A PC5250 printer session can be used to print an OS/400 spool file to a virtual printer that can be accessed from the PC

A PC5250 printer session can be used to print an OS/400 spool file to a virtual printer that can be accessed from the PC. This includes printers that are directly attached to the PC and printers that are attached to the network. Of course, there are exceptions to this. In general, if you can print to the printer from a particular PC you should be able to print through a PC5250 printer session to the same printer.

The following ways can be used to configure a PC5250 printer session, each with their own benefits:

1Configure the PC5250 printer session to use a Windows printer driver. This is the easiest way to configure a PC5250 printer session; however, it gives you only a small amount of control over how the output is printed. This is done by selecting File, Printer Control, Text on the menu bar and clicking on the Options or Advanced button (depending on the version of Client Access/400 you are using).

2Configure the PC5250 Printer Session to use a Printer Definition Table (PDT). This gives you control over how the output is printed by allowing you to copy and modify a Printer Definition Source File (PDF) and then create your own PDT file.

3Configure the PC5250 printer session to use Host Print Transform (HPT). This causes the conversion from the SCS printer data stream of the AS/400e or iSeries 400 system to the data stream for the printer to be done on the AS/400e or iSeries 400 system. This is especially beneficial if several different printer emulation packages are being used (for example, PC5250, RUMBA/400, WSF, and others) because all of the output would look very similar. This also provides control over how the output is printed by allowing you to retrieve, modify, and create your own Workstation Customization Table (WSCST).

Some Information About Specifying a Workstation ID

PC5250 printer sessions support device naming (requesting a particular OS/400 device description name) by specifying a workstation ID under Communication | Configure. It is recommended that you specify a particular workstation ID for your PC5250 printer sessions so you can rely on it always having the same name. Otherwise, your printer session could connect with one device description name one day and a different device name the next day. If a particular name is used all the time, that name can be specified in a user profile or a printer file in order to direct output to that particular printer.

The workstation ID must follow the same rules as any other OS/400 device description:omust be 10 characters or less

omust start with an alphabetic character (A-Z)

othe remaining characters can be an alphabetic character (A-Z), a numeric character (0-9), "$", "#", "@", "_" or "."

If the PC5250 printer session is configured over a TCP/IP connection and a Workstation ID is not specified, the OS/400 printer device description name will default to one of the "QPADEVxxxx" device descriptions. These are normally reserved for TELNET display sessions, but if device naming is not used, one of the existing "QPADEVxxxx" device descriptions will be changed from a display device description to a printer device description.

If the PC5250 printer session is configured over an SNA connection (such as NS/Router) and a Workstation ID is not specified, the OS/400 printer device description name will default to the SNA connection's Local LU name followed by the Short Session ID. For example, if you are using the NS/Router and the Local LU is set to BOB, then the printer device description will default to BOBA if it connects as session A, BOBB if it connects as session B, and so on. Therefore, the order that the printer session is started (compared to your display sessions) could change the device description name that it has.

Configuring a PC5250 Printer Session

1aIf using R313 CA/400 for Windows 95/98/NT or later, you can bring up a new PC5250 printer session by clicking on the Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows NT Start button then selecting Programs, IBM AS/400 Client Access, Accessories and then Start or Configure Session.

1bIf using R312 CA/400 for Windows 95/NT or earlier, you can bring up a new PC5250 printer session by clicking on the Windows 95 or Windows NT Start button then selecting Programs, and Client Access, double clicking on the Accessories icon and then double clicking on the Start or Configure Session icon.

2At this point you will get a PC5250 dialog box with some information about configuring your PC5250 session. Click on the OK button to continue.

3aNext, you will see the Configure PC5250 dialog box.

3bVerify that the correct system name is listed. If not, click on the down arrow next to the system name and choose the system name from the list. If the system name is not shown, verify that your system has been configured in AS/400 Connections.

3cSet the Workstation ID to the OS/400 printer device description name that you want to use (for example, PRT05, P5, or JOHNPRT).

3dSet the type of emulation to Printer.

3eClick on the OK button to close the Configure PC5250 dialog box.

