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nobody can help?

rbuserrbuser
edited July 2004 in General
Some days ago (11th July) I posted a message "best report configuration for
POS printers".
Every message has its reply/answer, except my message!
Nobody uses POS printers?

This question is for every RB user who has needed to print on POS printers
(Epson TM-200 Series, Samsung POS printers, etc...).
Which is the best configuration to make a report compatible with this
printers?

Use specific printer driver or use "Generic - Text Only" driver?
Best font and font-size?
Best layout?
Use Waler components "Matrix Printer" property?

Some customers say that using specific drivers, the left/right margins don't
match, or the right margin is very large.
Others say that using "Generic/Text Only" driver it prints more quickly, but
with poor quality.
Others say that the horizontal lines, rectangles, etc... don't appear.

I will get a POS printer to make some "default layouts", and I would get
some ideas and help.
Anyone can help?

Thanks for your patience

Comments

  • rbuserrbuser
    edited July 2004
    Santy,

    i didn't see your post
    i've programmed against all kind of POS printers for the last 15 years now
    so maybe i can give you some insights

    * all depends on what you have to accomplish, the easiest way is to dump out
    everything directly to the printer using the windows api Escape() function,
    fastest output possible
    * but i'm leaving that concept cause is really ties you into a specific
    printer and his capabilities, we builded a whole framework around it to
    define the different printers and escape codes to be used but that is a lot
    of work and IMHO not worth it
    * Epson has its OPOS dev kit wich allows you to use an abstract way of
    handling Pos material but that one i even didn't bother to look at cause
    you'll have to interrogate what your printer is capable of
    * the latest way of printing included an encapsulation of the RB printer
    object so some things were done by the excellent printer encapsulation of
    RB, i wrote some printline() functions in it wich handle the displacement
    and printing in different fonts,
    works great and neat but still limits the flexibility of a designed report
    and you can't have a preview (but that isn't really necessary in those
    environments)
    * rule of thumb : speed = native printer fonts
    * but now i'm in the middle of reviewing it all, and i'm simply designing
    the report like i'm used to in RB, i just select a target POS printer in the
    design, alter the page size accordingly (be sure you choose the longest
    paper size available (32 meters)) and do NOT use a footer in the report (try
    it and you'll see why )
    you can then select windows fonts or printer fonts if the speed is to slow
    (but on most recent pos printers now the speed is acceptable even when doing
    logo's etc)

    bottom line, if you do not need some special things like opening a cash
    drawer or sending some text to a connectec display then you could just do
    whatever you want just using plain RB

    drop me an email if you need more specific info
    cu
    marc


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