spool file from the as400

I have a the as400 and when I try and send the spool file into a physical file the spaces get eliminated meaning that the format is not the same. Even when I use operation navigator, drag and drop the format is still different. Why. Is there a way to get a spool file from the as400 to the pc with the same format and without having to do anything with the as400, meaning not having to install anything on it. please someone help...

Hi bear23,

Most easy way to do it, is via the Client Access "Operation navigator".
When you start the navigator, click on as/400 hostname in the left part of the window (if you have more then 1 AS/400 select the one you want to work with), click on basic-operations and  than click on output.
Now a list is shown with all of your AS/400 spoolfiles, Just drag and drop them somewhere on your PC.

Regards,

murphey

Hey Murph,

If you know how to do this without using the operations navigator (either a CL, RPG etc..) could you please post those comments?  If I need to post a question to put some points out there, I can do that as well.  It would be nice to know how to automate a splf move to a workstation folder so the user can get access to it, all from the 400.

I'm sure it has something to with the the data transfer protocol, but I can't figure it out.

That way, when the user calls an established app, the CL is called and the transfer is automatic.

jjjjjjj

The problem with that is that the format is gone. I lose all the special formatting that the orginal spool file had.

As far as I know, dosn't have an AS/400 printerfile no special format (maybe exept for bold, what is actualy double strike printing). All oter spoolfiles (with format) are not real AS/400 spoolfiles, what you can do is to try to create an PDF file of it.

bear23,
Are you interested in converting an existing spool file into a PC readable format (like PDF) while retaining the format, or do you want to merge Office documents with AS400 data?

yes, The bottom line is that I want to take what I see on the as400 spool file, format and all and have it accessable on the pc the same way. This has to be done programmably. I preferr visual basic. I am even playing with the idea to have the spool file print to a generic printer driver, but the format is still not all the same. Then I tried to print to the pdf driver and it prompts me for a save location, plus I really didn't want to have to go and buy pdf printers. The generic is available for free. Can you please help

What AS400 version are you using?
Do you have InfoPrint installed?
Do you have Java installed?
Are the reports large?
Are you willing to spend a few bucks for a spool to pdf conversion tool?

there isn't a way to connect to a spool file then using vb 6

Hi bear23

What exactly do you mean by "loosing the Format", Are you using diferent chracter sizes, lines and or barcodes etc.
or do you mean only the empty lines and form feeds?

I have been tagging along for the ride on this one, and have worked with the CTLCHAR(*FCFC) that Shalom suggested.  I created a folder in the IFS, and saved the PF (with the special character at the beginning of each line) and it looks correct to me, ie.... it is an exact representation of the SPLF.  I see this via a mapped drive, and I also saved the PF as an extension of .TXT.

Maybe you should consider (if it is possible) creating an HTML document on the 400 and then creating a mapped drive to the folder in the IFS, which could contain the HTML doc.  Then you could just get the HTML and do what you need with it.

Keep in mind, this would only work if it is possible to create HTML on the 400.  Shalom or Murph, what are your thoughts on this idea?

jjjjjjj

This is what I mean when I say format.
This is what it looks like on the 400

           Tim Allen        John Smith


Love to be here
           Great Day


This is what it looks like when I drag and drop the spool file to pc


           Tim Allen        John Smith
Love to be here
           Great Day


This is a small thing, but really screws up the forms when this is printed. No if I create a physical file then each line of that physical file will be a record.

Meaning if I tied into it using access. This would be the only advantage of using the physical file I think. Then each line is a record. Then what would be needed is identifiers for each secton meaning.

           1Tim Allen        John Smith
Love to be here
           2Great Day


So that a code could be written to gather all the 1 and place in a field
then gather all the 2 and place it in the second field, etc.

Then you would have each section seperated and then the format could be easily fixed. The problem is that I would need to program idenifiers it is just oo much work.

Make sense or did I really lose you.


