Q61438: Slow Printing from BASIC to Network Printer Under OS/2

Article: Q61438
Product(s): See article
Version(s): 6.00 6.00b 7.00
Operating System(s): OS/2
Keyword(s): ENDUSER | SR# S900122-142 | mspl13_basic
Last Modified: 10-MAY-1990

BASIC prints very slowly to a networked printer under OS/2 when
compared to the same printing under DOS or the OS/2 DOS box. The
printing speed is the same under OS/2 versions 1.00, 1.10, and 1.20.

This information applies to Microsoft BASIC Compiler versions 6.00 and
6.00b for MS OS/2, and to Microsoft BASIC Professional Development
System (PDS) version 7.00 for MS OS/2.

The following code, PTEST.BAS, demonstrates the slow printing speeds
under OS/2. Compile and LINK the program as follows:

   BC /O PTEST.BAS ;
   LINK PTEST ;

The following is the program PTEST.BAS:

   start = TIMER
   FOR x = 1 TO 50
      LPRINT "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ1234567890ABCDEFGHIJKLM:";x
   NEXT
   PRINT "Final time: "; TIMER - start

The following is the output from a 386 machine running at 16Mhz with
the print spooler disabled:

   Operating System     Printer          Time (seconds)
   ----------------     -------          ----

   OS/2                 Network            64
   DOS box              Network             6
   DOS 4.01             Network             4
   OS/2                 Direct             46
   DOS                  Direct             46

Note: The direct connect times are longer because the printer has no
spooler, and therefore, the computer must wait for the printer to
print each line. Also, a similar C routine prints at normal speed
under OS/2.

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