Q35261: Macro to Print Part or All of a File from within M

Article: Q35261
Product(s): See article
Version(s): 1.00  1.02 | 1.00 1.02
Operating System(s): MS-DOS | OS/2
Keyword(s): ENDUSER | | mspl13_basic
Last Modified: 21-AUG-1989

Microsoft Editor Version 1.00 contains no built-in primitives for
printing; there is no actual "print" command. However, a set of steps
can be performed involving the shell function, and a macro can be
written to execute the steps conveniently. The 1.02 version of the
Microsoft Editor does contain a print function. For more information
on Version 1.02's print function, please see Section 4.9, "Printing a
File," in the "Microsoft Editor User's Guide for MS OS/2 and MS-DOS
Operating Systems."

The following is a sample macro for the 1.00 Editor:

   print1:=copy arg "<clipboard>" setfile
   print2:=arg arg "PRINT.TMP" setfile
   print3:=arg "print PRINT.TMP" shell
   print4:=arg "del PRINT.TMP" shell setfile
   print:=print1 print2 print3 print4

Note: The DOS PRINT command is a resident program. If you shell out of
M and invoke the PRINT command for the first time, PRINT will be
loaded above M and you will fragment memory. To prevent this, invoke
the PRINT command before entering M, so that it will be loaded into
low memory.

The following explains the above example:

1. copy: This copies the currently selected region into the
   clipboard. This way, you can select a region, using a boxarg or
   linearg, and then execute this macro to print it. Because the
   selected region defines what is to be printed, it can be modified
   to suit your needs.

2. arg "<clipboard>" setfile: This loads the <clipboard> pseudo file
   as the current file.

3. arg arg "PRINT.TMP" setfile: This saves the contents of the current
   file (which is now <clipboard>) to the file PRINT.TMP.

4. arg "print PRINT.TMP" shell: This executes a DOS shell that prints
   PRINT.TMP.

5. arg "del PRINT.TMP" shell setfile: This executes a DOS shell that
   deletes PRINT.TMP, then uses Setfile to return to the original file.

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