AGILE 5250 OPTIMA User’s Guide and ReferencePage 1-2
Data Stream Interface
The data stream in a print job from an IBM midrange host consists of
hexadecimal values, some of which are SCS/DCA control codes, and some
of which represent printable characters for an IBM midrange printer. The
IBM midrange host uses over fifty SCS/DCA commands to control how an
IBM midrange printer formats a given print job.
The commands can control all formatting aspects, including orientation
and paper size, the amount of justification and special print features like
bolding and underlining. Industry-standard printers are not capable of
understanding or interpreting either the commands or the hexadecimal
values representing printable characters.
The 5250 OPTIMA interprets the various SCS/DCA control codes it
receives and sends to the printer the command it needs to accomplish the
formatting specified by the SCS/DCA control code. It does this by sending
a specific programmable function string (PFS) to the printer upon receipt
of a specific SCS/DCA hexadecimal command.
The conversion of printable characters is accomplished by the 5250
OPTIMA with translation tables. Upon receipt of a hexadecimal value
representing a printable character, the 5250 OPTIMA looks up the value in
the active translation table, and it sends to the attached industry-standard
printer the corresponding value that will produce the same printed
character.
The key to allowing this interpretation and character translation is the
proper configuration of the 5250 OPTIMA. Most important to the
configuration process is the loading of the output port configuration
(printer driver) appropriate for the attached industry-standard printer. By
loading this driver, programmable function strings will automatically be
defined for the users specific printer for accurate conversion of the SCS/
DCA formatting commands received by the 5250 OPTIMA.
The output port configuration will also define the appropriate translation
table to use for the printer. The user may modify or delete any PFSs that
produce undesirable print results, and translation tables may also be edited
by the user to access printable characters not converted by the translation
tables to the users desired characters.