SetDevice V1.00 11.09.1998 Introduction ------------ Using SetDevice you can define the device used by the printer.device for printing, thus removing the need for a device redirection program (for instance MapDevice, NSDPatch). This is especialy usefull with IO boards like MultiFace III, GVP IO Extender, HyperCOM, IOBlix... . Only the output device specified is used by the printer.device and no other port is blocked from using because of redirection. Note that since V2.04 the Amiga OS and printer.device does support printing to basicly any device. However, the "Printer" preferences program does not allow you to alter the output device setting. Only the unit of the output device can be altered after starting "Printer" preferences using the UNIT tool type/keyword. Instead of allowing the user to enter the device in Printer preferences, Commodore deviced to leave this job to the programmers of the IO devices to supply the necessary tool. However, most of those never did the job. Using SetDevice you can alter the system preferences so that the printer.device will automaticly use the output device you want. Stop using MapDevice and other hacks. Requirements: ------------- Kickstart 2.04 (or later). Installation: ------------- Basicly no installation is needed. However, it is recommended you do drag the SetDevice program to your systems Prefs drawer. Startoptions ------------ SetDevice can be started from Workbench or Shell. Following options can be provided as shell argument or as tool type (click ONCE on the programs icon and than use the "Information" menu item of the Workbench to access the programs tool types) when starting from Workbench): USE/S and SAVE/S: You must specify at least one of these keywords in order to set the output device without showing the user interface of SetDevice. Similar to preferences editors, USE does only alter the temporary preferences in ENV: while SAVE also does set the device in the permanent ENVARC: preferences file. DEVICE= Use DEVICE in order to specify the output device used by the printer.device for printing. For instance, MultiFace III users can use: SetDevice DEVICE=pit.device UNIT=0 SAVE in order to set the output device for their IO board. UNIT= Here you can specify the output device unit. The setting is identical to the Unit setting offered in the Printer preferences program when starting the preferences program with the UNIT option. PUBSCREEN= The SetDevice window is opened on the default public screen. You may specify a special public screen by setting the Tool Type PUBSCREEN= and the preferences program will open its window on your application's screen. If you run the preferences program from a Shell you can similar specify a screen with the PUBSCREEN option. Note the screen name is case sensitive. TOPAZ: The SetDevice program is font independent, which means it uses any system font you have chosen in Workbench Font preferences for displaying the text in gadgets and windows. You can force the preferences programs to always use the topaz 8 font by defining a TOPAZ Tool Type or Shell keyword. Notes ----- SetDevice is normaly part of the commercial/shareware printer software Studio/CanonStudio. IOBlix users are free to also use this tool. Note that the device name and unit defined by SetDevice is part of the normal printer preferences setting of your Workbench. The settings are stored in the same file as edited by the "Printer" preferences program. The "Printer" preferences program usualy does not change your settings unless you do change the settings in a "complete" manner. For instance, if you do use the "Reset To Default" menu item of the Printer preferences program, it will also reset the output device set by the SetDevice program. Changing indivual settings in the Printer preferences program will not harm our output device settings. As you might have noted, SetDevice does not offer a FROM option or does allow saving the complete preferences. This is not necessary as the setting is stored in the same profile as used by the Printer preferences program. So if you do want to change the device setting based on a previously saved setting file, simply use the Printer preferences program for it. Otherwise you can always use the DEVICE and UNIT argument with SetDevice to change the settings in batch files without causing requesters or windows. The device set with SetDevice is always used for output, no matter if you specify Serial or Parallel output in Printer preferences. Thus the default setting is no device name. In this case the printer.device automaticly refers to parallel.device or serial.device depending on the "Printer Port" setting in the Printer preferences program. For those who don't know what device to set for their IO boards: Amiga internal parallel port: parallel.device Amiga internal serial port: serial.device MultiFace III parallel port: pit.device MultiFace III serial ports: duart.device GVP IO Extender parallel port: gvppar.device HyperCom parallel port: hyperPAR.device IOBlix: ioblixpar.device or ioblix12par.device Bugs/Wishes/Contact ------------------- In case you run into problems with this program, contact: Wolf Faust, email: wfaust@compuserve.com COPYRIGHT/DISCLAIMER ==================== Copyright ©1998 Wolf Faust. All rights reserved. All distribution- and marketing rights to the software are vested in Wolf Faust. The software has been provided to you strictly 'as is', without warranty of any kind. In no event shall the distributor and/or Faust be held liable for any loss or damages arising out of any action, from whatever source, concerning the use or inability to use the software. YOU MAY NOT USE, COPY, OR TRANSFER THE PRODUCT, OR ANY COPY OR PORTION, WITHOUT PRIOR CONSENT IN WRITING FROM WOLF FAUST. More (c) 1986-1993 Commodore-Amiga, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reproduced and distributed under license from Commodore.