Format controls

Formatting control functions format the output media at the device on a line and page basis. In addition to these controls, a device using SCS also automatically formats the character string to fit the line length of the device.

Automatic new line generation eliminates device line length dependencies from those applications in which a specific output format is not required. Therefore, the same character string is sent to devices with varying line length capabilities without the requirement to reformat the character string.

Where specific line and page formats are required, the formatting control functions are used. The automatic new line feature is always active; however, a character string formatted for a given line length can be presented on a device with a shorter line length without loss of data, but the format is lost. When the situation is reversed, where a character string constructed for a maximum presentation position is less than the line length of the device to which it is directed, use of the smaller maximum presentation position allows the string to be presented without loss of format.