You can use the forms overlay feature to load electronic forms or send commands or resources to the printer.
When the spool is ready to print a document, it searches the Forms overlay folder for an overlay file, according to the selection criteria you specify in the Overlay Options dialog box. If the spool finds a corresponding overlay, it sends the overlay to the printer (or other destination) with the spool document.
Overlay selection is based on fields from the header. For each spool printer, you can choose which header field is used for loading overlays. When it is ready to print a document, the spool compares the text of the header field to the names of the available overlay files. If it finds a match, it loads the corresponding overlay. If spool does not find a matching overlay file, it can load a default overlay file, print the document anyway, or suspend the printer, depending on which options you choose.
Electronic forms can replace preprinted forms. The forms overlay feature of many laser printers allow an electronic form to print automatically with every page of a data file. When you use electronic forms, you can use plain paper instead of preprinted forms paper. For example, the software sends the text of an invoice form to the printer and the printer loads it as an overlay. Next, the software sends the data file, and each page of data is overlaid with the invoice form, so that both the form and the data print on the page. The overlay stays loaded until a printer reset command is issued.
To create electronic forms, you need a form design package. Use the forms design software to create forms and insert special printer codes. You must store the completed forms as overlay files in the BARR/SPOOL Overlay folder. The default directory is \\Program Files\Barr\Spooler\Overlay, unless an alternate path was specified during installation. When BARR/SPOOL is ready to print a file, it checks the Forms overlay folder and sends the corresponding form overlay file to the printer.
If you have overlay files that apply to a specific printer or group of printers, you can store overlays for those printers in printer-specific subfolders relative to the overlay folder. For example, for an HP LaserJet, you would create the subfolder \\Program Files\Barr\Spooler\Overlay\HPLaserjet.
BARR/SPOOL supports both beginning and ending overlay files, so you can send printer information at both the start and end of jobs. For example, you might want to send commands to set up the printer at the beginning of a job and then send commands to reset the printer at the end of the job. Or, you can use only ending overlays if you choose not to send a default overlay or suspend the printer when the beginning overlay is not found.
You must store the ending overlay files in a subfolder named \END relative to the folder where the beginning overlays are stored. For example, you can store ending overlays that apply to most printers in the default folder, \\Program Files\Barr\Spooler\Overlay\END, and overlays that apply to a specific printer, such as an HP LaserJet, in \\Program Files\Barr\Spooler\Overlay\HPLaserjet\END.
Beginning and ending overlay file pairs must have the same file name, which is why they must reside in different folders.
You can create forms overlay files in ASCII or EBCDIC format using a corresponding editor (ASCII or hexadecimal). Files you create with an ASCII editor must be named with .asc extension. Files you create with a hexadecimal editor must have the extension .bin. To use the overlays, you must identify the overlay to use with each spool printer.
The first part of the overlay file name must match the value of the header field you are using to trigger loading of the overlay. The overlay file name extension must correspond to the overlay file’s format. However, the overlay file format and the print file format do not need to be the same. For example, you can use an ASCII overlay file (Form.asc) with a file in Barr NJE format (Data.bnj). Keep in mind while naming the overlay file, that the overlay selection criteria bases its matches on the file name extensions.
If you are using ending overlay files, your ending overlay must have the same name as the beginning overlay file it corresponds to. Also, you must store ending overlays in a subfolder named \END relative to the beginning overlay folder. The default ending overlay folder is \\Program Files\Barr\Spooler\Overlay\END.
Avoid creating more than one beginning overlay file
or more than one ending overlay file with the same first name. If a document
does not print correctly, unique names will help you avoid confusion about
which overlay actually was used for that document. For example, if Greenbar.asc
already exists, name the binary version of that overlay file Greenbar2.bin,
so the first part of the overlay name is unique.
BARR/SPOOL uses the first matching overlay it finds. The type of printer you are sending the print document to determines how the software searches for overlay files. The following table lists the overlay extensions accepted for BARR/PRINT390 output (channel printers), BARR/PRINT to EPS output, and all other output types. Overlays are sought in the order they appear in the table.
For example, if you are routing a document to a channel printer, and an overlay file named Greenbar is required, BARR/SPOOL searches for it in the following order: Greenbar., Greenbar.tnj, Greenbar.bnj, Greenbar.bin, and Greenbar.asc. As soon as it finds a match, BARR/SPOOL stops searching.
|
BARR/PRINT390 and |
All other output types |
|
blank extension |
blank extension |
|
.tnj extension |
.bin extension |
|
.bnj extension |
.asc extension |
|
.bin extension |
|
|
.asc extension |
|
You can configure that overlay feature for almost any kind of printer that you define, and in most cases, the overlay files are sent to the printer as is, or in a binary fashion without conversion. In certain cases, though, the overlays are converted or manipulated to match the output format expected by the type of printer that you configured. This is true for printers created with BARR/PRINT390 and BARR/PRINT to EPS.