3eClick on the OK button to close the Configure PC5250 dialog box.

4Next, you will see a PC5250 dialog box that displays message, PCSCC041 - Because you have changed the configuration, communication will be terminated if you proceed. Are you sure?. Click on the OK button. This causes PC5250 to disconnect the display session and reconnect as a printer session using the workstation ID that you specified.

5Your PC5250 session should now connect to your AS/400e or iSeries 400 system and create a printer device description. Once it has done all of this it should show you the Printer Status popup dialog box with the Ready and On-Line lights turned on.

5Select File, Printer Setup on the PC5250 printer session's menu bar to bring up the Printer Setup panel. Click on the appropriate Windows printer driver, click on the Setup button to bring up the printer driver settings, click on the OK button to exit the printer driver settings without making any changes, and then click on the OK button to exit the Printer Setup panel.

6Select File | Save As on the menu bar to save the changes. Give the printer session profile an appropriate name (for example printer.ws, prt05.ws, p5.ws or JohnPrt.ws) and specify a description (such as Printer Session) if desired, then click on the OK button.

7A message is issued, PCSWS022 - Do you want to add an icon for this session to a folder? To add an icon for the PC5250 printer session to your Client Access Accessories folder or your Desktop (or some other folder), click on the Yes button. Otherwise, click on the No button.

8To add an icon for the PC5250 printer session to your Client Access Accessories folder, click the OK button on the Browse for Folder dialog box. To add an icon for the PC5250 printer session to your Desktop, scroll to the top of the list on the Browse for Folder dialog box, select the Desktop folder, and click the OK button.

Configure the PC5250 Printer Session to Use a Windows Printer Driver

At this point, the PC5250 printer session is already configured to use the Windows printer driver. It is recommended that you test this out before deciding whether to configure the PC5250 printer session to use a Printer Definition Table (PDT) or Host Print Transform (HPT). Usually, the deciding factor is how OS/400 spooled files look once printed because each of the options looks slightly different from the other.

Configuring the PC5250 Printer Session to Use a Printer Definition Table (PDT)

Configuring the PC5250 Printer Session to use a Printer Definition Table (PDT) gives you control over how the output is printed by allowing you to copy and modify a Printer Definition Source File (PDF) and create a PDT file.

However, not all printers are supported with PDT files. For instance, there are no PDT files available for PostScript printers or for any of the new Windows-only printers such as the HP DeskJet 820 Series printers, the Lexmark 2070 printer, or the Lexmark WinWriter 150 printer.

1Select File | Printer Setup on the menu bar to bring up the Printer Setup panel. Turn on Use PDT and click on the Select PDT button to bring up the Select PDT file panel.

2Look through the list of file names for a PDT file that corresponds to the Windows printer driver being used (for example, hpdj550c.pdt for most of the HP DeskJet printers). Click on the PDT file to select it, and click on the OK button to exit the Select PDT file dialog box.

Note: If you cannot find a PDT file that corresponds to your printer, check the printer manual to see what other types of printers it emulates. For example, there are no PDT files listed for the Lexmark Optra printers or the HP LaserJet 5, 6, 4000, or 8000 printers; however, because they all emulate the HP LaserJet 4 printer, you can use the hplj4.pdt file.

3Click on OK to exit the Printer Setup dialog box.

4Select File, Save on the menu bar to save the changes.

Configuring the PC5250 Printer Session to Use Host Print Transform (HPT)

Note: This information can also be found in the following document:

11400826, Using Host Print Transform (HPT) with a PC5250 Printer Session at V4R5M0 and Below

ASCII printers can be attached to the AS/400e or iSeries 400 system through a PC (using WSF, RUMBA/400, PC5250, or a third-party emulation package) or through hardware (for example, a 3179 or 3477 display, an ASCII Workstation Controller, a Lexmark MarkNet XLE, or an HP JetDirect card).

