slow/delayed printing under Windows XP

Lloyd Wolf

unread,

Sep 16, 2002, 8:38:49 AM9/16/02

to

Hello to all.

I have been trying to work on a printing problem for my Clipper v5.2e
application, when running under Windows XP.

I found several posts in this newsgroup on the subject. They have
helped a lot, but I still have one problem. After completing a PRG
file that is supposed to print a report, the program returns to the
menu (@GET prompt). But, the report does not print for about 45
seconds. Then it prints okay.

I have already performed the following steps:

1) copy NFLIB205.ZIP and NFPAT1A.ZIP from the
http://home.swipnet.se/engw/clipper/nfpat1a.htm website. Placed the
NANFOR.LIB and CPMI.LIB files in my CLIPPER5\LIB folder.

2) Add the following command at the beginning of the first/main
program, and re-compiled it.
FT_OnIdle({||FT_IAmIdle(30,.T.)})
(copied from http://home.swipnet.se/engw/clipper/nfpat1a.htm)

3) add references to IAMIDLE.OBJ , NANFOR.LIB , and CPMI.LIB to the
Blinker LNK file (as specified at
http://home.swipnet.se/engw/clipper/nfpat1a.htm)

4) Relink the application (using Blinker).

There has been a HUGE improvement in the System Idle Process Time
since making these changes. Before NTVDM.EXE was taking 99% of the CPU
time. Since making these changes, it is taking between 2-17%.

But, the prinitng is still delayed by about 45 seconds. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Lloyd Wolf
Wolf Consulting, Inc.

valusoft

unread,

Sep 16, 2002, 8:56:47 AM9/16/02

to

On 16 Sep 2002 05:38:49 -0700, lloyd...@wolfconsulting.com (Lloyd
Wolf) wrote:

>Hello to all.
>
>I have been trying to work on a printing problem for my Clipper v5.2e
>application, when running under Windows XP.
>
>I found several posts in this newsgroup on the subject. They have
>helped a lot, but I still have one problem. After completing a PRG
>file that is supposed to print a report, the program returns to the
>menu (@GET prompt). But, the report does not print for about 45
>seconds. Then it prints okay.
>

>Thanks in advance for your help.

>
>Lloyd Wolf
>Wolf Consulting, Inc.

Hi Lloyd,

I don't know if it will work for your situation, but one approach that
worked recently for a Summer '87 application I assisted with was to
create a file with the report and then to copy the resultant file to
the printer port. Instant printing.

Regards,

Ross McKenzie
ValuSoft
Melbourne Australia

Davide Guolo

unread,

Sep 16, 2002, 4:09:54 PM9/16/02

to

Lloyd,

> But, the prinitng is still delayed by about 45 seconds. Any ideas?

Try to close Your printing job with a "SET PRINTER TO" .

Hi
Davide.

J.M.Rodriguez

unread,

Sep 17, 2002, 9:27:42 AM9/17/02

to

"Davide Guolo" <dag...@tin.it> wrote in message news:<mUqh9.102761$ub2.2...@news1.tin.it>...

Hi,

I have the same problem and my programs already have the "SET PRINTER
TO" at the end of the printing.

Someone has some another idea?

Thank you

dragan

unread,

Sep 17, 2002, 4:42:43 PM9/17/02

to

"J.M.Rodriguez" wrote:

> "Davide Guolo" <dag...@tin.it> wrote in message news:<mUqh9.102761$ub2.2...@news1.tin.it>...
> > Lloyd,
> >
> > > But, the prinitng is still delayed by about 45 seconds. Any ideas?
> >
> > Try to close Your printing job with a "SET PRINTER TO" .
> >
> > Hi
> > Davide.

Put new page code at end. It's CHR(12).

Lloyd Wolf

unread,

Sep 17, 2002, 6:42:08 PM9/17/02

to

Yes, I verified that I have the SET PRINTER TO command at the end of
the print job. For some reason, I am still getting a selary of about
30 seconds.

I am stumped. Any other ideas?

Lloyd

Davide Guolo

unread,

Sep 17, 2002, 6:47:20 PM9/17/02

to

J.M.Rodriguez,

> I have the same problem and my programs already have the "SET PRINTER
> TO" at the end of the printing.

Maybe You can try to print a chr(26) before closing the print job, or set
the spooler off (print directly to the port).

Hi
Davide.

Me

unread,

Sep 17, 2002, 8:01:42 PM9/17/02

to

Try this change although 2K & XP aren't mentioned:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q140036

Ray

"Lloyd Wolf" <lloyd...@wolfconsulting.com> wrote in message
news:7efdf7d5.02091...@posting.google.com...

Klas Engwall

unread,

Sep 17, 2002, 8:21:18 PM9/17/02

to

Lloyd,

Maybe we should take a look at the whole sequence then. Could you show
us all the relevant code (except the lines that print the actual data,
just to keep it short)?

Klas

-------
klas dot engwall at engwall dot com

Spammers, please use this address :-) mailto:postmaster@[127.0.0.1]

Lawrence

unread,

Sep 17, 2002, 9:58:20 PM9/17/02

to

My suggestion is to rediret the print job to a file first like set
printer to xxxx.prn for example, the copy the file to whichever place
you want to print from. This also allwos you to spool print files
which you can later reprint without having to rerun the program again.

This also gets around some of the problems from printing to network
printers,

copy xxxx.prn to \\server\HP printer etc.

On 16 Sep 2002 05:38:49 -0700, lloyd...@wolfconsulting.com (Lloyd
Wolf) wrote:

Marek Horodyski

unread,

Sep 18, 2002, 5:53:20 AM9/18/02

to

Uzytkownik "Lloyd Wolf" <lloyd...@wolfconsulting.com> napisal w wiadomosci
news:7efdf7d5.02091...@posting.google.com...

Press icon of printer driver, look on bokmark speed/eficiency (i don't know
how is it names in your language), and write 99.

Marek Horodyski

EdnFrancois

unread,

Sep 18, 2002, 9:38:45 AM9/18/02

to

Try it in the end of program, and your problem will be resolved:

cImpress := SET (_SET_PRINTFILE)
SET (_SET_PRINTFILE, cImpress, .F.)

--
Posted via http://dbforums.com

Martin Imber

unread,

Sep 19, 2002, 8:40:43 AM9/19/02

to

These 3 lines kill off Windoze and Real/32 spoolers quite happily, ONLY way
to despool successfully with DosPro, I think 24 is SET PRINTER but I just
lifted the code!

SET(24,"LPTKILL.PRN",.F.)
SET(24,'',.F.)
SET(24,cPort,.F.)

CapFlush(cPort) (Novlib) is great for Netware!

Martin Imber

unread,

Sep 19, 2002, 8:40:44 AM9/19/02

to

set it to a file then to nothing then delete the file