Line-Mode Conversion

The PSF 3800 Line-Mode Conversion function can simplify your migration from a 3800 line-mode printing environment to an AFP printer.

All 3800 printers can operate in "line mode" as non-AFP printers. In line mode, however, they do not use PSF or AFP resources such as page definitions and form definitions; rather, they use 3800 line-mode resources such as FCBs and GRAPHMODs. Without the PSF 3800 Line-Mode Conversion function, migrating to the AFP print environment could make it necessary for many of the resources for a 3800 line-mode job to be converted manually to AFP resources. The PSF 3800 Line-Mode Conversion function can reduce the number of required changes to resources, JCL, and application line data, and let you use a limited set of standard AFP functions that are not available on the 3800 line-mode printer.

This topic explains what 3800 Line-Mode Conversion is, how it works, how to enable it, some limitations or restrictions that you might encounter in your particular environment, and the implementation steps you must follow.

What is IBM 3800 Line-Mode Conversion

The PSF 3800 Line-Mode Conversion function emulates the operation of a JES-driven IBM® 3800 line-mode printer. It processes JCL, resources, and line data in much the same way as a 3800 line-mode printer, and it detects many common error conditions. In other words, it lets you print your old 3800 line-mode jobs on an AFP printer.

In one special case, 3800 Line-Mode Conversion even supports nonstandard OEM FCBs that were designed to print from perforation to perforation on non-IBM printers that are similar to the 3800 printer. PSF 3800 Line-Mode Conversion is not supported for a 3800 printer in AFP mode.

Line-mode conversion also makes available some standard AFP functions that are not offered in the 3800 line-mode printing environment:

• You can use one electronic overlay, instead of forms flash.
• You can mix AFP and 3800 line-mode jobs on the same printer.
• You can set the top and left margins to use the entire printable area, even for old 3800 line-mode jobs.
• You can use duplex printing capability.

How does 3800 Line-Mode Conversion work

The 3800 Line-Mode Conversion function enables PSF to dynamically build and use inline page definition and form definition resources for 3800 line-mode jobs. The resources are built from information in the job’s FCB and JCL for the LINECT, COPIES, and FLASH parameters.

To build the inline page definition, PSF concatenates the member named FCB3 to the FCB value in the JCL, and accesses that member in SYS1.IMAGELIB. If no FCB is specified for the print job, PSF is unable to continue, and stops processing. The expected paper size is calculated from the FCB; it must match the size of the paper loaded in the printer. Page height, as specified in the page definition, includes the full printable page area, to allow room for character ascenders and descenders that a 3800 printer processing in line mode might truncate. The default margin at the top and bottom of the page is set to 1/2 inch (as on the 3800 printer), but can be changed to allow use of the entire printable area. If LINECT is specified in the JCL, the inline page definition contains either the number of lines specified by LINECT or the number specified in the FCB, whichever is smaller.

Information for the inline form definition is derived from several sources. To set the printer origin to match the origin on the 3800 printer, PSF uses information about the dimensions of the paper currently loaded in the printer. If a forms flash is used for the job, the software also extracts the FLASH name from the JCL, and indicates an electronic overlay of the same name. If PSF does not find a user-created electronic overlay with the same name (prefixed with O1) in the PSF resource library, PSF issues an error message. Uncollated copies specified by the COPIES parameter in the JCL are used in conjunction with FLASH to determine how many copy subgroups should be specified in the inline form definition.

PSF also uses other information in the JCL, though that information is not integrated into the inline resources. Thus if multiple transmissions, or collated copies, are specified in the COPIES parameter, PSF produces multiple collated copies. Further, if 3800 GRAPHMODs and character sets are specified by the CHARS parameter, they are accessed as AFP fonts. If you use this method to specify fonts, be aware that unless like-named AFP fonts exist in the PSF font library before PSF is started, an error results.

How can PSF 3800 Line-Mode Conversion be enabled

The conversion function is activated through PSF Exit 4 in deferred-printing mode or through PSF Exit 14 in direct-printing mode. Exit 4 is the PSF record processing exit, which typically gains control each time PSF accesses a print record from the JES spool. Exit 14 is the PSF direct-printing 3800 Line-Mode Conversion exit, which gains control for the first record of the transmission. To enable the conversion function, set flag XTP4CONV on for the first record of the transmission for either exit. For any other records of the transmission in Exit 4, PSF ignores XTP4CONV, although no error message is issued. As a default, PSF sets this flag to OFF before calling Exit 4/14 for the first record of the transmission.

