UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Hello everybody,
I am new to Unix.
I am using and application that uses the rlpr print command to print from Unix and i have noticed sth strange, and i have no idea about it.
When the application generates a file that start with the up arrow key character, the rlpr command prints an empty sheet.When i manually remove the up arrow character from the file and execute the rlpr command again, the file prints correctly.

What does the up arrow key mean to the print command?

... It means 'page feed' or 'next page'. Similar to the idea's of 'carriage return' & 'line feed'. Back in the old days, line-printers (like dot-matrix etc.) would interpret these char's in the same way as a terminal and render them accordingly. This might still be true, I'm not sure.

Also be aware that the 'up arrow character' can be displayed as something different on different computers / software, but it's underlying ASCII code is always the same. I believe it's ASCII 24 that you're talking about (ASCII 0 is NULL); as a test, try sending ASCII 9 to the printer (TAB character) or 10 (Line-feed - should print a blank line) or 13 (Carriage-return - makes the printer start from the left of the line). All ASCII characters < 32 are classed as 'non-printable' characters in most software, that's why they display wierdly or have different effects.

Hope this helps...