BARR/PRINT390 is used to drive channel-attached printers that are physically attached with Bus & Tag channel cables. The Bus & Tag cable interface requires that any data sent to the printer be sent in the standard channel print format, which is record-oriented commands using mainframe 3211 machine carriage control.
|
Extension |
Behavior |
|
No extension |
Assumes .tnj, does not send overlay if not .tnj. |
|
.tnj, .bnj |
The .tnj format is already in a record oriented structure, so the records are sent as is, except that the carriage control is converted to 3211 machine if necessary. |
|
.bin |
Reads the entire overlay as one record and sends it with a carriage control command of 0x09 (write and space one line). |
|
.asc |
Translates the data from ASCII to EBCDIC and converts the ASCII carriage control to 3211 machine carriage control. |
The DOS-based product BARR/PRINT370 supported ASCII and S/370 format overlays. If you are upgrading from the DOS product, you can use the ASCII overlays as is by just making sure they have the .asc extension. You can use the S/370 overlays by converting them to .tnj with the Resource Conversion Utility.
BARR/PRINT to EPS is used to send Xerox LCDS and Metacode print jobs to the Xerox EPS line of printers over a TCP/IP socket connection. This connection requires a record-oriented format of data with 3211 machine carriage control similar to the format used on the Bus & Tag channel. Therefore, just like with BARR/PRINT390, the overlays need to be converted into the required format.
|
Extension |
Behavior |
|
No extension |
Overlays with no extension will be treated as if they have a .bin extension. |
|
.tnj, .bnj |
The .tnj format is already in a record oriented structure, so the records are sent as is with a slight adjustment in the record length field to match the EPS format. The carriage control is converted to 3211 machine if necessary. |
|
.bin |
Overlays with .bin or no extension are sent transparently, that is with no conversion. Overlays sent in this way will only work properly if they are already in the format required by the Xerox EPS printer. |
|
.asc |
Translates the data from ASCII to EBCDIC and converts the ASCII carriage control to 3211 machine carriage control. |
As with PRINT390, customers upgrading from other Barr products can still use ASCII overlays by making sure they have the .asc extension. You can use the S/370 overlays by converting them to .tnj with the Resource Conversion Utility.
You can set up the forms overlay feature for each spool printer. These steps assume you have created an overlay and are at the Printer Properties dialog box. This dialog box displays when you add or modify a printer from the Configuration Utility's Spool Printers tab.
From the Printer
Properties dialog box, under Options,
click Overlays. The Overlay
Options dialog box displays. 
Next to the Select overlay using text box, click the ellipsis (...) button.
Select the header section that contains the field. The software determines which overlay file to use by searching for a name in the header. For example, you might want to use the overlay that matches the file’s FCB name.
Select the header field that contains the overlay file name. The spool will use this field to select the overlay. Click OK.
It is possible to specify two header fields
to use information from different files (optional).
In the Select overlay using text
box, enter a space or a plus sign (+) and then type the second field name.
For example, NDHGFCB+NDHGUCS. A plus
sign (+) will concatenate the values of the fields. A new name will be
given to this overlay file and it will be treated like a single file.
When a space is used, the extension of the overlay must match the extension
of the field value. If the fields are either NDHGFCB or NDHGUCS, then
the extension of the overlay matching the field must be .fcb
or .ucs, respectively. For any other field, the extension can be any standard
overlay extension (that is, .asc or .tnj). Two overlay files will be sent
to the printer.
Select a default overlay (optional). Choose whether the software will load a default overlay file if it does not find the specified overlay file, or if the specified overlay file is blank.
If you are printing to an IBM 3800 printer in compatibility
mode you must select the doc.tnj
overlay file. The default folder is \\Program Files\Barr\Spooler\Overlay,
unless an alternate path was selected during installation.
Select Enable default, and then click the folder button.
Select the overlay file.
Specify an overlay subfolder (optional). Choose whether the beginning overlay files for this printer are located in a subfolder of the overlay folder.
If the folder containing beginning overlays already exists, click the folder button and navigate to the folder containing the overlays.
If the folder does not already exist, enter the folder name, and then use the Windows Explorer to create the folder.
Under Options, select how to apply overlays to print jobs.
Specify additional forms overlay options (optional).
Click OK twice to return to the Spool Printers tab.
If you want to change the default overlay folder name, you can do so from the Resource Folders tab.
Remember to create the actual overlay files and put them in the overlay folder.
You can include several overlay files in a single file by using the Barr embedded send files command, ##. The master file contains send commands referencing the other files. By using this feature you can store common overlay features in separate files so they can be shared. Otherwise you might have to store duplicate copies of the same overlay text and commands in several different overlay files.
Complete the following steps to create an overlay file composed of other files.
Create individual overlay files containing the features you want.
Use the editor to create a master overlay file that references the files containing the features you want. The form of the send command is: ##file1 file2 . . . filen
Follow these rules when you type the file name list:
The embedded Send Files command, ##, must be at the beginning of the file.
If your file name contains a space, the entire file name must be contained in quotes, "<file name>".
Separate the file name with a space, tab, carriage return/line feed, or blank line.
If the files are not located in the default overlay directory or the directory that you specified, specify the full directory path as part of each file name.
Nested multiple overlay files are not possible. After
the first embedded send files command, ##, all files will be read as regular
overlay files.