If you use Exit 4 for any other modification of the records, they are processed normally, as though the 3800 Line-Mode Conversion function did not exist.

You can set XTP4NCAL flag ON in Exit 4/14 to indicate that this exit should not be called again for the rest of the current transmission. Because the JCL is analyzed and inline resources are built only when the first record is processed, you will experience better overall performance if you set XTP4NCAL on. However, if you require Exit 4/14 functions on any record later in the current transmission, you should wait until you no longer want PSF to call Exit 4/14 for the current transmission before you set XTP4NCAL on.

When you program the logic for Exit 4/14, you should identify the 3800 jobs you want converted. Because the exit has access to all the JCL parameters for the job, you might choose to identify jobs by any of these parameters—for example, Job Name or Job Class. To intermix AFP jobs and 3800 line-mode jobs, Exit 4/14 must identify each job as one kind or the other, and set the XTP4CONV flag off for AFP jobs and on for 3800 line-mode jobs.

You can also set up a table in Exit 4/14 that lets the user, by specifying any of the parameters available to the exit, select special print offsets, XTP4XOFF and XTP4YOFF, for different 3800 line-mode jobs. This enables the conversion function to emulate the print offsets that a 3800 operator might enter in order to match print to special forms. Exit 4/14 can set the horizontal offset value XTP7XOFF and the vertical offset value XTP4YOFF. Using these fields, you can make adjustments that correspond to the adjustments allowed on the 3800 line-mode printer. The adjustments are based on 240 pels per inch; an adjustment of 2 inches is coded as 480. The defaults are set for a vertical adjustment of 1/2 inch and a horizontal adjustment of 0 inches. These bits are valid only when the XTP4CONV flag is on.

PSF also lets you set the XTP4LMRG flag in Exit 4/14 to indicate to PSF that line merge should be activated. This line merge duplicates the line merge function of a 3800 while in "line mode." To enable line merge, you should set flag XTP4LMRG on for the first record of the transmission. For any other records of the transmission, XTP4LMRG is ignored, although no error message is issued. As a default, PSF sets this flag to off before Exit 4/14 is called for the first record of the transmission. The flag XTP4LMRG is only valid when XTP4CONV is set on.

PSF also lets you set the XTP4DPLX flag in Exit 4/14 to indicate to PSF if duplexing should be enabled and if so, what type is enabled. To enable duplexing, you should set field XTP4DPLX for the first record of the transmission. For any other records of the transmission, XTP4DPLX is ignored, although no error message is issued. As a default, PSF sets this field to zero before Exit 4/14 is called for the first record of the transmission. The field XTP4DPLX is only valid when XTP4CONV is set on.

The conversion function provides line-mode processing only for jobs selected by Exit 4/14. However, not all jobs selected by Exit 4/14 are converted. Any job that has a PAGEDEF or FORMDEF parameter coded in its JCL is ignored for line-mode processing. PSF assumes that the job already has been designed for AFP printing, and processes it as a normal AFP job.

If you are using Cut-Sheet Emulation mode, you can set the XTP4WINA flag on in Exit 4/14 to indicate to PSF whether your 3800 line-mode job was designed for wide or narrow paper. If this flag is set OFF, PSF generates portrait pages to emulate narrow paper. If this flag is set ON, PSF generates landscape pages to emulate wide paper. To enable landscape pages, you should set flag XTP4WINA ON for the first record of the transmission. For any other records of the transmission, XTP4WINA is ignored, although no error message is issued. As a default, PSF sets this flag to OFF before Exit 4 is called for the first record of the transmission. The flag XTP4WINA is valid only when XTP4CONV is set ON and the printer is in Cut-Sheet Emulation mode.

Considerations and limitations of the 3800 Line-Mode Conversion function

Jobs with the following requirements cannot be printed in PSF until they have been manually converted for AFP printing:

• COPYMODs

  PSF cannot process jobs that use COPYMODs. If MODIFY is specified in the JCL for a job, and that job is identified in Exit 4/14 for 3800 Line-Mode Conversion processing, PSF issues an error message and , in deferred-printing mode, requests that the system hold the job. If the same job had not been identified in Exit 4/14, it would print as a normal AFP job; the MODIFY parameter would simply be ignored. Jobs for which the MODIFY parameter is specified must be converted to AFP jobs manually.

