Details

There are three names that relate to printers that need to be defined and clarified before we can communicate clearly.

1) Official Printer Name

8 character identifier

2) UNIX Printer Queue

lowercase OPN + 'n'

3) Banner Printer Code

uppercase OPN + one or two character suffix

Each item builds on the preceding item(s). Most users will probably need to know only the Banner Printer Code, but it's helpful to know about all three.

Official Printer Names (OPN)

When a printer is added to the Banner system, part of the initial request process is choosing an offical name. The name consist of three fields and is eight (8) characters in length. For example, if the Anchorage campus Purchasing Department is adding an HP 4siMX printer, then the new name might be chosen like this:

Location code     (1 char):  A     (Like first letter of usernames)

Department code   (4 char):  PURC  (Common abbreviation known to others)

Unique printer id (3 char):  4MX   (to distinguish between multiple

                                    printers at same "location"+"dept")

                    + -----> Location "A" (Anchorage)
                   / 
                  |  +----->   Dept code "PURC" (Purchasing)
                  | ////
   For example:   APURC4MX    OFFICIAL PRINTER NAME
                        \\\
                         +--> Unique code "4MX"

Usually the printer owners pick the "unique printer identifier" as it should reflect something about the printer that they recognize. It MUST be three characters in length. If the Department code is not exactly four characters in length, it will be padded with hyphens to keep the OPN eight character in length.

UNIX Printer Queue (UPQ)

The UPQ names are defined in the file "/etc/printcap" which specifies printer capabilities. Usually the UPQ names are composed of the OPN with a suffix of 'n'.

If you print reports from within Banner, the correct UPQ is already specified by the built-in command and you do not need to know to which printer queue the output is directed. The report, hopefully, just appears on the correct printer automagically.

However, if you find that you need to cancel a report that has been queued, or if you need to manually print a file that already exists (i.e., in your "reports" directory from a prior job execution), then you will need to know the UPQ where your output is pending or to which you will direct it.

The UPQ name can be determined by looking at the entry in Banner table GTVPRNT, as the last item in the PRINTER_COMMAND field. For example, the entry for printer code APURC4MXL is:
'lpspr -Olandscape -w132 @ | lpr -h -P apurc4mxn'
The Unix printer queue name is 'apurc4mxn'.

Banner Printer Code (BPC)

Banner Printer Codes (in the table GTVPRNT) consist of the eight character offical printer name (always in UPPERCASE) followed by a one or two character uppercase suffix that indicates a different form requirement (page orientation, number-up, lines per page, etc), or printer handling (simplex or duplex, input paper tray selection, header/trailer page suppression, etc). At a minimum the following Banner Printer Codes are defined for new printers:

-L

Landscape form layout

-P

Portrait form layout

For example, the choices you see in Banner might be like this:

If you intend to print using special forms other than Landscape or Portrait, click here for a list of the current selections available.

Updated 01-21-2004