CompuServe Messages

Bob, I was willing to help you until the last line in your message, concerning CICS COBOL. Now you really have my sympathies! <grin> The problem you're running into with your printer is that the Amiga uses a "device driver" to communicate with the printer. This driver knows a "standard" set of escape sequences that programs use, and translates them to the specific escape-sequences used by specific printers (as they all vary). The printer.device doesn't know the sequences you're trying to send, as you are sending printer-specific codes. You can solve this problem in one of two ways. The preferred way is to use the Amiga-standard sequences and let the printer driver translate them to the specific codes your printer wants to see. A second way, which is less "Amiga-like" is to open the file "PAR:" (assuming that your printer is connected to the parallel-port), and send the printer-specific codes to that file along with whatever text you want printed. This will bypass the printer.device and write directly to your printer. The biggest drawback to this approach is that the program will no longer work properly when you get a different printer (or want to run it on someone else's system). Hope this helps…. …BobR