• Customized fonts

  PSF does not convert 3800 character sets and GRAPHMODs. Like-named fonts must be available as AFP bounded-box fonts in the PSF resource library. PSF comes with AFP versions of all the character sets supplied with the 3800 printer. For any nonstandard character sets used in line-mode print jobs, equivalent AFP fonts must be created or substituted.

• Post-processing rotation

  You should also examine jobs that use a special post-processing routine and character set to create the 3800 version of rotated print. Although you might be able to convert the rotated character set for the AFP printer, removing the rotate post-processing step and using standard AFP fonts and AFP capabilities to rotate the job is easier.

The following restrictions apply to 3800 Line-Mode Conversion:

• 240 pel

  You can use the 3800 Line-Mode Conversion only to print 3800 line mode jobs on 240-pel printers.

• One input bin

  The 3800 Line-Mode Conversion assumes that the printer has only one input bin and will use paper only from the first input bin identified by the printer.

The following functions can be used with 3800 Line-Mode Conversion, subject to some limitations:

• Printing on cut-sheet AFP printers

  You can print 3800 line-mode jobs on cut-sheet AFP printers (such as the InfoPrint 60 printer) only if the print jobs will fit on the paper that these cut-sheet printers handle. Although 3800 jobs that print on narrow paper should easily fit on cut-sheet paper, 3800 jobs designed for wide paper will probably not fit. PSF does not rotate 3800 jobs on cut-sheet printers to try to make them fit the paper.

• Perf-to-perf printing when migrating from non-IBM 3800-like printers

  Support is provided to allow migration from non-IBM printers that are similar in operation to the 3800 printer, but have the capability to print from perforation to perforation (no required half-inch margins on the top and bottom of the page). If the FCB contains a special X'0B' byte in the first byte of the line space/channel code descriptors, it is a nonstandard FCB (not created through the IEBIMAGE utility). In this case, PSF counts the top and bottom half-inch margins as a printable area when comparing expected and actual loaded paper size. PSF also always prints perf-to-perf when this FCB is used, regardless of the setting of XTP4YOFF. However, if character ascenders or descenders fall outside of the printable area, they are not printed.

An alternative for processing these jobs when migrating them to a 3900 printer is RPQ 8B3997—3800 Compatibility Mode for the 3900 printer. This RPQ provides a separate microcode load for the 3900 printer to enable it to run as a 3800-3 or 3800-6 printer, operating in 3800 line mode. This RPQ is intended to facilitate the migration of 3800 workloads to 3900 printers with no need to convert COPYMODs, GRAPHMODs, JCL, and so on, or to install later levels of software. For more information about the RPQ, consult your IBM marketing representative.

Implementation checklist for PSF 3800 Line-Mode Conversion

To use the PSF conversion function, take the following steps:

• Make sure that AFP fonts are available in the PSF resource library for all the 3800 character sets and GRAPHMODs used by the jobs being processed.
• Make sure that electronic overlays are created and available in the PSF resource library for all 3800 forms flashes used.
• Screen the 3800 jobs to identify those that cannot be processed by PSF—that is, jobs using COPYMODs or merging lines with different-sized characters.
• Modify PSF Exit 4/14 to indicate jobs that require the conversion function.

You are now ready to route 3800 line-mode jobs to an AFP printer.

Considerations when using AFP Download Plus

Paper length and width are specified with two parameters that determine the printable area to be used. The parameters are:

• paper-length and paper-width AFPPARMS parameters specified by using the AFPPARMS control statement in the startup procedure or the AFPPARMS control statement on the OUTPUT statement.
• Paper length and Paper width parameters specified by using the Printer Inventory.

The default for paper length is 14 inches and the default for paper width is 13.2 inches. If the FCB printable area is within the parameter defaults, the page length and page width parameters do not need to be specified.

One of these can cause off-the-logical-page errors to occur when printing:

• The paper length or paper width parameter is set too small.
• The paper loaded at the printer is not the correct size.

Message APS973I indicates that the page defined in the FCB does not match the physical paper length. However, this message is not issued unless XTP7LMCM is set ON in installation Exit 7 or Report Line-Mode Conversion paper-length errors is set to YES in the Printer Inventory.

AFP Download Plus assumes that cut-sheet emulation is not being used. Therefore, AFP Download Plus does not honor XTP4WINA (wide paper flag) in installation Exit 4 because it is only used when cut-sheet emulation is active.