Xerox 4450 Users Manual 4050/4090/4450/4650 Laser Printing Systems Forms Creation Guide XDDI
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XEROX Xerox 4050/4090/4450/4650 Laser Printing Systems Forms Creation Guide April 1995 720P93990 Xerox Corporation 701 S. Aviation Boulevard El Segundo, CA 90245 © 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 by Xerox Corporation. All rights reserved. Copyright protection claimed includes all forms and matters of copyrightable material and information now allowed by statutory or judicial law or hereinafter granted, including without limitation, material generated from the software programs which are displayed on the screen, such as icons, screen displays, looks, etc. Printed in the United States of America Publication number: 720P93990 Xerox® and all Xerox products mentioned in this publication are trademarks of Xerox Corporation. Products and trademarks of other companies are also acknowledged. Changes are periodically made to this document. Changes, technical inaccuracies, and typographic errors will be corrected in subsequent editions. This document was created on the Xerox 6085 Professional Computer System using GlobalView software. The typeface is Optima. Table of contents Introduction vii Document conventions vii Related publications viii 1. Basic concepts 1-1 Page orientation 1-2 Fonts 1-2 Font memory 1-4 Paper 1-4 Image size considerations 1-4 System page 1-4 Physical page 1-5 Virtual page 1 -5 Edgemarking 1-6 Non-imaged elements 1-7 Imaging error messages 1-7 Registration shift and skew 1-7 Output performance considerations 1-9 Form origin 1-10 Positioning form elements Grids 1-11 1-12 x and y coordinates 1-12 Predefined formats 1-13 Data types 1-14 2. Forms Description Language 2-1 FDL command overview 2-1 Command format 2-1 Command summary 2-2 Form creation process 2-3 Setup commands 2-3 FORM/RESOLUTION 2-4 PAPER 2-5 LANDSCAPE/PORTRAIT 2-6 XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE iii TABLE OF CONTENTS GRID 2-7 FONT 2-8 Description commands 2-9 LINE 2-10 BOX 2-11 TEXT 2-13 LOGO 2-17 GRAPHIC 2-18 SECTION 2-19 COMMENT 2-21 END 2-22 3. Compiling and printing forms 3-1 Form printing process 3-1 FSL data transfer 3-1 Compiling a form 3-2 Using the compilation options 3-4 Printing a compiled form 3-6 4. Troubleshooting 4-1 Suggested coding techniques 4-1 Converting preprinted forms 4-1 Designing new forms 4-1 Recommended coding sequence 4-2 Syntax ambiguities 4-2 Hints and tips 4-3 Image complexity factors 4-4 Line tables 4-4 Scan line density 4-6 Superimposed lines 4-8 Page generation errors 4-8 Local density and page setup errors 4-8 Using boxes iv 4-9 Text in boxes 4-10 Locating the closest box 4-10 Shading factors 4-12 Section factors 4-13 Rounding measurement factors 4-14 Converting other unit values to dots 4-14 Rounding variable data 4-15 XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE TABLE OF CONTENTS FDL statistics 4-16 Grid unit scaling 4-16 Appendices A. FDL command syntax summary A-1 B. System default summary B-1 C. Sample form creation C-1 D. FDL capacity limits D-1 E. Standard print formats E-1 F. Support tools and measurements F-1 G. Command examples G-1 Glossary Index XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE GLOSSARY-1 INDEX-1 v Introduction The Xerox 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS Forms Creation Guide describes the use of Forms Description Language (FDL) commands you use to create forms for merging with variable data to print on a laser printing system (LPS). Descriptions include the following: • FDL commands necessary to create any desired form with the correct page orientation, fonts, line widths, and positioning of captions and logos • Fundamental printing terms, techniques, and troubleshooting • Support tools used to simplify the creation of forms • Command and default summaries, examples, limitations, and capacities. Document conventions This guide uses the following conventions: UPPERCASE BOLD BLUE UPPERCASE BLUE ITALICS Lowercase black italics ... <> Uppercase bold blue text indicates required characters or command keywords. Uppercase blue italics indicate optional parameter keywords, characters, or values. Lowercase black italics indicate variable parameter options, (word, character, phrase, or value). Ellipses indicate that you can repeat a parameter option, or list a series of parameter options. Angle brackets indicate keys on the system controller keyboard. The carat character represents a required space. TERMINAL FONT UPPERCASE Terminal or monospace fonts are used to represent LPS screen responses. Uppercase letters indicate command names and parameter keywords. CAUTION: Cautions appear immediately before any action or omission that may result in damage to your equipment, software, or data. WARNING: Warnings are associated with the safety of people. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE vii INTRODUCTION Related publications You can find additional information related to the 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS in the following publications. viii Publication Number Xerox 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS Master Index 720P94030 Xerox 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS Bypass Transport Instructions, V3.5/3.8 720P22320 Xerox 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS Bypass Transport Operator Training Guide Flipcharts Supplement 720P22340 Xerox 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS Bypass Transport Operator Training Guide Supplement 720P22330 Xerox 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS Command Reference 720P94020 Xerox 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS Forms Creation Quick Reference Card 720P93100 Xerox 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS Installation Planning 720P92990 Xerox 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS Message Guide 720P93980 Xerox 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS Operator Guide 720P94000 Xerox 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS Operator Instructor Training Flipcharts 720P22080 Xerox 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS Operator Instructor Training Guide 720P22070 Xerox 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS Operator Quick Reference 720P93050 Xerox 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS Print Description Language (PDL) Quick Ref. Card 720P93090 Xerox 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS Print Description Language (PDL) Reference 720P94090 Xerox 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS Product Reference 720P94060 Xerox 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS System Administration Guide 720P94010 Xerox 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS