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Tech Tip
Windows - UnForm TCP/IP Printing
... for smart, busy people
Applications need to be able to route their print streams
through UnForm to get access to UnForm's graphical enhancement and document
delivery and document management features.
In many cases under Windows, where the unix-style "pipe" construct does not
exist, and/or application printer interfaces only allow for the specification of
a device name, the UnForm integrator must set up a "virtual printer" to route
text streams through UnForm and then out to actual printer devices or to the
file system.
Assumptions:
you're on Windows XP Pro to try this,
but if you're NOT, you're familiar enough
with Windows workstations and servers to know the equivalent components where
these settings need to be configured.
you already have a laser printer fully configured
and working for printing MS Office documents
you have an application that prints stuff
- all its printer config can do is specify a device
- it's not possible to launch a script
- like MS notepad
you want it to "talk" to unform, because:
- you need to graphically enhance the text
- you want a laser printed copy
- you later want to automate the emailing of forms out to different entities
you have a printer on the network shared as
//myserver/myhp
Here's what you do:
you configure raw ports in UnForm server manager/configure
from the Windows 'Start' button.
- you add 9100=-o //myserver/myhp -f helloworld.rul
- you close the window, and stop and restart the UnForm server software
you go in windows to start / settings / printers and faxes
- you choose add a new printer, you get the wizard, next
- local printer attached, next
- create a new port, standard tcp/ip port, next
you arrive at add std tcp/ip printer port wizard, next
- printer name unformtcp, port name unformtcp, next
- custom, settings, next
- printer name or ip address: localhost, or the ip address or name of where
the unform server software is running
- protocol raw, port number 9100, ok, next
- finish
you arrive at install printer software
- Generic, Generic / Text Only, next
- keep existing driver, next
- no to default, next
- no to print a test page, next
- finish
you right click and 'save target as' this >>
helloworld.rul rule-set
into the /SDSI/uf70/server/samples directory
- you then open it in notepad
- you print it to your new unformtcp virtual printer
you check whether the laser output has:
- the sdsi logo, and
- a large centered text phrase that says
"I found Hello World".
you decide that you are in business with this unForm virtual tcp/ip printer thing
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