All I am tried to do is find a way to have the spool file look actually the way it looks on the as400. From the pc I will place the data to a form that I will create with a letter head and column lines.
Thats all.

jjjjjjj,
An HTML representation of a report cannot provide accurate rendering of the overstriking, so you lose the format.
The only way is to either create an RTF file via some VB voodoo, or to create a PDF file.
I would go for PDF.
There are quite a few options for PDF.
Acquire a PDF print server like Acrobat or Optio which supports LPD and define a remote OUTQ to that server.
Install IBM's InfoPrint for iSeries.
Get other AS400 PDF utilities, here are some links
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Programming/Programming_Platforms/AS400/Q_20502773.html
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Programming/Programming_Platforms/AS400/Q_20125952.html

There is also
http://www.bvstools.com/spltoolsuite.html (which I can testify that really works..)

If you must have a free solution, but without any support, you can find a couple more on Google.

Here is the code I used to get the splf into a PCD (PC document):

 ...+... 1 ...+... 2 ...+... 3 ...+... 4 ...+... 5 ...+... 6 ...+
 NEWFLDSUB:  PGM                                                
                                                                 
             DCL        VAR(&DOC)   TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(8)          
             DCL        VAR(&USER)  TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)          
             RTVJOBA    USER(&USER)                              
                                                                 
             CHGVAR     VAR(&DOC) VALUE(%SST(&USER 1 8) +        
                          *TCAT '.TXT')                          
                                                                 
             CRTPF      FILE(QTEMP/TEMPFL) RCDLEN(150)          
             CPYSPLF    FILE(YOURSPLF) TOFILE(QTEMP/TEMPFL) +    
                          SPLNBR(*LAST) CTLCHAR(*FCFC)          
                                                                 
             CPYTOPCD   FROMFILE(QTEMP/TEMPFL) TOFLR(OUTPUT) +  
                        TODOC(&DOC) REPLACE(*YES)                
                                                                 
                                                                 
                                                                 
                                                                 
 ENDCLP:     ENDPGM                                              

As you can see, I use the CPYTOPCD command to get the PF and move it to the OUTPUT folder in the IFS, with the name that I created from the user who called the CL pgm.  Once it is in this format, you do get what you desire.


You first have to create the folder in the IFS using the CRTFLR command.  Once you have the the folder created, you can then map a drive to the folder on your PC and have your VB code use that path to get the document and convert.  



jjjjjjj

so there isn't any way to easily connect straight to the spool file using vb6 and there isn't any way to get the spool file with the page formatting without using the as400 is some way. Even if I use a generic printer that keeps the formatting. Anything. I really don't want to have to touch the 400

Why don't you use ADO or RDO or ODBC and then use MSquery to do what you need?  It could even be a timed event!

Since the PF that was created using CPYTOPCD does not alter the format I think that this will get you the format that you need, unless I am missing something.

The CTLCHAR(*FCFC) looks good for tagging the records in the PF as well; this could help you IMHO.

jjjjjjj

I am loosing the page format on the pf. And it you link to the pf you will notice that each line of the spool file is a record. If that is the case then there is no way to identify which page is what.

bear23,

I am sure that you are familiar with using substring commands in VB, and also being able to map fields from the PF into your finished document.  As Shalom commented concerning PDF formats, and myself giving you actual code and examples of how to get a PCD, you should be able to write some code and create a connection to get access to the PF, substring the fields out by getting the attributes from the DDS and mapping the results via VB voodoo ( I had quite a chuckle over that one, Shalom :)    ).

You can identify what page is what by using the CTLCHAR(*FCFC) command.  I did it and it works fine, just as Shalomc stated.