System Administration Quick Reference Card 720P93090 Xerox Standard Font Library Font User Guide 600P86174 Xerox Tape Formats Manual 600P86175 Helpful Facts About Paper 610P50497 Xerox Dynamic Document Interface Command Summary 720P13680 Xerox Dynamic Document Interface Operator Guide 720P13670 XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE 1. Basic concepts The laser printing system (LPS) provides the capability to create electronic forms tailored to meet your individual requirements. You create electronic forms using the Forms Description Language (FDL). This simple-to-learn, easy-to-use language enables you to design and alter forms in minutes. FDL-defined forms are input to the printer as data, using the LPS keyboard and display, or a host computer terminal. To define a form, FDL uses lines, logos, images, signatures, shading, and different font styles and sizes to make full use of laser printing system features and capabilities. Advantages of FDL • Lines can be drawn at specified intervals without being redefined each time. • You state the origin and the dimensions of a box to have it drawn at any specified location on the page. • An entire section of a form, once defined, can be repeated anywhere on the same form. • In defining a location on a page, you are not restricted to lines and character positions. You can specify coordinates in inches, centimeters, or dots with a resolution of 1/300 inch in either direction. Note: An xdot is a 1/600 inch unit of measure that is provided with version 3 software. A form specifying xdots may be created, edited, and compiled on any V3-based LPS. However, results are unpredictable if you attempt to print a 600 spots per inch (spi) form on a 300-spi LPS. • Once you create a form, it can be stored on the system and printed as many times and as often as you need. • You can use three types of lines (solid, broken, and dotted) in four thicknesses: invisible [0], hairline, medium [1], or bold [2]. You can also mix fonts and arrange text in many ways. Certain basic concepts are required to understand the forms creation process on laser printing systems. These include the size, shape, and location of the overall image on the page of a document, the orientation of the text or graphics on the page, the size and style of the characters to be used, and the type of data to be entered. This chapter discusses fonts and font memory, registration and skew, and output information for the jobs you create on your LPS. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE 1-1 BASIC CONCEPTS Page orientation There are two types of page, or text, orientation: • • Portrait Landscape. In portrait orientation, the vertical side of the page is longer than the horizontal side. In landscape orientation, the horizontal side of the page is longer than the vertical side. Portrait and landscape orientations are illustrated in figure 1-1. Figure 1-1. Page orientation LANDSCAPE PORTRAIT Landscape is the usual orientation for computer reports. Portrait is the usual orientation for letters, manuals, and other text printing. On a laser printing system, you can change page orientation from page to page without interrupting the printing operation. This capability, coupled with variable character size, permits maximum flexibility for the effective presentation of information. Fonts A font is a character set which has a unique type style, type size, and orientation. Fixed and proportional fonts Both fixed and proportionally spaced fonts are available for use on the 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS. Each font character occupies an area called a character cell. All character cells in a fixed font are the same width. Character cells in a proportional font vary in width. Figure 1-2. 1-2 Character spacing XEROX 4050/5090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE BASIC CONCEPTS Because the length of a line printed with a proportional font is unpredictable, the system uses fixed fonts for variable data on a report to avoid overprinting of forms by variable data. The system uses proportional fonts for forms data such as titles, headings, and so forth. A business letter is an example of the use of proportional fonts for variable data. Figure 1-3 shows an example of the difference in line length. Figure 1-3. Font typefaces Font orientation Character spacing/line length examples Fonts are available in various typefaces (such as OCR and Titan), sizes, styles (such as serif and sans serif), and weights (such as medium and bold). The Xerox LPS Standard Font Library Font User Guide lists the standard fixed and proportional fonts. In addition to typeface, style, and size, a font can be defined by its orientation: • • • • Landscape Portrait Inverse landscape Inverse portrait. Font orientation is relative to the physical page. Figure 1-4. Font orientation Refer to the Xerox Laser Printing Systems Standard Font Library Font User Guide for specific font information and the Xerox 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS System Administration Guide for information on using Font Editor keyword commands to create source font files from existing licensed and nonlicensed font files. XEROX 4050/5090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE 1-3 BASIC CONCEPTS Font memory Increasing font memory improves processing time for applications that require large fonts or a large number of different fonts on a single page. In the pass through mode, the LPS prints up to 128 fonts on a single page. In normal mode, the amount of fonts per page that the LPS prints depends on the font definitions for the emulated line printer. When processing the page data, the controller stores font information in a special memory cache called font memory. The amount of memory required to store font data depends on the size of the fonts and the number of different fonts on a single page. If your applications call for either large fonts, or a variety of fonts on a single page, the increased font memory option can greatly improve the processing time required to print these documents. Custom fonts, logos, and signature font data also consume font memory during processing. Paper Paper sizes Laser printing systems print on the following paper sizes: • • • Paper types 8.5 by 11 inch (216 by 279 mm) A4 (8.27 by 11.69 inch, 210 by 297 mm) 8.5 by 14 inch (216 by 356 mm). A large variety of paper types can also be used on the LPS: • • • • • Label stock Transparencies Predrilled Perforated Colored. Paper weights and printing speed vary with each printer. Image size considerations Your LPS can print on a variety of paper sizes. You can manipulate the size of the image with some limitations. Understanding the terms system page, physical page and virtual page helps to define these limitations. System page This refers to the maximum image area, which is 8.6 by 14.00 inches. Elements which do not print may originate off the leading edge of the system page. Refer to the “Non-imaged elements” subsection later in this chapter for more information. 