Programming 3 – 3
The printer will not do certain things unless you specifically tell it to. You
instruct the printer to change the way it prints by sending special codes
through your computer. When you write a program, you include the
codes for printing features you want in your program. In BASIC, for
example, include them in an LPRINT statement.
Basic Programming
If you are familiar with programming, skip this section and go straight
to the control codes.
Although we wrote our examples in Microsoft’s BASIC programming
language, the principles are similar for other languages. The examples
demonstrate how to select a few of your printer’s special features and try
them. Later the features are explained in detail.
An LPRINT statement, or print statement, tells the computer to send
information to the printer. Take a minute to check your BASIC manual
to find out what form this takes in your version of BASIC.
Make sure your printer is ready to print (ribbon in, paper loaded, power
ON, SEL indicator lit) and experiment a little with the print commands.
Type the following one-line program:
LPRINT “WHO YOU GONNA CALL?”
2. Press RUN, then RETURN or CR.
3. The printer will then print:
WHO YOU GONNA CALL?