Transforming data using the Print Interface subsystem

The Print Interface subsystem can transform data created by a batch application from one data format to another and then write the transformed data to an output data set on the JES spool. The output data set on the JES spool can then be printed on any printer or sent to an email destination. You might want to use the Print Interface subsystem in these situations:

• To print PCL, PostScript, and PDF data on AFP printers that PSF controls
• To print line data and AFP data on PCL, PostScript, and PDF printers that IP PrintWay™ controls
• To send line data and AFP data in PDF format to email destinations using the IP PrintWay email function
• To specify Infoprint Server job attributes

To use the Print Interface subsystem, code these JCL parameters:

• SUBSYS parameter on the DD JCL statement, with these subparameters:
  • Name of the Print Interface subsystem. Ask your administrator for the subsystem name. The subsystem name is usually AOP1.
  • Name of a printer definition in the Infoprint Server Printer Inventory. Ask your administrator for the printer definition name.
  • Infoprint Server job attributes for special printing requirements. For the job attributes you can specify, see Using job attributes.

    Most of the Infoprint Server job attributes correspond to parameters on the DD and OUTPUT JCL statements. For example, the copies job attribute corresponds to the COPIES JCL parameter. Therefore, in most cases, specify the JCL parameters that you are familiar with and do not specify job attributes.

  However, you might need to specify one of these job attributes:

  • document-codepage:
    • Lets you specify a code page for the input data.
    • Required only if you print data that uses a different code page than the document code page specified in the printer definition or the default document code page.
  • document-format:
    • Lets you specify the data format.
    • Required only if you print data whose format Infoprint Server cannot detect.
  • filter-options:
    • Lets you specify transform options.
    • Your administrator can specify transform options in the printer definition. However, you might want to specify a different transform option for a specific data set.
  • xf-options:
    • Lets you specify transform attributes that apply only when you use InfoPrint Transform Manager for Linux, which converts this document from one data format, such as PostScript, to another, such as AFP format.
    • Your administrator can specify transform options in the printer definition. However, you might want to specify a different transform option for a specific data set.
• If you code the DSNAME parameter on the DD JCL statement, code the format that is suitable for a sysout data set: &&dsname.
• Print-related parameters on the DD and OUTPUT JCL statements. Your administrator can specify default values for these JCL parameters in the printer definition. Therefore, you can omit any JCL parameters that have suitable defaults. If your administrator does not provide a default value for a JCL parameter, the standard default value applies. However, JES default values for the CHARS, UCS, PAGEDEF, and FCB parameters are not used to transform data.

Limitations:

• You cannot use the DEST, CLASS, and FORMS parameters on the OUTPUT JCL statement to select the IP PrintWay printer definition.
• Do not code the SEGMENT and SYSOUT parameters on the DD JCL statement. If you do, you receive a JCL error.
• Do not code the DEST, HOLD, and MODIFY parameters on the DD JCL statement. The Print Interface subsystem ignores these parameters. You can, however, specify the OUTDISP parameter on the OUTPUT JCL statement instead of the HOLD parameter on the DD JCL statement.
• Specify only one OUTPUT JCL statement for each DD statement. The Print Interface subsystem uses only one OUTPUT JCL statement, in this order:
  1. The first OUTPUT JCL statement referred to in the OUTPUT parameter on the DD statement.
  2. The first OUTPUT JCL statement with DEFAULT=YES in the same job step.
  3. The first OUTPUT JCL statement with DEFAULT=YES in the job.
• Each output data set that the Print Interface subsystem creates on the JES spool is placed in a separate JES output group from other output data sets in the same job step, regardless of the value specified in the GROUPID parameter on the OUTPUT JCL statement.
• The QSAM and BSAM access methods and the OPEN, CLOSE, and PUT functions are supported. Other access methods and functions (such as CHECKPOINT, GET, and LOCATE) are not supported.
• JES2 /*OUTPUT JCL statements and JES3 //*FORMAT JCL statements are ignored.
• If your application writes multiple output data sets that require data transforms, your job and other jobs might not complete if your administrator limits the maximum number of data transforms. Therefore, before using the Print Interface subsystem, contact your administrator to determine whether the maximum-active attribute in the transform configuration file is suitable for your application.

Error handling: When the Print Interface subsystem detects an error, it writes an error message to your job log, and it does not write any output data to the JES spool for the job step. If the subsystem detects an error during PUT and CLOSE operations in your application, it abnormally terminates with abend code 09B after writing an error message. Some situations that can cause an abnormal termination are:

• The printer does not support the format of the data that your application writes to the DD statement. Your administrator specifies the supported data formats in the printer definition. For information about the supported data formats, see document-format.
• The data transform is not installed or is not customized correctly.

Related information:

• JCL parameters for the Print Interface subsystem
• JCL Examples:
  • Print line or AFP data on a PostScript printer using the Print Interface subsystem
  • Print PostScript, PCL, or PDF data on an AFP printer using the Print Interface subsystem
  • Print GIF, JPEG, or TIFF data on an AFP printer using the Print Interface subsystem

Modifying JCL to use the Print Interface subsystem

These examples show how to modify the JCL you might use to print a data set to the same printer:

Example 1: JCL that does not use the Print Interface subsystem

//DD1    DD SYSOUT=E,DEST=PRT003,DSNAME=&&MYDATA
 

Example 2: JCL that uses the Print Interface subsystem (changes in bold)

//DD1    DD SUBSYS=(AOP1,'printer003'),DSNAME=&&MYDATA

These examples assume that printer definition printer003 in the Infoprint Server Printer Inventory contains these values:

Field

Value

CLASS

E

DEST

PRT003

FORMS

not specified (JES default value is used)

These changes were made in these JCL examples:

• In Example 2, the SYSOUT parameter on the DD JCL statement was replaced with the SUBSYS parameter. In the SUBSYS parameter, the name of the Print Interface subsystem (AOP1) and the name of the printer definition that your administrator defined for the printer (printer003) are specified.
• In Example 2, the class, destination, and forms values are not specified because the printer definition contains the same values as shown in Example 1. However, to override these values in the printer definition, you could code the CLASS, DEST, and FORMS parameters on an OUTPUT JCL statement.