1-4 XEROX 4050/5090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE BASIC CONCEPTS Physical page This refers to the size of the paper itself. You can use any page dimension as long as the paper physically fits in the feeder trays and you can preselect the following paper sizes at system generation (sysgen), as shown in table 1-1. Table 1-1. Physical page sizes Inches Millimeters 8.0 x 10.0 203 x 254 8.0 x 10.5 203 x 267 8.0 x 13.0 8.27 x 10.63 203 x 330 210 x 270 8.27 x 11.69/A4 8.27 x 13.0 210 x 297 210 x 330 8.37 x 10.78 213 x 274 8.46 x 10.83 215 x 275 8.46 x 12.4 8.46 x 14.02 215 x 315 215 x 356 8.5 x 10.75 8.5 x 11.0/USLETTER 8.5 x 13.0 216 x 273 216 x 279 216 x 330 8.5 x 14.0/USLEGAL 216 x 356 Use the PAPERSIZE command in the Print Description Language (PDL) and the PAPER command in the Forms Description Language (FDL) to allow form compilation and job printing on a size of paper other than the paper size you select at sysgen. This allows you to specify nonstandard paper size for specific jobs. Refer to the “Forms Description Language” chapter and the Xerox 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS Print Description Language (PDL) Reference for more information about commands. Virtual page The virtual page refers to the dimensions of the page as specified in the software. The dimensions of the virtual page may be less than or equal to the dimensions of the physical page size, but not larger. The printer truncates larger values. If you explicitly define virtual page size (using the LANDSCAPE/PORTRAIT command PAGE SIZE parameter), the defined area is centered relative to the physical page dimensions. You can specify an orientation for the virtual page either with the LANDSCAPE/PORTRAIT command or by using the FMTn option of the GRID command. If an orientation is not specified, the virtual page is assigned a landscape orientation by default. XEROX 4050/5090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE 1-5 BASIC CONCEPTS The upper left corner of the virtual page is called the “virtual page origin,” as shown in figure 1-5. The virtual page origin is also used to establish a form origin. Figure 1-5. Virtual page origin LANDSCAPE virtual page origin Virtual page (default size=paper size) LANDSCAPE virtual page origin Virtual page (user-defined size) Physical page PORTRAIT virtual page origin Virtual page (default size=paper size) PORTRAIT virtual page origin Virtual page (user-defined size) Physical page Edgemarking The same coordinate system is used for printing on all Xerox printers. This limits the printing area in some cases and can cause you to lose data which begins near, or off, the edge of the physical page. Edgemarking is the placement of marks along the edge of the page. These marks consist of graphic elements that bleed off the paper, tabs for section reference, or marks that denote changes made in redline drafts. To accommodate edgemarking, the system page must be larger than the physical page. Edgemarking capability is limited on the LPS because the system page boundaries (such as the 8.6 by 14 inch maximum image size printing area) correspond to the physical page on at least two edges for all paper sizes. CAUTION: Be careful when edgemarking. Printing a solid band on the leading edge of the paper may cause fuser jams. 1-6 XEROX 4050/5090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE BASIC CONCEPTS Non-imaged elements Elements, such as text and graphics, may begin at the edge of the physical page on two sides, and off the physical page on the top and on the left side (except with 8.5 by 14 inch paper). However, if any part of a printed element begins off the system page, no part of the element images. • If a line of variable data begins off the system page, no part of the line prints. • If a ruled line begins off the system page, no part of the ruled line prints. • A ruled line near the edge of the system page must hold a position of at least one-half the line thickness inside the system page to print. For example, a bold line is eight dots thick and, therefore, it must hold a position of at least four dots inside the system page leading edge. One common cause of print elements accidentally beginning off the system page is the improper use of the OUTPUT SHIFT command. This command shifts the entire page contents relative to the boundaries of the system page. When you enter a negative shift value (as is often the case for the back side of duplex pages), and that value exceeds the left margin, no text element prints. When using a negative value for the SHIFT command, be sure that it is less than the value of the left margin. Imaging error messages If any part of a print line originates off the system page, the following message displays: OS6905 DATA ORIGIN OFF PAGE -- CHECK OUTPUT This message line appears only once during a print job. It indicates that a print line origin problem exists within the form description, or that an excessive SHIFT value has been specified. Registration shift and skew The registration of a printed image can appear shifted or skewed on a page if the sheet of paper is misaligned as it enters the printer. Because of the design of the LPS feeder, the image registration on each page can vary slightly both horizontally and vertically by up to .05 inches (1.0 mm). The image can also slant or skew slightly by up to .05 inches (1.0 mm) in opposite directions, for a maximum skew of 0.1 inches (2.0 mm). Note that the following figures are the same specifications which have been rotated to show portrait and landscape orientations. The shift and skew variances described here are within allowable specifications. However, as this can affect the registration of variable data in preprinted forms and the placement of images close to the edge of the page, it is important to make allowances for this condition. XEROX 4050/5090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE 1-7 aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaa aaaaaa aaaaaa aaaaaa aaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaa Figure 1-6. Registration variance + .05“/1.0 mm Skew + .05“/1.0 mm Figure 1-7. 