PostScript Error If Filename Contains Unmatched Parentheses

ID: Q100316

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows 3.1
  • Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-CD, 2.0b, 2.0c

SUMMARY

A PostScript error may occur if you print a Word for Windows document to a PostScript printer and the filename contains one of the following combinations of characters:

  • A left (or "opening") parenthesis character [(] that is not followed by a matching right parenthesis character [)], such as the following:
    (TEST.DOC
    ((TEST.DOC
    (()TEST.DOC


    • -or-

  • A right (or "closing") parenthesis character [)] that precedes the matching left parenthesis character [(], or a right parenthesis character [)] and no matching left parenthesis character [(], such as the following:
    )(TEST.DOC
    TEST).DOC


Documents with these filenames do not print. This problem also occurs in Microsoft Windows Write and other Windows-based applications. This problem occurs with version 3.55 or earlier of the Windows version 3.1 PostScript printer driver (PSCRIPT.DRV). The problem also occurs when you print to a file and then copy the resulting print file to the printer port.

The filename must contain matching pairs of parentheses in the correct order (the right parenthesis must not precede its matching left parenthesis) to print correctly to a PostScript printer.


MORE INFORMATION

This problem occurs because the PostScript code that Windows generates when you print the document contains the filename. If the filename contains unmatched or incorrectly ordered parenthesis characters, the PostScript error messages occur.

By contrast, the following filenames do not cause a PostScript error because they contain matching pairs of parenthesis characters, in the correct order:

(TEST).DOC
()TEST.DOC
((TEST)).DOC
NOTE: Filesnames that contain bracket characters ({ and }) do not cause a PostScript error under any of the circumstances described in this article.

This problem occurs only with PostScript printer drivers for Windows. The problem does not occur in Microsoft Word for MS-DOS or Microsoft Word for the Macintosh.

We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

Additional query words: 2.00a 2.00a-CD 2.00b 2.00c w4wprint offending command syntaxerror nametype undefined dictionary jobname typecheck

Keywords :
Version : WINDOWS:2.0,2.0a,2.0a-CD,2.0b,2.0c,3.1
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type :


Last Reviewed: December 2, 1999
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