Page | AGILE 5250 OPTIMA User’s Guide and Reference |
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.
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
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
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.