1-8 aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaa BASIC CONCEPTS Landscape orientation shift and skew (11 x 8.5 inches) Lead edge Skew + .05“/1.0 mm Direction of paper feed Registration variance + .05“/1.0 mm Trail edge Portrait orientation shift and skew (8.5 x 11 inches) Direction of paper feed Inboardside Skew + .05“/1.0 mm Registration variance + .05“/1.0 mm Registration variance + .05“/1.0 mm Skew + .05“/1.0 mm Outboardside For best results when designing preprinted forms, allow approximately .1 inches or 2.0 mm of space on all sides of any boxes, or above and below any lines onto which variable data is to be printed, as shown in figure 1-8. XEROX 4050/5090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE BASIC CONCEPTS Figure 1-8. Maintaining margins in preprinted boxes to allow for registration and skew variations Preprinted form data aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa Preprinted lines aaaaaaaa aaaa PATIENT NAME • aaaaaaaa aaaa aaaaaaaa aaaa • • Variable data Maintain at least .1“ or 2 mm on all sides around variable data Note: Figure 1-8 is enlarged for the purpose of illustration, and is not to scale. Output performance considerations The LPS has a rated speed of up to 50 (4050, 4450, and 4650) or up to 92 (4090) impressions per minute (an impression refers to one printed side of a sheet of paper). The actual output performance you experience depends greatly on the processing features invoked in the job and the print density of each page. Actual output also varies according to the configuration of the LPS, such as the type of connection (offline, online, remote communication, and front end processor). This section provides information on expected output performance when printing various types of jobs, applications, and hardware configurations. For more detailed information, consult your service representative. Note: The term throughput refers to the print speed once pages start printing. The processing that occurs prior to the actual printing of the pages depends greatly on the complexity of the job. Interpress Interpress masters sent to the LPS must be processed by the Interpress decomposer function of the Operating System Software (OSS). The time required to print an Interpress job depends on the complexity of the image from page to page. PostScript PostScript masters sent to the LPS must first be converted to .IMG files in the front end processor. The time required to print a PostScript job depends on the complexity of the image from page to page. Dynamic Job Descriptor Entries (DJDE) The use of DJDEs adds processing time and slows the output. To maximize performance, restrict the use of DJDEs to the following commands: GRAPHIC, FORMAT, MODIFY, and FORM. XEROX 4050/5090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE 1-9 BASIC CONCEPTS Print density Highlight color Full throughput estimates are based on pages with an average print density of approximately seven percent of the page. Pages which are very dense require more time to image and to print. The LPS running V3.8 Color Compatibility Release or XDDI software is compatible with the 4850/4890 printer running V3.7, V4.0, or V5.0 highlight color software. Highlight color applications can be printed when using V3.8 or XDDI software on the LPS. Highlight color datastreams are fully supported and translate to black and shades of gray. Color text printed over a solid black background or vice versa, disappear when printed on the LPS. There is no error message when this occurs. Light tints with isolated single pixels may not print on the LPS. Form origin All forms data described by FDL commands is positioned relative to a point called the “form origin,” as shown in figure 1-9. This point offsets from the virtual page corner by horizontal and vertical displacement values, which you specify using the GRID command. If none are specified, standard default values are used to establish the form origin. If variable data is merged with the form, set the form origin to coincide with the beginning position of the variable data so that the form and variable data coordinate accurately. Standard computer printing formats are stored on the system. Refer to the “Predefined formats” section, later in this chapter. Figure 1-9. Form origin Form origin (offset from virtual page origin) Virtual page origin Virtual page (default size=paper size) Form origin (offset from virtual page origin) Virtual page origin Virtual page (user-defined size) Physical page 1-10 XEROX 4050/5090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE BASIC CONCEPTS Positioning form elements The following elements may be placed on a form with FDL commands: • • • • • • Lines Boxes Fixed text Logos and signatures Images Sections. All of these elements are located in relation to the form origin at the upper left corner of the form. Each form element has an origin, a point used to position it relative to the form origin, as shown in table 1-2. Table 1-2. Form elements and corresponding origins Form element Element origin Vertical ruled line Top of the line at the midpoint of the line thickness Horizontal ruled line Left end of the line at the midpoint of the line thickness Box (outlined) Upper left corner of the box at the midpoint of the outline thickness Box (shaded) Upper left corner of the box Fixed text (single line) Upper left corner of the first character cell when the line appears upright to the viewer Fixed text (multiple lines) Upper edge of the topmost character cell and the leftmost edge of the leftmost character cell when viewed in an upright position (illustrated in figure 1-10) Graphics Upper left corner of the image Logos and signatures Upper left corner of the first (or only) character cell (with a few exceptions) Sections (of a form) Upper left corner of the section Figure 1-10 shows two text blocks, one using a portrait font and one using a landscape font. The text block origin is used to position the text block relative to the form origin. Figure 1-10. Text block origin Origin XEROX 4050/5090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE 1-11 BASIC CONCEPTS Grids The location of a form element on a page is specified in terms of its horizontal and vertical displacement from the form origin. The units of measurement used to define this displacement can be any of the following: • Linear units—inches or centimeters • Dots—300 per inch • Xdots—600 per inch • cpi and lpi—characters per inch horizontally and lines per inch vertically. x and y coordinates The y coordinate describes the vertical position on a grid. The x coordinate describes the horizontal position. When both coordinates are given together, the y coordinate is always specified first. If you draw a horizontal and a vertical line through the form origin to create x and y coordinates, you would express the location of the form origin as y=0, x=0. If you draw more lines to mark horizontal and vertical measurements away from the form origin so that the lines were one unit of measurement apart, you create a grid like the one shown in figure 1-11. You can then position form elements (lines, boxes, and so on) by specifying a grid location. Figure 1-11. Form grid 1 Form origin (y=0,x=0) 2 3 4 X 1 