Print-to-File Considerations

Print-to-file means that the print data destined for a printer is stored in a file instead. The advantage of doing this is that the file can be used later, possibly on a different machine or different environment, and the data printed without requiring the original application.

The system provides three ways to print to file:

• The user can specify Print to file on the Output settings page of a printer object. When a print is requested, the system displays a dialog in which the user can enter a file name.

  This method is preferred because the application does not have to be aware; the user has full control of the system.

• The application can specify OD_DIRECT on a DevOpenDC call. The pszLogAddress field of the DEVOPENSTRUC structure specifies the file name as shown in the following example:

C:\TMP\MYPRINT.DAT\\SERVER\DISK1\MYPRINT.DAT    -- UNC file name
\\PIPE\PRTPIPE1               -- A pipe
LPT1                          -- A port device

• The application can create the printer-specific format data and write it to a file using DosOpen.