pioformat Command

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Purpose

Drives a printer formatter.

Syntax

/usr/lpd/pio/etc/pioformat -@ DataBaseFile [ -! FormatterName ] [ -# + PassThroughOption ]

Description

The pioformat command initiates the printer formatter driver. The formatter driver establishes access to the database values, loads and links a printer formatter, and then drives the formatter by calling its setup function, initialize function, lineout function, passthru function, and restore function. The formatter driver also provides the piogetopt subroutine, piogetstr subroutine, pioexit subroutine used by the formatter.

The flags that are listed after this are processed by the formatter driver and are not passed on to the formatter. However, all flags NOT listed after this are assumed to be formatting flags and are passed on to the formatter.

Flags

Table 1. Flags
Item Description
-@ DataBaseFile Specifies either of the following
  • The full path name of the (digested) database file to be accessed
  • The print queue and queue device names, which are separated by a colon

If the argument string begins with a / (slash) character, it is assumed to be a full path name.

The combination of the queue name and the queue device name results in a unique string that is a part of the database file name and is used to search for the database file name in the /var/spool/lpd/pio/@local/ddi directory. This short-form alternative is provided as a convenience when the formatter driver and formatter are run as stand-alone devices, instead of by the spooler.
-! FormatterName Specifies the full path name of the formatter to be loaded, linked, and driven.

If the -! flag is not specified, the default formatter name that is defined by the mf attribute name in the database is used. A default formatter name is provided as a convenience when the formatter driver and formatter are run as stand-alone devices, instead of by the spooler.
-# + PassThroughOption Specifies that the print file must be passed through unmodified. If the -# + flag is not specified, the print file is formatted.

The parameter that is passed to the formatter's setup routine contains a value of 1 instead of 0, indicating that the file must be passed through instead of being formatted.

Examples

  1. To format the myfile file according to the database file (virtual printer description) for the queue device that is named std associated with the print queue named pro, overriding the page width to 132 characters, and by using the pioformat command and a formatter as a stand-alone filter, enter:
    cat myfile | pioformat  -@ pro:std -w 132 >/dev/lp0
  2. To use the pioformat command and a formatter in a pipeline running under the spooler, enter:
    %Ide/pioformat  -@ %Idd/%Imm  -! %Idf/piof420x %Fbb %Fee ...
    For this example, assume that:
    • The printer is a 4207 Model 2 Proprinter.
    • The print queue name is pro.
    • There is only one queue device (virtual printer) defined for the print queue and its name is std and its output data stream type is asc (extended ASCII).
    • The printer device name is /dev/lp0.
    • The print job submitter specified the flag and argument -i 5.
    Before the print job manager (the piobe command) passes the pipeline to a shell to format the file, it resolves the pipeline's embedded references to attribute values. Based on the assumptions listed earlier for this example, the attribute references can be resolved as:
    Item Description
     %Ide -> /usr/lpd/pio/etc Directory where the pioformat command is present
     %Idd -> /var/spool/lpd/pio/@local/ddi Directory for database files
     %Imm -> 4207-2.asc.lp0.pro:std Database file name
     %Idf -> /usr/lpd/pio/fmtrs Directory for formatter
    %Fbb -> Null string, since the submitter did not specify the -b flag
    %Fee -> -i 5 The submitter specified this flag and argument.
    The resulting pipeline that is shown after this can be passed to a shell to format the file (shown on multiple lines for readability): 
    /usr/lpd/pio/etc/pioformat        # initiate the formatter driver
-@/usr/lpd/pio/ddi/4207-2.asc.lp0.pro:std
                                  # (digested) database file
-!/usr/lpd/pio/fmtrs/piof420x     # loadable formatter
-i5                               # formatting option
                                  # (indent 5 characters)

Files

Table 2. Files
Item Description
/usr/lpd/pio/etc/pioformat Contains the formatter driver.
/usr/lpd/pio/fmtrs/* Contains the formatters.
/var/spool/lpd/pio/@local/ddi/* Contains the digested database files.