Character cell origin at (y=2,x=1) 2 A 3 Y 1-12 XEROX 4050/5090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE BASIC CONCEPTS Example Negative coordinates UNIT value You placed the letter “A” at location (2,1). If you are measuring grid units in inches, the origin of the “A” character cell is located two inches down and one inch to the right of the form origin. If you are measuring the grid in cpi and lpi units, the origin of the “A” character cell is located two lines down and one character width to the right of the form origin. At 10 cpi and 6 lpi, the “A” is .33 inches down from the form origin and .10 inches to the right. Negative x and y values also may be used to place form elements above and/or to the left of the form origin, as long as the values are within system page boundaries. The unit value of the GRID command specifies the unit of measurement that the FDL commands use to position form elements on the page. Optionally, you can select a predefined format that automatically provides grid unit values. Individual FDL commands may override GRID unit values. Predefined formats A set of predefined print description entries or formats, having standard format specifications, is provided on the Operating System Software (OSS) tapes. You may use the standard formats or define your own to suit your specific needs. Reference Refer to the “Standard print formats” appendix for a list of the standard LPS print formats. These standard formats provide commonly used impact printer conversion formats for use with specific page sizes and orientations. Use the Xerox design ruler to assist you in measuring character and line spacing. The ruler has eight scales that conform to the standard format grid. Reference Refer to the “Support tools and measurements” appendix for more information on the forms design ruler. FMT1 (landscape) or FMT6 (portrait) is used by FDL to provide default values for page orientation, form origin, and grid unit dimensions, provided there are no explicit overriding parameters. Unless overridden by an explicit orientation PAGE SIZE parameter, the virtual page size in a predefined format is always the sysgen-specified paper size. The virtual page origin is located at the upper left corner of the physical page. XEROX 4050/5090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE 1-13 BASIC CONCEPTS Data types Two types of data are used in creating and printing LPS forms, as shown in table 1-3. Table 1-3. 1-14 Data types Data type Description Variable Generally refers to computer-produced information that the LPS merges with a form. Typically this data varies from page to page. Forms Refers to information that is used to print the form, such as lines between columns and rows, boxes, and shading. Forms data also refers to information that is part of the form, such as titles, headings, captions, logos, and signatures. Forms data typically does not vary from page to page. XEROX 4050/5090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE 2. Forms Description Language This chapter describes the function and use of each Forms Description Language (FDL) command in generating a form electronically. The FDL commands discussed throughout this guide apply to all version 3 laser printing systems. Reference Refer to the “FDL command syntax summary” appendix for a summary of all FDL commands and their syntax. The conventions used to present command syntax are listed in the “Introduction” and in the “FDL command syntax summary” appendix. FDL command overview FDL is a set of keyword commands that you use to generate an electronic form. You first create a source file of FDL commands that describes the characteristics of your form. You then compile the file and store it as an electronic form file on the LPS. The form can contain a variety of fonts, logos, and graphics, and it can be merged with variable data during printing. You can select any stored form for printing. Command format The following is true for each FDL command: • Commands consist of a command identifier and various parameters and keywords associated with the function. • Spaces and/or commas separate keywords and parameters. • Commands are terminated by a semicolon. • Command information is placed within the first 72 columns of each record. • Multiple commands may appear in one record if separated by a semicolon. • Commands can be continued on multiple lines before ending with a semicolon, with the exception of the LINE and BOX commands. For both of these commands, the following string must reside on one line: AT . . . IN unit Lines containing all blanks are ignored and may be used for separation. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE 2-1 FORMS DESCRIPTION LANGUAGE Command summary The five types of commands and the associated FDL commands are described in table 2-1. Table 2-1. Command types and commands FDL command summary Command function FORM/RESOLUTION Identifies the name of a form in the forms library and the resolution at which the form should be compiled for printing. PAPER Identifies the paper size for which the form is designed. LANDSCAPE/PORTRAIT Specifies the page orientation and virtual page size. GRID Specifies the grid units used in describing the form and the origin of the form relative to the virtual page origin. In most cases, a standard format specification can be entered, which provides standard character and line spacing, page orientation, and form origin. FONT Specifies which fonts to use when creating a form. LINE Specifies the length, position, direction, and thickness (hairline, 0, 1, or 2) of lines. BOX Specifies the location of the upper left corner and the dimensions of square or rectangular boxes. All boxes in FDL are fixed-size. Backgrounds for text must use the BOX command. TEXT AT Specifies the positioning of text (written matter) such as form titles, headings, and labels in specific locations. TEXT IN BOX Specifies the positioning of text in a box. LOGO Specifies the positioning of logos and signatures. GRAPHIC Specifies a graphic image to be merged with the form and its placement and relative scale. SECTION Defines a portion of a form as a relocatable section. END SECTION Terminates a section. DO SECTION Invokes and places a previously defined section of a form. COMMENT Inserts comments. END Terminates a form description. 2-2 XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE FORMS DESCRIPTION LANGUAGE Form creation process The following three basic steps are required to produce an electronic form: 1. Initiate an editing session. 2. Enter the FDL commands. 