Host Print Transform is an OS/400 function that converts an OS/400 spooled file (in either the *SCS or *AFPDS data stream) into an ASCII printer data stream. This can be used in conjunction with most printer emulation software and hardware. One of its benefits is that it can create the same look and feel when printing through variety of printer emulation software and hardware. For instance, if you have printers connected to some PCs running WSF under Client Access for DOS with Extended Memory, others running RUMBA/400 under Client Access for Windows 3.1, others running PC5250 under Client Access/400 for Windows 95/98/NT and still others connected to the LAN with an IP address, you can use Host Print Transform with all of these. The output will look very similar across all of the ASCII printers.

Some printer emulation software (such as WSF and PC5250) require that Host Print Transform (HPT) is specified in the printer session profile. When the printer session connects to the AS/400e or iSeries 400 system, the emulation software automatically changes the OS/400 printer device description to reflect the settings made in the printer session profile.

Other printer emulation software (such as RUMBA/400) and all non-PC hardware connections require you to manually change the OS/400 printer device description.

Notes:

oIf the printer emulation software you are using requires you change the printer session profile but you change the OS/400 printer device description instead, your changes are automatically removed the next time you connect the printer session.

oNot all printers are supported with Host Print Transform. This includes all PostScript printers and any of the new Windows-only printers such as the HP DeskJet 820 Series printers, the Lexmark 2070 printer, or the Lexmark WinWriter 150 printer.

1If using R312 CA/400 for Windows 95/NT or earlier, it is recommended that you select Communication on the menu bar and turn off the Autoconnect feature (assuming there is a checkmark next to it indicating that this feature is turned on) before proceeding with the rest of these instructions.

2Select Communication | Configure on the menu bar.

3Verify that the Type of emulation is set to Printer, and then click on the Setup button.

4Turn on Transform print data to ASCII on AS/400.

5Click on the down arrow next to Printer Model, and look through the list for a printer that corresponds to the Windows printer driver being used. Click on the printer to select it.

Caution: Do not leave the Printer Model set to IBM 3812 Pageprinter unless you are actually printing to an old IBM 3812 ASCII printer. The Printer Model refers to the type of printer that is attached to your PC, not the type of printer emulation that is done on the AS/400e or iSeries 400 system.

Note: If you cannot find a printer in the list that corresponds to your printer, check your printer manual or refer to the following Knowledgebase Document to see what other types of printers it emulates:

17690939, Support for Various ASCII Printers

This document contains recommendations for the Manufacturer type and model (MFRTYPMDL) parameter in a printer device description. If there is no corresponding printer model selection within the PC5250 printer session, or if unsure which printer model corresponds, refer to the following documents as well:

11944305, Printer Model Settings for Host Print Transform (HPT)

24642559, Printer Model Settings for Host Print Transform (HPT) at R320 through R420

This document maps the Manufacturer type and model (MFRTYPMDL) parameter to a system-supplied Workstation customizing object (WSCST). For example, the HP LaserJet 4000 printer maps to a MFRTYPMDL setting of *HP4000, which in turn corresponds to system-supplied WSCST object QWPHPLSRE. Another example would be the Lexmark Optra T printer which maps to a MFRTYPMDL setting of *LEXOPTRAT, and which in turn corresponds to system-supplied WSCST object QWPLEXOPT.

6Verify the settings for Drawer 1, Drawer 2, Envelope Hopper, and ASCII Code Page 899.

7Leave the Customizing Object set to QWPDEFAULT in library *LIBL or change it to *NONE.

8Click on the OK button to exit the PC5250 Printer Emulation Setup panel.

9Click on the OK button to exit the Configure PC5250 panel.

10You will see a PC5250 dialog box that displays message, PCSCC041 - Because you have changed the configuration, communication will be terminated if you proceed. Are you sure?. Click on the OK button. This causes PC5250 to disconnect the display session and reconnect as a printer session using the workstation ID that you specified.

11Select File | Save on the menu bar.

12If you turned off the Autoconnect feature in step 1 of this section, select Communication on the menu bar and turn the Autoconnect feature back on, then select File | Save again on the menu bar to save this change. Then, select Communication | Connect on the menu bar to reconnect the printer session.

13Sign ontp OS/400 using a PC5250 display session. Use the Display Device Description (DSPDEVD) command to verify that Host Print Transform has been set up correctly on the AS/400e or iSeries 400 system.

