Using Host Print Transform (HPT) with a Third-Party Emulation Package

Resolving The Problem

This document provides information about using Host Print Transform (HPT) with printer sessions configured using a third-party (or OEM) 5250 emulation package. For instructions on using Host Print Transform (HPT) with other types of device descriptions or Remote Output Queues (RMTOUTQs), refer to one of the following documents:

N1010288: Using Host Print Transform (HPT) with a *LAN Device Description
N1019713: Using Host Print Transform (HPT) with a Remote Output Queue (RMTOUTQ)
N1019712: Using Host Print Transform (HPT) with a *LCL or *RMT Device Description
N1019470: Using Host Print Transform (HPT) with a PC5250 Printer Session

This document was last updated on 13 March 2014.


General Information About Host Print Transform (HPT)

ASCII printers can be attached to the IBM System i system through a PC (using WSF, RUMBA/400, PC5250, or a third-party emulation package) or through hardware (for example, a 3179 or 3477 display, an ASCII Workstation Controller, a Lexmark MarkNet XLE, or an HP JetDirect card).

Host Print Transform is an operating system function that converts an operating system spooled file (in the *SCS or *AFPDS data stream) into an ASCII printer data stream. This can be used in conjunction with most printer emulation software and hardware. One of its benefits is that it can create the same look and feel when printing through variety of printer emulation software and hardware. For example, if you have printers connected to some PCs running WSF under Client Access Extended DOS, others running RUMBA/400 under Client Access for Windows 3.1, others running PC5250 under Client Access Windows 95/NT and still others connected to the LAN with a TCP/IP address, you can use Host Print Transform with all of these and the output will look very similar across all of your ASCII printers.

Some printer emulation software (such as WSF and PC5250) require you to specify to use Host Print Transform (HPT) in the printer session profile. Then when the printer session connects to the operating system the emulation software automatically changes the operating system printer device description to reflect the settings you made in the printer session profile.

Other printer emulation software (such as RUMBA/400), and all non-PC hardware connections require you to manually change the operating system printer device description yourself.

Notes:

1.	If the printer emulation software you are using requires you change the printer session profile but you change the operating system printer device description instead, your changes will automatically be removed the next time you connect the printer session. If this occurs after changing the operating system printer device description, you will need to contact your software vendor for assistance in activating Host Print Transform from within your printer emulation session.
2.	Some third-party printer emulation packages do not support ASCII Transparency (spooled files that already contain ASCII control codes and text) and therefore would not support using Host Print Transform. If you are unable to print after changing the operating system printer device description to use Host Print Transform, you should either contact your software vendor for assistance or change the operating system printer device description to no longer use Host Print Transform.
3.	Not all printers are supported with Host Print Transform. This includes all PostScript-only printers and any Host-based or Windows-only printers such as the HP DeskJet 820 Series printers, the Lexmark 2070 printer or the Lexmark WinWriter 150 printer. If operating system spooled files do not print when the third-party application is configured to use HPT, verify that the printer and the application both support using HPT. One place to start looking is in the following document: N1019605: Information on Printers from Various Manufacturers

Using a Modified Workstation Customizing Object (WSCST) with Host Print Transform

Host Print Transform provides a way to change the way it converts operating system spooled files into the ASCII printer data stream. This is done by retrieving a workstation customization table, editing the source file member, creating a new workstation customizing object and then using that modified workstation customizing object (WSCST) with your operating system printer device description.

Using modified workstation customizing object with Host Print Transform allows you change things like:

o	Print 198-character spooled files on a letter sized (8.5" x 11.0") sheet of paper in landscape
o	Force all output to print in draft quality for dot matrix line printers
o	Print 132-character spooled files on a letter sized (8.5" x 11.0") sheet of paper in Portrait
o	Force all output to print from drawer 2 on a laser printer

Instructions for Using Host Print Transform with a Third-Party Emulation Package

This document explains how to manually change the operating system printer device description to use Host Print Transform with a third-party emulation package, such as Wall Data Rumba/95, Netsoft Elite or Attachmate Rally.

Notes:

1.	If the printer emulation software you are using requires you change the printer session profile but you change the operating system printer device description instead, your changes will automatically be removed the next time you connect the printer session. If this occurs after changing the operating systemprinter device description, you will need to contact your software vendor for assistance in activating Host Print Transform from within your printer emulation session.
2.	Some third-party printer emulation packages do not support ASCII Transparency (spooled files that already contain ASCII control codes and text) and therefore would not support using Host Print Transform. If you are unable to print after changing the operating system printer device description to use Host Print Transform, you should either contact your software vendor for assistance or change the operating system printer device description to no longer use Host Print Transform.
3.	Not all printers are supported with Host Print Transform. This includes all PostScript-only printers and any Host-based or Windows-only printers such as the HP DeskJet 820 Series printers, the Lexmark 2070 printer or the Lexmark WinWriter 150 printer. If operating system spooled files do not print when the third-party application is configured to use HPT, verify that the printer and the application both support using HPT. One place to start looking is in the following document: N1019605: Information on Printers from Various Manufacturers

These instructions assume your printer emulation software does not have a way to activate Host Print Transform from within a printer emulation session. These instructions also include the steps needed to use a modified workstation customizing object (WSCST) with Host Print Transform.