3. Compile and print the form. Initiating an editing session Use the editor utility to create and modify your Forms Source Library (.FSL) source files. If you use your host editor utility, follow the instructions provided in your host documentation. References If you use the LPS editor, refer to your Xerox 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS Command Reference for more information on editor commands. Refer to the “FDL command syntax summary” appendix for an alphabetical list of each command and syntax. All of the FDL commands are described in detail later in this chapter and are presented in the following order: • • • • • • Compiling and printing forms Command Syntax Parameter options Default Considerations Example. After you have entered all the FDL commands needed to describe your form, exit the editing session and invoke the forms compiler. Refer to the “Compiling and printing forms” chapter for information on how to compile and print your form. Setup commands Before entering commands to describe a form, enter the setup commands in the following order: FORM PAPER LANDSCAPE/PORTRAIT GRID FONT. The FORM setup command is always required. If the other setup commands are not defined, the defaults are used. The FONT command is required if text is to be included on the form. Note: The commands IRESULT, ICATALOG, PALETTE, and INK are not included in this section, as they are meaningless on a black and white system. However, XDDI will accept .FSLs that are written on a color printer. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE 2-3 FORMS DESCRIPTION LANGUAGE FORM/RESOLUTION Defines the name and resolution of the form. Naming the form Defines the name of the form. Once the form is compiled and stored on the system disk, this is the name used by the LPS software to reference the form. Syntax Parameter options Default Example Considerations FORM name; name A one- to six-character identifier that references the form. None. A form name is mandatory. FORM BLUBOX; The FORM command must be the first command in the form definition and must be completely contained in the first record of the form definition. Reserved words (such as FORM, GRID, FONT, TEXT, BOX, LOGO, and so on) cannot be used for the name. However, reserved words can be modified and used (for example, FORM1, FORM2, and so on). Specifying resolution The RESOLUTION parameter is an optional part of the FORM command that allows you to specify whether the form is created at 300 or 600 spots per inch (spi). Syntax Parameter options FORM name RESOLUTION IS value SPI; name A one- to six-character identifier that references the form. value Specifies whether the form is created at 300 or 600 spi. Default Example 2-4 None. FORM BLUBOX RESOLUTION IS 300 SPI; XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE FORMS DESCRIPTION LANGUAGE PAPER Identifies the paper size for which the form is designed. It is an optional command that enables you to select a paper size that is different than the sysgen-defined paper size. Syntax Parameter options PAPER SIZE IS value; value USLETTER 8.5 by 11 inches/216 by 279 mm. A4 8.27 by 11.69 inches/210 by 297 mm. USLEGAL 8.5 by 14 inches/216 by 356 mm. x unit BY y unit Specifies nonstandard sizes. The x represents the virtual page width and the y represents the virtual page height. Units are optional and can be expressed in INCH or INCHES, CM or CENTIMETERS, DOTS, or XDOTS. The default is INCHES. The x and y values must be positive numbers and may contain two decimal places for all units except DOTS. Default Example nonstandard sizes Example standard sizes Considerations If a PAPER command is not present, and a predefined format is not specified, the sysgen-defined paper size in effect at run time is used as the paper size value. PAPER SIZE IS 16.54 INCHES BY 11.69 INCHES; PAPER SIZE IS USLETTER; USLETTER and USLEGAL cannot be abbreviated. You can specify paper size in a Job Source Library (JSL). When the JSL specifies PAPERSIZE using the keyword method, for example, USLETTER, A4, or USLEGAL, the .FSL must also use the same method. If the JSL specifies PAPERSIZE=8.5 by 14 and your .FSL specifies PAPER SIZE IS USLEGAL, one of the following error messages is displayed: OS6670 OS6680 Form paper size too small. Form paper size too large. Form will not be printed. Form will not be printed. These errors appear only when you print the form. The messages do not appear when you compile the form without printing it. Reference The PDL PAPERSIZE command is explained in more detail in your Xerox 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS Print Description Language (PDL) Reference. Due to edgemarking considerations, the form created by specifying a paper size of USLEGAL is different from one specifying 8.5 by 14 inches. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE 2-5 FORMS DESCRIPTION LANGUAGE The forms compiler is capable of compiling a number of paper sizes. Although a form file may be compiled without an error, it may not be printable on a particular system if the paper size exceeds the maximum feeder capacity of that system. Examples of these are A3, B4, and 11 by 17 inch paper sizes. If you attempt to print a form with an incompatible paper size, the following message is displayed on the system controller: Paper size in cluster AUTO is too small When coding .FSL applications, the PAPER command must precede the LANDSCAPE/PORTRAIT statement. If a predefined format is specified in the GRID command, paper size is determined automatically, and the PAPER command is unnecessary. The PAPER command is required, however, any time the paper size is different from the sysgen default. Note: The correct size paper must be loaded in the feeder. A paper size mismatch at run time causes an error message to be displayed. The form does not print, and the job may be aborted. LANDSCAPE/PORTRAIT Specifies the origin of the form and the virtual page size. Syntax Parameter options orientation PAGE SIZE IS n WIDE BY m HIGH; orientation LANDSCAPE The form is oriented horizontally (like most paintings or photographs of landscape scenes). PORTRAIT The form is oriented vertically (like most portraits of people). n Specifies the virtual page width in DOTS, XDOTS, INCHES (IN), or centimeters (CM). m Specifies the virtual page height in DOTS, XDOTS, INCHES (IN), or centimeters (CM). Default Example Considerations LANDSCAPE is the default orientation, and the default units is INCHES. PORTRAIT; When coding .FSL applications, the PAPER command must precede the LANDSCAPE/PORTRAIT command. If a PAGE SIZE parameter is specified, a virtual page of that size is centered relative to the paper. The virtual page origin is at the upper left corner of the centered virtual page. If no PAGE SIZE parameter is specified, the virtual page size defaults to the paper size specified in the PAPER command; otherwise it defaults to the sysgen-defined paper size. Only one LANDSCAPE or PORTRAIT command is allowed in a form description. If specified, the command must precede the