CHR$(12) sends the paper to the top of the next form. It gives the same result as the FF button so long as you end the line with a semicolon to prevent BASIC from adding a line feed to the LPRINT line.

Not-so-standard forms

The printer’s default length for a form feed is 11 inches. But what if you decide to use a different form length, say 2 or 14 inches? The printer has no way of measuring the length of your paper. You must tell the FX about your shorter (or longer) form.

The CHR$(27) “C” command gives you two ways to change the form length: by inches or by lines.

CHR$(27)“C”CHRS(0)CHR$(n)

Sets the form length to n inches

 

(1-22)

CHR$(27)“C”CHRS(n)

Sets the form length to n lines

 

(1-127)

CHR$(0) makes the difference between the two commands.To see the first format in action, run the following program. Enter:

NEW

10 LPRINT CHR$(27)"C"CHR$(2)CHR$(2);20 FOR X=1 TO 430 LPRINT "TWO-INCH FORM"CHR$(12);

40 NEXT X

50 LPRINT CHR$(27)"@"

CHR$(27)“C” is the key. It changes the form length in the printer’s memory so that the string TWO-INCH FORM is printed at the top of each new form. It also resets the top of form to the current position of the print head on the paper. It works just as if you’d turned the printer off and on, but without the resetting of other defaults that happens when you set the top of form by using CHR$(27)”@” or by cycling power.

In the program above, line 10 uses the inches format to set the form length to two inches. The CHR$(12) in line 30 activates the form feed to move the paper to the top of the next two-inch form.

The second format-the one without CHR$(0)--sets the form length by counting, in the current line spacing, the number of lines.

105