1.	Start (or switch to) your printer emulation session. Write down the system and printer device description names that are displayed in the bottom right hand corner. Close your printer emulation session.
2.	Start (or switch to) a display session for the same operating system system that your printer session uses. If you connect to only one operating system system, then start your usual display session.
3.	From the operating system command line, type the following: WRKCFGSTS *DEV printer-devd Press the Enter key.
4.	From the Work with Configuration Status panel, verify that the printer device description is in VARY ON PENDING status (you may need to refresh the screen a few times by pressing the F5 key). Vary off the printer device by typing a 2 next to the printer device description name and then pressing the Enter key.
5.	Verify that the printer is now in VARIED OFF status (you may need to refresh the screen a few times by pressing the F5 key). Work with the printer device by typing 8 next to the printer device description name, and then press the Enter key.
6.	From the Work with Device Descriptions panel, change the printer device by typing 2 next to the printer device description name, and then press the Enter key. Position down to the Host print transform parameter, and type *YES.
7.	Position to the Manufacturer type and model parameter and press the F4 key to display a list of possible values. Choose a value that corresponds to your type of printer or choose a value for a type of printer that your printer emulates. For example, if you have an HP LaserJet 4 printer, or a printer that is compatible with the HP LaserJet 4, you should type in *HP4. If you have an HP LaserJet 5 or 5si printer you might, depending on your operating system release, be able to type in *HP5 or *HP5SI.
8.	Position to the Paper source 1 parameter and press the F4 key to display a list of possible values. Choose a value that corresponds to the type of paper that is loaded in your printer. Possible choices include *LETTER (8.5 x 11 inches), *LEGAL (8.5 x 14 inches), *A4 (210mm x 297mm), *CONT80 (continuous form 8.0 inches) and *CONT132 (continuous form 13.2 inches).
9.	Position to the Paper source 2 parameter. If your printer has a second drawer, press the F4 key to display a list of possible values and choose a value that either corresponds to the type of paper that is loaded in your printer. If your printer does not have a second drawer, set it to *NONE.
10.	Position to the Envelope source parameter. If your printer has an envelope feeder, press the F4 key to display a list of possible values and choose a value that either corresponds to the type of paper that is loaded in your printer. Possible choices include *NUMBER9 (3.875 x 8.875 inches), *NUMBER10 (4.125 x 9.5 inches) and *B5 (176mm x 250mm). If your printer does not have an envelope feeder, set it to *NONE.
11.	Position to the ASCII code page 899 support parameter (you will probably have to press the roll down key to get to all of these options). If your printer supports ASCII code page 899, which is used for IBM OfficeVision®/400 (OV/400) symbols, set it to *YES. If your printer does NOT support ASCII code page 899 or you do not use OV/400 then set it to *NO.
12.	If you need to use a modified workstation customizing object (WSCST) with this printer device description, press the F10 key and then position to the Workstation customizing object parameter. Type the name of your modified WSCST and the name of the library containing your modified WSCST.
13.	Press the Enter key to change the operating system printer device description.
14.	Press F12 to exit the Work with Device Descriptions panel.
15.	From the Work with Configuration Status panel, vary on the printer device by typing a 1 next to the printer device description name and then pressing the Enter key. Verify that the printer is now in VARY ON PENDING status (you may need to refresh the screen a few times by pressing the F5 key).
16.	Start your printer emulation session and verify that it connects to the operating system successfully.
17.	Switch to your display session. From the operating system command line, type the following: DSPDEVD printer-devd Press the Enter key.
18.	Verify that the printer device description is still setup to use Host Print Transform. If not, the printer emulation software you are using requires you change the printer session profile, and therefore your changes have automatically been removed now that you have reconnected the printer session. You will need to contact your software vendor for assistance in activating Host Print Transform from within your printer emulation session.
19.	If the printer device description is still setup to use Host Print Transform, move a spooled file to the printer's output queue to verify that your printer emulation software supports ASCII Transparency, since using Host Print Transform causes the operating system to send an ASCII data stream (instead of an SCS data stream) to your printer emulation software. If you are unable to print after changing the operating system printer device description to use Host Print Transform, either your printer emulation software does not support ASCII Transparency or your printer is not supported by Host Print Transform. You should either contact your software vendor for assistance or change the operating system printer device description to no longer use Host Print Transform.