Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!linac!att!ucbvax!SDD.HP.COM!andrea From: andrea@SDD.HP.COM (Andrea K. Frankel) Newsgroups: comp.laser-printers Subject: Re: Counting pages on a HPLJ II Message-ID: <9104191550.AA03507@crayola.cs.UMD.EDU> Date: 19 Apr 91 01:20:02 GMT References: <9104171649.AA25809@crayola.cs.UMD.EDU> Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: Hewlett-Packard, San Diego Technical Graphics Division Lines: 34 Approved: laser-lovers@brillig.umd.edu In article <9104171649.AA25809@crayola.cs.UMD.EDU> matt@EECS.NWU.EDU (Matt Larson) writes: >Is there a sequence that always means, ``End of the page; print it''? >I thought that's what the formfeed character (ASCII 12) did. I tried >counting formfeed characters, but that doesn't seem to work: there are >way too many. My current guess is that the formfeed character really >means what I think it means, but that it is also possible for >formfeeds to be part of other commands or in some sort of "quoted >string." If I am on the right track, then the question is: How do I >tell the real formfeeds that mean end of page from the other ones? You will have to put together a mini escape-sequence parser. Graphics commands such as *b#W write a block of raster data out (the # stands for the numeric parameter specifying how many bytes of data follow). Anything that looks like a formfeed that is part of raster data should obviously not count as a page end! Also, the sequence E (reset PCL command) will close and print a page IF there was anything on it. It's possible that the last page in a multipage file might not end with a formfeed if they're using E. Information on all of this is in the Technical Reference Manual that comes with your printer. If you don't have one, get one! Disclaimer: I use LaserJets, I don't write their code ;@) Andrea Frankel, Hewlett Packard, San Diego Technical Graphics Div., R&D Lab "wake now! Discover that you are the song that the morning brings..." ______________________________________________________________________________ Internet : andrea@sdd.hp.com (or andrea%hp-sdd@nosc.mil or @ucsd.edu) UUCP : {hplabs|nosc|hpfcla|ucsd}!hp-sdd!andrea CSNET : andrea%hp-sdd@hplabs.csnet USnail : 16399 W. Bernardo Drive - Mailstop 61U65, San Diego CA 92127-1899 Voice : (619) 592-4664