Using the "file" option with -PQ

[John Esak]

I must be missing something... I always thought that the file option in -pq
just wrote relative or full filenames... what directory are you talking
about??

John


-----Original Message-----
From: filepro-list-bounces+john=valar.com at lists.celestial.com
[mailto:filepro-list-bounces+john=valar.com at lists.celestial.com] On Behalf
Of Mike Schwartz
Sent: Monday, September 10, 2007 10:17 AM
To: filepro-list at lists.celestial.com
Subject: RE: Using the "file" option with -PQ

> From: fp at casabellagallery.com [mailto:fp at casabellagallery.com]
> Mike wondered:
> 
> > When I setup a *clerk or *report menu line with the -PQ option, on
> any
> >
> >      Is there a PFxxx variable that I can use to change that subdir?
> 
> I believe the variable that determines that is PFTMP

     Thanks!  I tried to change PFTMP on a Unix system, but it wasn't
working.  I finally figured out that it was a Unix permissions problem on
the subdir I was attempting to write to. 
> 
> All that said, I have never used -pq.  Almost in every environment I've

     If you try -PQ, you will see that, before it allows you to select a
specific printer, -PQ pops up a little "Select Output Destination" menu.  On
DOS systems, option #1 is "Printer", option #2 is "File" (which points to
the subdir listed in the PFTMP variable) and option #3 is "Display".
However, I seem to recall a 4th option on some machines (Unix boxes, I
think), which said "Local Printer".  (Not sure what that option is for.
Maybe option #4 is only on newer versions of filePro.)

     I wondered if this "Select Output Destination" menu was modifiable, or
whether this is hard-coded into filepro. 

     I was also thinking of other cosmetic things.  For example, if the user
selects option #1, I would like to present the printers in a different order
for each user, with the closest printers to the user's desk presented first.
Hopefully I could do this without creating a separate config file for each
user, but if the #1 printer option presents printers in the order they are
listed in the config file, then I guess I'm stuck.

     Just brainstorming:  I suppose I could write a little shell script to
read the master config file, sort the printers, create a "user config" file,
and then launch filepro with that.    
 
     I've written several different filepro printer control schemes over the
past 20+ years, but I've never been really happy with any of them.  The old
Softa/Fourgen printer control was fairly flexible, but I don't want to have
my customers locked into the old MenuMaster system...  

Mike

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