Using a Modified Workstation Customizing Object (WSCST) with Host Print Transform

Note: This information can also be found in the following document:

11400826, Using Host Print Transform (HPT) with a PC5250 Printer Session at V4R5M0 and Below

Host Print Transform provides a way to change the way it converts OS/400 spooled files into the ASCII printer data stream. This is done by retrieving a workstation customization table, editing the source file member, creating a new workstation customizing object, and using that modified workstation customizing object (WSCST) with your OS/400 printer device description.

Using modified workstation customizing object with Host Print Transform allows you change the following:

oPrinting 198-character spooled files on a letter sized (8.5" x 11.0") sheet of paper in landscape

oForcing all output to print in draft quality for dot matrix line printers

oPrinting 132-character spooled files on a letter sized (8.5" x 11.0") sheet of paper in Portrait

oForcing all output to print from drawer 2 on a laser printer

Warning: Any assistance with editing a workstation customization object must be done by Consult Line.

1Select Communication on the menu bar and turn off the Autoconnect feature (assuming there is a checkmark next to it indicating that this feature is turned on).

2Select Communication, Configure on the menu bar.

3aIf using Client Access/400 for Windows 95 or Client Access/400 Enhanced for Windows 3.1, verify that the Type of emulation is set to Printer, and click on the Setup button. Turn on Transform print data to ASCII on AS/400.

3bIf using Client Access/400 for Windows 3.1 or Client Access/400 Optimized for OS/2, verify that the Session Type is set to Printer, and click on the Advanced button. Turn on Host Print Transform.

4Click on the down arrow next to Printer Model, scroll down to the bottom of the list, and select Other printer.

5Verify the settings for Drawer 1, Drawer 2, Envelope Hopper, and ASCII Code Page 899.

6Set the Customizing Object to the name of the modified workstation customizing object. Also specify the name of the library that contains this modified workstation customizing object.

7Click on OK to exit the PC5250 Printer Emulation Setup panel, and click on OK to exit the Configure PC5250 panel.

8You should get a message that reads, Personal Communications: PCSCC041 - Because you have changed the configuration, communication will be terminated if your proceed. Are you sure?. If you get this message, click on OK. At this point, PC5250 is disconnecting and changing the printer device description on the AS/400e or iSeries 400 system.

9Select File, Save on the menu bar.

10Select Communication on the menu bar, and select Connect.

11Select Communication, Configure on the menu bar.

12aIf using Client Access/400 for Windows 95 or Client Access/400 Enhanced for Windows 3.1, verify that the Type of emulation is set to Printer, and click on the Setup button. Turn on Transform print data to ASCII on AS/400.

12bIf using Client Access/400 for Windows 3.1 or Client Access/400 Optimized for OS/2, verify that the Session Type is set to Printer, and click on the Advanced button. Turn on Host Print Transform.

13Click on the down arrow next to Printer Model, and look through the list for a printer that corresponds to the Windows or OS/2 printer driver being used. Click on the printer to select it.

Leave all other Host Print Transform settings alone. Click on OK to exit the PC5250 Printer Emulation Setup panel, and click on OK to exit the Configure PC5250 panel.

14You should get a message that reads, Personal Communications: PCSCC041 - Because you have changed the configuration, communication will be terminated if your proceed. Are you sure?. If you get this message, click on OK. At this point, PC5250 is disconnecting and changing the printer device description on the AS/400e or iSeries 400 system.

15Select File, Save on the menu bar.

16If you are using the Autoconnect function, select Communication on the menu bar, and turn the Autoconnect feature back on. Select File, Save on the menu bar.

17Select Communication on the menu bar, and select Connect.

18Sign onto OS/400 using a PC5250 display session. Use the Display Device Description (DSPDEVD) command to verify that Host Print Transform has been set up correctly on the AS/400e or iSeries 400 system.

Thanks & Regards,

Neeraj Sarougi

_________________________________

Lead Analyst

CGI, Mumbai

Ph. No. 28291421 ext:- 232Email: Neeraj.sarougi@cgi.com_________________________________

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