Resolving The Problem

This document explains the differences between file separators and job separators.

This document was last updated on 4 April 2014.


Example of a File Separator

The following is an example of a file separator:

The file separator shows the fully-qualified job name (job name, user name, and job number) of the job that generated the spooled file. It also shows the date and time that the spooled file was printed, the spooled file name, the spooled file number, the job system name, the creation date and time, and the copy number.

Example of a Job Separator

The following is an example of a job separator:


The job separator shows the fully-qualified job name (job name, user name, and job number) of the job that generated the spooled file, and the date and time that the spooled file was printed. However, it does not show the spooled file name, the spooled file number, the job system name, the creation date and time, and the copy number because a job separator is not unique to a specific spooled file.

Information on File Separators

As mentioned above, the file separator shows the fully-qualified job name (job name, user name, and job number) of the job that generated the spooled file, the date and time that the spooled file was printed, the spooled file name, the spooled file number, the job system name, the creation date and time, and the copy number.

When activated, a file separator will be printed for each spooled file that is printed.

File separators are controlled by the File separators (FILESEP) parameter in the spooled file attributes, the File separators (FILESEP) parameter in the Start Print Writer (STRPRTWTR) command and the File separators (FILESEP) parameter in the Change Writer (CHGWTR) command.

The FILESEP parameter in the STRPRTWTR command defaults to *FILE, which says to look at the FILESEP parameter in the spooled file attributes. The FILESEP parameter in the spooled file attributes defaults to 0, so file separators are usually not printed.

Activating File Separators

There are several ways to activate file separators, including the following:
Deactivating File Separators

Likewise, there are several ways to deactivate file separators, including the following:
Information on Job Separators

As mentioned above, the job separator shows the fully-qualified job name (job name, user name, and job number) of the job that generated the spooled file and the date and time that the spooled file was printed, but not the spooled file name, the spooled file number, the job system name, the creation date and time, or the copy number. That is because a job separator is issued once when printing spooled files from the same job one after the other.

When activated, a job separator will be printed only when the spooled file was generated by a different job than the last spooled file printed. For example, if an output queue has 3 spooled files that were generated by one job and 3 spooled files that were generated by another job, then only two job separators will be printed. One job separator is printed before the first spooled file generated by the first job and another before the first spooled file generated by the second job. If the spooled files alternate somehow (such as by being generated by two users each generating reports or print screens), then more job separators could be printed.

Job separators are controlled by the Job separators (JOBSEP) parameter in the output queue description.

The JOBSEP parameter in the Create Output Queue (CRTOUTQ) command defaults to 0, so job separators are usually not printed.

Activating Job Separators

There is only one way to activate job separators:
Deactivating Job Separators

There is only one way to deactivate job separators:
File Separators and Job Separators Are Not Supported with Remote Output Queues

Both file separators and job separators can be used with printer writers, but not with remote writers. If file or job separators are needed, but you are currently using a Remote Output Queue, you must switch to using a *LAN 3812 PJL, SNMP, or IPP device description. For more information, please refer to the following documents:

N1019659: Capabilities and Limitations of Remote Output Queues (RMTOUTQs)
N1010134: Configuring a *LAN 3812 PJL Device Description
N1019572: Configuring a *LAN 3812 SNMP Device Description
N1019375: Configuring a *LAN 3812 IPP Device Description

Note: File separators and job separators can also be printed when printing through a *LAN 3812 device description that uses the unsupported LPR Print Driver (TSPLPRD) utility, but only when the Printer device type (DEVTYPE) parameter is set to *SCS. However, the separators are not printed for *AFPDS or *USERASCII spooled files.

For information on configuring a *LAN 3812 device description that uses the LPR Print Driver (TSPLPRD) utility, please refer to the following document:

N1019586: Configuring a *LAN 3812 Device Description that Uses the LPR Print Driver (TSPLPRD) Exit Program