It's my understanding of environment files that to be truly useful, they
need to be formatted and accepted by the laser as a set of rules stored
as a macro (or a number of macros), and flashed as a form mask by
subsequent escape sequences within the print file.

We use <plug> Formation </plug> to design and maintain a complete set of
forms for a medical insurance company, and this has resulted in the
number of preprinted forms they require being reduced to two -
membership cards and cheques (since these need magnetic ink and security
printing features). All other forms start off as blank paper - sometimes
plain white, and sometimes coloured.

I have often tried to do what is suggested below, with some success, but
hardly any of the functionality required to achieve true multi part
dynamic forms handling.

Regards

Neil Harvey


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ted Ashton [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Thursday, June 26, 1997 2:44 PM
> To:   [log in to unmask]
> Subject:      Re: Byte Stream Environment Files
>
> Thus it was written in the epistle of [log in to unmask],
> > Has anyone run across a tool that allows the design of forms or page
> > attributes on a PC, and then converts the form into PCL5 code,
> stored in
> > a byte stream file?  The byte stream file could then be loaded onto
> the
> > HP3000.  With the ability to use byte stream files as enviornment
> files
> > as of MPE\ix 5.5, this would be a very useful tool.  It would sure
> be
> > easier than writing the PCL code in an editor, as the enviornment
> files
> > seem to not allow any documentation of what you are doing.
> >
>
> Around here we just use a word processor to design the form and then
> print to a
> file the code for whatever printer we want.  Unfortuantely, a word
> processor
> will add extra code in which we don't want--form feeds, for instance.
> So I
> wrote a couple of quick perl scripts which translate control codes to
> something
> printable and back.  I translate the files, read through them, taking
> out stuff
> I don't want in there and then translate them back.  It's actually a
> fairly
> decent process.  It's been a while since I needed to do that, but I'd
> be glad
> to look up the scripts and give you a copy if you wish.
>
> Ted
> --
> Ted Ashton ([log in to unmask]), Info Serv, Southern Adventist
> University
>           ==========================================================
> Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind.
>                                         -- Einstein, Albert
> (1879-1955)