GRID, BOX, LINE, LOGO, and TEXT commands, described later in this chapter. Page width and height values must be positive numbers and may contain two decimal places for all units except DOTS. 2-6 XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE FORMS DESCRIPTION LANGUAGE GRID Specifies how far apart to space the horizontal and vertical grid lines. This command also specifies the location of the form origin with respect to the virtual page origin. All FDL commands create and place form elements (lines, boxes, and so on) relative to the form origin. Syntax Parameter options GRID UNIT IS format id ORIGIN y unit x unit; or GRID UNIT IS value ORIGIN y unit x unit; format id Name of a predefined format. The format may be one of the standard formats listed in the “Standard print formats” appendix or a user-defined format. When a format is specified, it automatically provides page orientation, form origin, and grid unit dimensions. All predefined formats specify the grid units in lines and characters per inch. The BEGIN values of the predefined format are used to place the form origin, unless overridden by an ORIGIN parameter. value If a predefined format is not specified, value is used to indicate the number of inches (INCH or INCHES), centimeters (CM or CENTIMETERS), dots (DOTS or XDOTS), or characters per inch or lines per inch (CPI or LPI) that specify the size of a grid unit. Size in inches or centimeters represents the length of one side of a square grid unit. If the value is omitted when DOTS are specified, 1 is assumed. If only one DOTS parameter is specified, the grid unit is the same number of dots in both the horizontal and vertical dimensions. y Specifies the offset value used to offset downward from the top of the virtual page. If y is not specified, the top edge of the form is located at the top edge of the virtual page. unit Specifies the measurement, in INCH or INCHES, CM or CENTIMETERS, DOTS or XDOTS, that the form origin is offset downward from the top of the virtual page. If inches, centimeters, or dots are not specified in this parameter, inches are assumed. x Specifies the offset value used to offset the form to the right of the left edge of the virtual page. The coordinate x=0 represents the left edge of the virtual page. If x is not specified, the left edge of the form is located at the left edge of the virtual page. Default Example Considerations If no grid units or predefined format is specified, FMT1 (landscape) or FMT6 (portrait) values are used. If no units value is specified, INCHES is the default. GRID UNIT IS 1 INCH; Inches and centimeters may have two decimal places. Dots must be expressed in integers only. The values value, y, and x must be positive numbers. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE 2-7 FORMS DESCRIPTION LANGUAGE The GRID command, when specified in number of dots, allows a greater flexibility than more conventional methods of specifying the grid. For example, instead of being limited to two decimal places of accuracy when specifying inches or centimeters, the grid can be specified to the dot. This feature also eliminates any errors caused by rounding. If the GRID command specifies explicit unit parameters and no ORIGIN is specified, the form origin coincides with the virtual page origin. Grid unit dimensions may be overridden by the BOX, LINE, LOGO, and TEXT commands. Multiple GRID commands may be used within a set of FDL commands. A GRID command remains in effect until another is encountered. Reference For illustrations of how virtual page and form origin are determined, see the “Command examples” appendix. FONT Identifies the character sets used when creating and printing forms data and variable data. Syntax Parameter options FONTS id1 id2 id3...id32j; id Identifier of the standard or custom font you want to use. Multiple ids are separated by either a blank or a comma. Example Considerations FONTS UN106A,UN104C,UN114A; Fonts must be selected using the FONT command before text can be specified. FONT can be used only once. When specifying multiple fonts, make sure that you enter the correct font in the font list. When an invalid font is encountered, compilation is suspended, and an FRM file is not produced. There are three possible cases for a “font not found” error: • The font does not exist on the system disk, and the message is generated. No .FRM file is created. ***USER SPECIFIED FONT NAME IS MISSING • There is no such font index. For example, the FONTS command contains two font IDs and the user specifies TEXT USI FON 3... This generates an ***INVALID FONT INDEX message, and an .FRM file is created with the text printed using FONT 1. • No font index is specified in the TEXT command. For example, TEXT AT 1 1 TEXT MESSAGE will print with the last used font. If this is the first time the text has been used, FDL will default to FONT 1. The number of fonts that can be specified depends on their size, the number of fonts used in the variable data, and the size of font memory in your system. However, the maximum number of fonts and logos allowed per form by the forms compiler is 32. 2-8 XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE FORMS DESCRIPTION LANGUAGE Description commands Description commands specify the location, size, and characteristics of the following form elements: lines, boxes, logos, graphics, form sections, and text. The following commands are used for entering descriptive form data: • • • • • • LINE BOX TEXT AT TEXT IN BOX LOGO GRAPHIC. You can enter these commands in any sequence. For a discussion of the problems you may encounter when entering these commands, refer to the “Troubleshooting” chapter. Location coordinates Specify the locations in terms of the y and x axis coordinates, measured from the form origin specified in the GRID command. The form origin is generally set to coincide with the variable data origin, and the grid units correspond to the character and line spacing of the variable data. The form origin coordinates are specified as y=0, x=0. You can specify both x and y coordinates, or just one coordinate along the y or x axis. If only one coordinate is given, the axis is implied in the command. Symbols for coordinates The following five symbols are used in the description commands to symbolize different coordinates: • • • • • co cs ce ca ci Origin coordinate Start coordinate End coordinate Absolute coordinate Incremental coordinate. The coordinate parameter may be followed by the unit of measurement: inches (IN), centimeters (CM), or DOTS. If units of measurement are not given in the command, the coordinates are in grid units. Negative coordinates Negative coordinates may also be used. A negative y coordinate is measured upward from the form origin. A negative x coordinate is measured to the left of the form origin. For example, a vertical line starting at x=-1 would appear to the left of the form grid, as shown in figure 2-1. When you use negative numbers, be sure to stay within the boundaries of the system page. