/printcap file.  For further information, see printcap(.).

You can specify the ln03rof filter in both the of and the if fields of the /etc/printcap file. The specification of the filter in the /etc/printcap file determines how the lpr() command affects the printed document. For example:

•If you specify it in the of field only and do not suppress banner pages, the filter always translates the document into PostScript. 

•If you specify it in the if field and do not suppress banner pages, the document does not print.  In this case, the banner is sent directly to the printer. Since the banner is not formatted in PostScript, the printer cannot print the document and aborts the job. 

•If you suppress the banner by including the sh field in /etc/printcap or by printing the file using the lpr() with the −h option, the document prints correctly. 

•You can obtain the best results by specifying the filter in both the of and if fields. 

The ASCII data type for PrintServer software uses the ln03rof filter. For more information about how the PostScript translator is invoked, see xlator_call(.).

The filter sets a landscape print mode with a smaller font if the width is greater than 80 columns.  The default width for the :pw#: entry in the /etc/printcap file is 132.  To print using portrait mode, modify the /etc/printcap file to include the following two entries:

:pl#66:\
:pw#80:\

When printing in portrait mode, if the job page length is greater than 66 a smaller font is used.

For a more detailed discussion on filters see the “Line Printer Spooler Manual” in the Supplementary Documents, Volume 2: Programmer. 

Options

The arguments passed to the filter depend on its use. 

The of filter is called with the following arguments:

−llength
Specify length values from the pl field in the /etc/printcap file .

−wwidth
Specify width values from the pw field in the /etc/printcap file.

The if filter is passed the following arguments:

−cPrint control characters when you use the −l option of lpr() to print the file. (Optional flag).

−hhost
Specify the host name of the job owner. (Used to record accounting information).

−iindent
Specify the amount of indentation to be used. The last argument is the name of the accounting file specified from the af field in the /etc/printcap file.

−llength
Specify length value from the pl field in the /etc/printcap file as it does with the of filter.  Arguments may have different values if the −w and/or −z options of lpr() were used to print the file.

−nlogin
Specify the login name of the job owner. (Used to record accounting information).

−wwidth
Specify width value from the pw field in the /etc/printcap file as it does with the of filter.  Arguments may have different values if the −w and/or −z options of lpr() were used to print the file. These arguments only affect documents that are translated from ASCII to PostScript.

Diagnostics

The lf field (default /dev/null) in the /etc/printcap file specifies the error logging file name.

Files

/etc/printcap
Printer capabilities database.

/usr/lib/lpdfilters/xlator_call
Shell script to invoke PostScript translators.

See Also

lpr(1), pr(1), printcap(5), lpd(8), MAKEDEV(8), pac(8), xlator_call(8)
"Line Printer Spooler Manual", Supplementary Documents, Volume 2: Programmer