At this point, I don't see where any more help can be given.  Please give the points to Shalomc and close this question down.

jjjjjjj

I have been trying but still nothing. All I want is to be able to have the data on the as400 be on the pc without lossing the page format.
I keep lossing the page format, spaces.
I have even tried generic printers that print to file and still no luck. Isn't there a way with java or anything that I can just tie right to the spool file and convert the data to pc without lossing the format???

bear23,
I don't understand. You were given instructions on getting the formatting information yourself, yet you were not satisfied.
You were given tips on converting a spool file to HTML, to MS-Word format, and to PDF, yet you were not satisfied.
I see from your question history that you are no stranger to Acrobat. What is an acceptable answer in your eyes?

I know I am sound like a pain, but I am trying to do this without having to change or write anything on the as400.  PF file would not work because like I said before if you link to the pf, each line was a record in MS access or any  other database program. Since these are reports for customers, each set of data has to be with each customer in a certain format. We use to use preformatted paper and the as400 was formatted to print to the paper format. With boxes, tables etc. So we are trying to eliminate the preprinted paper and have the data come out and have the computer make the form. But when I convert to pdf the text is smaller. That is why I wanted to go to a text file so the font could be bigger(same as if printed on the 400). Also a major thing is that I do not want to install anything on the AS400. It seems like all the spool file program requires you to install something. Isn't there anything else that will work for me. Please be patient..

Hey bear23,
If the problem is the font size, then I suggest playing with different fixed width fonts and sizes, until you have found the one that suits you most.

The point is that a text file does not carry ANY formatting information.
If you cannot install anything on the AS400 server, then you have 2 options:
One: use the technique I described above to write an application that will parse the spooled file with it's control data, and create any output you like, for example using Adobe SDK.

Two: Get yourself an appliction that manages Postsrcipt or PCL datastreams. Harness this to a LPD server on a windows machine that saves it's incoming datastreams. Define a Remote OUTQ that points to this LPD and converts the spool data either to Postscript or to PCL.
There are commercial products that will do all this and more (like merge the printout with all kinds of templates).
Give us a shout if you need recommendations.

ShalomC

could you elaborate more on then two idea. I will open up a new question if desired.

Thanks so much

bear23,
take a look here for a commercial product that does just that.
Once you see how it works, it is not too dificult to write a similar solution with VB and Acrobat SDK.
You will need a VB LPD component, unless you wish to write your own.

The solutution is not expensive, so you just might end up buying it instead of developing a parallel tool.

I would appreciate it if you grant more points (by opening new question), since the scope did grow a bit...


Cheers,
ShalomC

I found this post while searching for solutions for a similar problem.  I print invoices from our iseries to special forms.  We then copy the spool file to a file on the AS400.  When you copy the spool file to the file on the AS400 it codes each line with the spacing as follows:
CODE 1 WILL SKIP TO NEW PAGE    
CODE ' '  WILL SPACE ONE BEFORE THE LINE DATA
CODE '0'  WILL SPACE TWO BEFORE  THE LIINE DATA
CODE '-'  WILL SPACE THREE BEFORE THE LINE DATA
To reprint I wrote a program in RPG to use the codes in the first space on the line to format the document.  That works great on the AS400 but we only keep the current month out there and then archive to microfiche.  I now want to be able to move that file to the network and import to Access for archive purposes.  The user could then search the database for a historic invoice and reprint or email it to the customer.  I am not sure how to code it so the spacing is correct.  

Here's a solution that I have used.
1) Install the Windows GENERIC TEXT PRINTER DRIVERS. Assign it's port as " C:\TEMP\ASCII.TXT" or what ever destination and file name you desire.
2) Use Client Access (iSeries Access) and start a printer session to you AS/400, and make sure it's printer setup is using the Generic Text Printer. Make sure you specify a session name ie: GENTEXT
3)Move your original spool file to the outq you just created in step 2, by putting a 2 beside the original spool file and typing the following on the command line:  OUTQ(GENTEXT) SAVE(*YES)
4) Hit Enter.
5) You should get an ascii text file, with original formatting in the location specified in step 1.
6) By using the SAVE(*YES) option, you will not loose the original spoolfile.