Changing the Way Landscape Prints with PostScript Driver

• Microsoft FoxPro for MS-DOS, versions 2.0, 2.5a, 2.5b, 2.6

SUMMARY

When you are printing in landscape orientation with a PostScript printer driver set up in FoxPro for MS-DOS, the top of the page is on the right. When you are printing in landscape orientation with the Windows PostScript drivers, the top of the page is on the left. In order to get the same behavior from the FoxPro for MS-DOS printer driver, you must modify the printer driver application (GENPD.APP).

MORE INFORMATION

The following steps describe how to modify GENPD.APP so that the PostScript driver prints the top of the page on the left side of the paper when the orientation is landscape.

1. Open the project file for GENPD.APP, called GENPD.PJX (located in the GOODIES\PDRIVERS subdirectory).

   For example, type this command in the Command window:

         MODIFY PROJECT (SYS(2004)+ "GOODIES\PDRIVERS\GENPD.PJX")
   

2. Scroll down the list of items in the project until the program item named "PS" is highlighted, and then choose the Edit button in the Project window to modify PS.PRG.

3. From the Edit menu, choose Find, and type "rotate" (without the quotation marks) in the Find box. Choose the Find button. The cursor should now be on line 219 of PS.PRG.

   Lines 219-220 of PS-PRG should contain the following code:

         IIF(_pdparms[1],"","-90 rotate -" + ALLTRIM(STR(_pdparms[36])) + ;
             " 0 translate" + CHR(13)) + ;
   
   

4. Change the above lines of code to the following:

         IIF(_pdparms[1],"","90 rotate 0 -" + ALLTRIM(STR(_pdparms[37])) + ;
             " translate" + CHR(13)) + ;
   
      NOTE: This change tells the printer to rotate 90 degrees clockwise
      instead of 90 degrees counterclockwise. Though the beginning column and
      row coordinates were at -<page height>,0 (using _pdparms[36], the
      Horizontal Points on Page), the coordinates must now start at 0,-<page
      width> (using the Vertical Points on Page parameter _pdparms[37] as the
      page width). For example, for a page size of 8.5 by 11 inches (612 by
      729 points), the starting coordinates must be changed from -729,0 to
      0,-612.
   
   

5. Save and close PS.PRG by pressing CTRL+W.

6. Rebuild GENPD.APP by choosing the Build button in the Project window, selecting Build Application, and then choosing OK. If FoxPro asks whether to save changes to the project, choose Yes. When the Enter Application Filename dialog box is displayed, change the current drive and directory to the root FoxPro directory so that the old GENPD.APP file will be replaced.

   If the message "File is in use" is displayed when you choose the Build button in the last dialog box, press any key to clear the error message, and then choose Cancel in the dialog box. In the Command window, type the following command:

         SET PDSETUP TO ""
   

   Now go back to the project window and begin step 6 again.

7. Before printing, be sure to set the printer driver setup again either by choosing Printer Setup from the File menu, or by using the SET PDSETUP TO command.