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Q42663: Suppressing CR/LF on "LPT1:BIN" after Every 80 Printable Bytes

Article: Q42663
Product(s): See article
Version(s): 4.00 4.00b 4.50
Operating System(s): MS-DOS
Keyword(s): ENDUSER | SR# S890310-85 B_BasicCom | mspl13_basic
Last Modified: 16-DEC-1989

The two sample programs shown below suppress the automatic forcing of
a LineFeed (LF) character that normally follows a Carriage Return (CR)
character sent to the printer.

The "LPT1:BIN" device requires a WIDTH#n,255 statement to suppress
CR/LF pairs added by BASIC after every 80th printable ASCII character.
The "LPT1" device doesn't require a WIDTH#n statement.

This information applies to QuickBASIC Versions 4.00, 4.00b, and 4.50,
to Microsoft BASIC Compiler Versions 6.00 and 6.00b, and to Microsoft
BASIC PDS Version 7.00.

Example 1, which uses the BASIC device name "LPT1", does not require a
WIDTH#n statement to suppress extra CR/LF pairs.

Example 2, which uses the BASIC device name "LPT1:BIN", requires the
statement WIDTH#n,255 to prevent BASIC from appending a Carriage
Return plus LineFeed (Hex 0A plus Hex 0D) pair to the characters Hex
6F (decimal 111) and Hex BF (decimal 191). (Bytes 111 and 191 are 80
bytes apart. Bytes 0 through 31 at the beginning are not counted in
the width.)

To examine printer byte values more easily, the printer should be
initialized in Hex dump mode. (On an Epson printer, Hex dump mode is
turned on by holding down the Form Feed button while turning on the
printer. Refer to your printer manual if your printer differs.)

Code Example
------------

REM **** Program 1 ****
OPEN "LPT1" FOR BINARY AS #1
FOR I = 0 TO 255
    C$= CHR$(I)
    PUT #1,,C$
NEXT

REM **** Program 2 ****
' Adding WIDTH#1,255 eliminates the CR/LF addition for "LPT1:BIN":
OPEN "LPT1:BIN" FOR RANDOM AS #1
' WIDTH#1,255    ' Required to suppress CR/LF at bytes 111 and 191.
FOR I = 0 TO 255
   PRINT#1, CHR$(I);
NEXT

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