xlator_call(8) System Manager's Manual xlator_call(8)Name
xlator_call - shell script to invoke PostScript translators
Syntax
xlator_call datatype orientation pagesize width length indent
Description
This Bourne shell script can be called by the line printer daemon to invoke the appropriate translator to convert each data type to Post-
Script. The data type passed by may be specified by using the command with the -Ddatatype option, or by using the Da=datatype capability
in the file.
For a file in a data syntax to be translated to PostScript, the script must contain a case branch which recognizes the data type string and
calls a suitable filter. The supplied recognizes the ANSI, ASCII, ReGIS and Tektronix 4014 data types.
Arguments
datatype
The valid data types are: or any other for which a translator has been installed.
orientation
The valid orientations are: portrait or landscape.
pagesize
The valid page sizes are: or
width
The width (in characters) of the page.
length
The length (in lines) of the page.
indent
The amount (in spaces) the output is to be indented.
All the valid arguments are described in detail by the reference page.
Examples
An example shell script is shown below:
case $datatype in
ansi)
exec ansi_ps -F $pagesize -O $orientation -e "$@";;
ascii)
echo "( 04) cvn {} def"
exec ln03rof -w$width -l$length -i$indent;;
postscript)
exec cat;;
tek4014)
exec tek4014_ps -F $pagesize -O $orientation;;
regis)
exec regis_ps -F $pagesize -O $orientation;;
*)
echo "$0: Translator for data type $datatype not installed" >&2
esac
When the shell script is called, the path searched is:
/usr/local/lib/lpdfilters:/usr/ucb:/bin:/usr/bin:
/usr/lib:/usr/lib/lpdfilters
Files
The script
See Alsolno3rof(8), printcap(5), ansi_ps(8), lpd(8)xlator_call(8)
Check Out this Related Man Page
ln03rof(8) System Manager's Manual ln03rof(8)Name
ln03rof, ln03rof_isolatin1, ln03rof_decmcs - LN03R ASCII to PostScript translation filters
Syntax
/usr/lib/lpdfilters/ln03rof [-c] [-nlogin] [-h host] [-wwidth] [-lnum] [-iindent] [accounting file]
Description
The filter translates ASCII to PostScript, handles the device dependencies of a PostScript printer and performs some accounting functions.
PostScript printers print documents formatted in the PostScript Page Description Language only.
The and filters are alternatives to and affect how ASCII documents are printed. They cause the encoding vectors for ISO Latin1 or DEC MCS
to be used instead of the Adobe Standard Encoding Vector described in the LN03R PostScript Programmers Supplement. The filter uses idle
cycles to cache the fonts when accessed by the standard encoding vector. The cached fonts cannot be used by or which means that small jobs
are slowed down.
The filter is transparent to documents already formatted in PostScript. The filter assumes that all other documents are plain ASCII and
translates them into PostScript. The decision to translate is based on the first two characters in the document. If they are `%!', the
filter assumes the document has already been formatted in PostScript. If the first two characters are not `%!', the filter assumes that
the document is plain ASCII and translates it into PostScript. The filter ensures that the printer receives documents formatted in Post-
Script only. The filter maintains accounting information only for documents that it translates. You specify the accounting file with the
af field in the file. For further information, see
You can specify the filter in both the of and the if fields of the file. The specification of the filter in the file determines how the
command affects the printed document. For example:
o If you specify it in the of field only and do not suppress banner pages, the filter always translates the document into PostScript.
o If you specify it in the if field and do not suppress banner pages, the document does not print. In this case, the banner is sent
directly to the printer. Since the banner is not formatted in PostScript, the printer cannot print the document and aborts the job.
o If you suppress the banner by including the sh field in or by printing the file using the with the -h option, the document prints cor-
rectly.
o You can obtain the best results by specifying the filter in both the of and if fields.
The ASCII data type for PrintServer software uses the filter. For more information about how the PostScript translator is invoked, see
The filter sets a landscape print mode with a smaller font if the width is greater than 80 columns. The default width for the entry in the
file is 132. To print using portrait mode, modify the file to include the following two entries:
:pl#66:
:pw#80:
When printing in portrait mode, if the job page length is greater than 66 a smaller font is used.
For a more detailed discussion on filters see the ``Line Printer Spooler Manual'' in the Supplementary Documents, Volume 2: Programmer.
Options
The arguments passed to the filter depend on its use.
The of filter is called with the following arguments:
-llength
Specify length values from the pl field in the file .
-wwidth
Specify width values from the pw field in the file.
The if filter is passed the following arguments:
-c Print control characters when you use the -l option of to print the file. (Optional flag).
-hhost
Specify the host name of the job owner. (Used to record accounting information).
-iindent
Specify the amount of indentation to be used. The last argument is the name of the accounting file specified from the af field in the
file.
-llength
Specify length value from the pl field in the file as it does with the of filter. Arguments may have different values if the -w and/or
-z options of were used to print the file.
-nlogin
Specify the login name of the job owner. (Used to record accounting information).
-wwidth
Specify width value from the pw field in the file as it does with the of filter. Arguments may have different values if the -w and/or
-z options of were used to print the file. These arguments only affect documents that are translated from ASCII to PostScript.
Diagnostics
The lf field (default /dev/null) in the file specifies the error logging file name.
Files
Printer capabilities database.
Shell script to invoke PostScript translators.
See Alsolpr(1), pr(1), printcap(5), lpd(8), MAKEDEV(8), pac(8), xlator_call(8)
"Line Printer Spooler Manual", Supplementary Documents, Volume 2: Programmer
ln03rof(8)