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Hi,

I am looking to purchase a new Laser printer and have shortlisted a couple of HP LaserJet models.

My software is written in BBCbasic and prints text only to a printer with the following (much simpified) code.

*SPOOL HostFS::printer
PRINT "<many lines of text>"
VDU 1,12
*SPOOL

This does print the <many lines of text> on an old legacy HP LaserJet. (and on a modern Epson inkjet)

My question is - Does it still work with an up-to-date HP LaserJet printer. (USB interface)

Easy enough to check, please, for anybody with such a modern HP JaserJet. (Just type the code into BASIC in a task window).

Many Thanks to anybody with a new HP LaserJet and a few minutes of time check it out on VRPC.

The same test on a networked printer (*spool HostFS::\\computer\printer) would be the icing on the cake.

That doesn't work on our LaserJet 1015 on VirtualRPC-AdjustSA. But then again I don't begin to understand printing from BASIC so don't rely on it. However, AFAIK it involves also setting the printer type as "50", as well as the printer name.

Have you seen Aaron's detailed blurb about it on [url]http://www.virtualacorn.co.uk/support/articles/102/index.htm[/url] ?

I believe a universal fix (i.e. works with any printer, whether or not it has built-in fonts) is to use Jim Lesurf's solution which is to convert from BASIC to Draw format and (presumably) print out as drawfiles. His articles on same are in Archive mag issues 10:6, 10:7 and 10:10. Brynmoor Owen added to that with his DrawGen Basic, explained in Archive issues 12:10, 12:11 and 13:1. The commercial solution is UniPrint, using its Text Mode Printing feature. HTH.

[Hint: If you test any of this and it doesn't print out, it may well leave DeadDead files in the Windows printer queue. In which case nothing will print until you Cancel the dead file(s).]

Alex Hamilton
pp T.O.M.S.

Many thanks for trying that for me. (it has probably saved me the cost of a printer which will not do what I need).

Yes, I had seen Aaron's detailed help, but as he says "it relies on the printer being able to print plain text files". Which is really what you have just tested for me.

Since posting my question, I have been able to try it on a fairly recent HP inkjet printer - and it does not work on that either. So, the conclusion is that modern HP printers can not print plain text files. Disappointing

It does work on a fairly recent Epson inkjet, so maybe an Epson Laser (or other make) will do the trick.

I note your comments about Uniprint, which I will also investigate.

Better news. I've got the 'test' programme on http://www.virtualacorn.co.uk/support/a ... /index.htm working fine on our HP LaserJet 1015, and others. Reliable and repeatable. Here's what I did:

1. Copied the programme from the article as a plain-text file and moved it to RISC OS v4.39.
2. Loaded it into Edit and deleted all the [0d] characters.
3. Changed the printer name in line 90 to whatever you're using. In our case it's HostFS::A4_Laser (i.e. the name that comes up when you double-click on ShowPrinters in the Printers directory. NB the underline character.)
4. Changed line 210 text to "Have a nice day Your Queen".
5. Saved the file and changed the filetype to BASIC.
6. Ran it - and it printed "Have a nice day Your Queen", 10 times, with successive lines indented by +4 spaces.

The printer make/model/age/format doesn't seem to matter as I've since got it working reliably on the HP A4 LaserJet (USB); a 15-year-old Epson EPL-9000 A3 laser (using a USB-to-Centronics cable); an aging Epson Stylus Photo R220 A4 inkjet (USB); and a new-ish Epson Stylus Photo 1400 A3 inkjet (USB). At which point I ran out of printers...

So no guarantees, but it looks promising. HTH.

Mike Nicholl
pp T.O.M.S.

Thank you so much for your perseverance. But I still can not get it to work.

I am using RiscOS 4.02 on VRPC-SA (out-of-the-box) and the test program with VDU2 has never worked on any printer - local or remote. I suspect that Risc OS 4.39 is needed for that test program.

Which is why I settled for using *Spool instead of VDU2 because that does work on Risc OS 4.02 and with all my ageing printers.

I am still of the opinion that some printers will work and some will not. I think your results tend to confirm that. My Epson Stylus Photo 1400 A3 inkjet (USB) works, as does yours. My Epson FX80 works. Your other Epsons work, so maybe all Epsons will work

My old HP LaserJet worked (before the printer died ) I think your HP LaserJet 1015 is 8 years old. My new HP Deskjet does not work. So, I am back to square one with the view that old HP printers do work; but new ones don't.

Searching the Internet, generally, seems to confirm that new HP printers can not print plain text. So I need another solution, which may be an Epson printer, or Uniprint.

Hello again


Before you spend money on it, have you considered the (free) Jim Lesurf solution I mentioned on 2 June: BASIC->Draw using his DrawGen prog?

I listed the Archive articles but I see Jim has DrawGen and the articles on his own website at http://jcgl.orpheusweb.co.uk/DrawGen/dgen.html

HTH, Alex Hamilton
pp T.O.M.S.

This all started because I need a new printer, anyway. (old text file compatible printer died )

I had get down to a short list of HP printers, but now "nothing is ruled out".

Thanks again for your help.

Update:

It seems virtually all modern printers (inkjet or laser) will not support the printing of plain text files.

So, I purchased a Samsung ML-2168 Laser Printer (small footprint, lightweight and low cost) and use a software solution to prepare plain text files for printing.

The plain text files are simply wrapped in <HTML><LISTING> tags and then sent to the printer using the windows HTMLprint software from Bersoft. Easy and will now work with any printer which has a Windows printer driver.

Another reason why I have now consigned the real Acorn Risc PCs to the loft. VRPC is so much more flexible, even though the operating system (Risc OS 4.02) is the same on both.

That's interesting, thanks for posting. I suppose that nobody prints plain text files any more, well nobody outside RISC OS land anyway
Wrapping the text in HTML is a neat solution to the problem.