In the 5 report programs, I left the Esc E reset at the beginning, but
took it off at close. That is overkill. The thing that changed is when
3 of the report programs have input, the other 2 will be empty
except for the Esc E and initial housekeeping PCL codes (font,
orientation)...and visa versa...when the 2 reports had input,
the first 3 had none. With that change, I was getting the problem
with a spoolfile not printing every single time...not just once in a while.

I was noticing that the "empty" spoolfiles took a long time to
disappear. And then I would have that weird situation where
a spoolfile would be sitting there not printing. My theory is the
printer reset is somehow messing with the communication
between the HP laser printer and the HP spooler. Especially
on these small practically empty spoolfiles.

So I added code to all 5 report programs to prevent even
opening the report file until I have something to write to it.
so now I am only producing the 3 or 2 files, with no empty
spoolfiles at all. It's working well. I think that doing this in
combination with removing the extra Esc E at the end of the
programs may have completely solved the problem. Haven't
gotten it to misbehave since I made those changes. And if I
do get this once in a blue moon, I can still stop and start the
spooler to recover the spoolfile.

Doesn't seem like what I am describing should matter...
it should just work...but at least now it does.

Tom Hula
Victor S Barnes Company

From: Tom Hula
Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 2015 3:12 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: RE: PCL Code possibly causing print spooler problems?

I was playing with this and made another discovery. I was looking at
the spooler file that won't print...because I have this change I was
working on, there is another print file and it too is not printing.

I wondered what would happen if I played with the outfence. It
was currently at 6 and the spoolfile was at 12 with the spooler
and printer idle. I put the outfence up to 13 for that spooled device
and the spoolfile that normally won't print suddenly disappeared.
Checked the printer and nothing printing. Then I put the outfence
back down to 6 and the second spoolfile disappeared, but it did
print.

It is almost as if the printer was waiting to send something back to
the HP to delete the spoolfile because it was done printing (the
previous spoolfile...not the one that wouldn't print). Somehow,
by changing the outfence, it seemed to allow it to receive/act on
the command that the printer was done with the spoolfile. So it
disappeared and now things were back to "normal" and lowering
the fence made any waiting spoolfiles print. Is that strange or what?

The method I was using to stop and start the spooler also saved
the file from getting deleted.

The only thing I question in the programs is that I am sending a
printer reset (Escape E) at the beginning and end of the program.
I don't know why I did that now, since it was so long ago. But
removing the printer reset at the end of these programs had
no effect on the problem.

Anyway, it seems as though it is a communication problem between
the printer and the HP spooler.

Tom
From: Tom Hula
Sent: Tuesday, March 24, 2015 10:29 AM
To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Subject: PCL Code possibly causing print spooler problems?

On 2 different laser printers (P3015, P4015), I get this strange situation.

A job stream generates several print files and they start printing as they
should. But one particular print just sits there in the queue not printing.

The spooler and printer go idle and the spool file is ready to print, but
won't print. I've been getting around the problem by running the following
job to reset the spooler:

!JOB JSPOOLER,BATCH.VSB,PUB;JOBQ=PDQ
!COMMENT  STOP AND START SPOOLER ON DEV 1002
!COMMENT   WORKAROUND BECAUSE TRAVELERS
!COMMENT   ARE GETTING 'STUCK' ON DEV 1002
!SPOOLER 1002;SHOW
!SPOOLER 1002;STOP;NOW;OPENQ
!PAUSE 7
!SPOOLER 1002;SHOW
!SPOOLER 1002;START
!SPOOLER 1002;SHOW
!EOJ

When I run this, the printfile takes off printing. I noticed I getting the
same problem on another printer when I was doing some testing for
program changes requested by a customer. I noted that some programs
that a particular spoolfile that was essentially empty with the exception
of a few PCL commands was taking a long time to print and then the
next file that has the problem was not printing.

I'm thinking that I am the problem...something in the PCL code I'm sending
Is possibly doing this?

Tom Hula
Victor S. Barnes Company

* To join/leave the list, search archives, change list settings, *
* etc., please visit http://raven.utc.edu/archives/hp3000-l.html *