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE 2-9 FORMS DESCRIPTION LANGUAGE Figure 2-1. Use of a negative coordinate Form origin x= -1 LINE Specifies that one or more lines are to be drawn in the same direction. A LINE command defines the following: Syntax Parameter options • Point at which the line begins • Direction of the line • Length of the line • Type of line • Thickness of the line • Number of times the same line is to be drawn, either from different origins or at specified intervals from the initial origin. AT co unit DRAW n direction LINES IN unit FROM cs unit TO ce unit USING type thickness AND REPEAT repeat direction AT ca unit ca unit ... EVERY ci unit; co The number representing the displacement from the form origin of the first or only point of origin, expressed in grid units or linear units. The remainder of the line command specifies the length and characteristics of a line to be drawn at this location. If a horizontal line is to be drawn, the co displacement is measured on the y axis. If a vertical line is to be drawn, the co displacement is measured on the x axis. For example, if co is 6, a horizontal line is drawn under the sixth character row. n Number of lines to be drawn. unit Unit of linear measurement, expressed as inches (IN), centimeters (CM), or DOTS. If a linear unit is specified following IN, the co parameter is assumed to be in the same units, unless specified after co. If units are not specified, the measurement is in grid units. direction HORIZONTAL or VERTICAL. 2-10 XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE FORMS DESCRIPTION LANGUAGE cs ce The coordinate of the start of the line, measured on the x or y axis, depending on the direction of the line. The coordinate of the end of the line, measured on the x or y axis, depending on the direction of the line. type SOLID An unbroken, straight line. BROKEN The line is divided into many equal sections, separated by small amounts of space. DOTTED The line consists of dots of equal size and spaced equally apart. thickness 0 (invisible) HAIRLINE 1 2 repeat direction HORIZONTALLY or VERTICALLY. ca ci Default Example Reference Absolute x or y coordinate at which to start repetitive lines in a horizontal or vertical direction. Multiple ca parameters can be specified. Whether ca is measured on the y or x axis depends on the horizontal or vertical direction of the line. An incremental number representing the grid units or linear units between repeated lines. The system defaults for direction and type of line are horizontal and solid. The default option of REPEAT is used to repeat a horizontal line vertically and a vertical line horizontally to produce parallel lines. The default number of lines to be drawn is 1. AT 3 DRAW LINE FROM 4 TO 10; Refer to the “Command examples” appendix for examples and illustrations about drawing lines. BOX Describes the size and shape of a square or rectangular box. The BOX command is similar to the LINE command. Like lines, boxes may be repeated either at fixed intervals or at specified locations. The origin of a box is its upper left corner at the midpoint of the outline thickness. The BOX command provides an option that allows you to draw the outline of a box (frame) and to fill in a box with shading. Syntax Parameter options AT y unit x unit DRAW n BOXES IN unit p unit WIDE BY q unit HIGH USING type thickness SHADING density AND REPEAT direction AT ca unit ca unit ... EVERY ci unit; y Coordinate on the y axis of the upper left corner of the box. x Coordinate on the x axis of the upper left corner of the box. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE 2-11 FORMS DESCRIPTION LANGUAGE unit Unit of linear measurement, expressed as inches (IN), centimeters (CM), or DOTS. If units are not specified, the measurement is in grid units. n Number of boxes to be drawn. the default is 1. p Width of the box. q Height of the box. type Line style making up the border of the box. SOLID An unbroken, straight line. BROKEN The line is divided into many equal sections, separated by small amounts of space. DOTTED The line consists of dots of equal size and spaced equally apart. thickness Thickness of the border of the box. 0 (invisible) HAIRLINE 1 2 density Relative intensity of the shading. LIGHT MEDIUM HEAVY. direction HORIZONTALLY VERTICALLY. ca ci Default Considerations Absolute x or y coordinate at which to start repetitive lines. Multiple ca parameters can be specified. An incremental number representing the grid units or linear units between repeated lines. The default for LINES is SOLID 1; the default for REPEAT is HORIZONTALLY. Specifying a line thickness of 0 is useful for positioning text in an invisible box. When using this technique, however, remember that 0 lines, although they are not printed, appear as lines internally. A single BOX command can specify either an outlined box or a shaded box, but not both; that combination requires a second BOX command. Example Reference 2-12 AT 4, 6 BOX 14 WIDE BY 4 HIGH; Refer to the “Command examples” appendix for examples and illustrations about drawing boxes. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE FORMS DESCRIPTION LANGUAGE TEXT Two methods are available for specifying the text that is to be placed on forms. The TEXT AT command places the text at a specified location anywhere on the form; the TEXT IN BOX command places text inside a box. TEXT AT Allows you to print text in specific locations. Syntax Parameter options direction TEXT SPACED d units PER LINE ALIGNED alignment USING FONT n AT y units x units ‘text’ ‘text’ ...; direction HORIZONTAL VERTICAL d Amount of vertical space occupied by a line of text. All specifications except lpi are actual line height measurements. An lpi value specifies line height in terms of lines per inch. The number must be positive and may have two decimal places for all units except DOTS. The default unit is DOTS. units Units of linear measurement, expressed as inches (IN), centimeters (CM), DOTS, XDOTS, POINTS (PTS), or lines per inch (LPI). If units are not specified, the measurement is in grid units. alignment LEFT RIGHT CENTER TOP BOTTOM n Index number of the font to be used. If omitted, the system uses the last font index specified in a TEXT command. If the font was omitted in all previous TEXT commands, the system uses the first font specified in the FONT command. y Coordinate on the y axis where the text origin is to be located. x Coordinate on the x axis where the text origin is to be located. text Text characters that are printed at the specified location. Multiple text strings can be specified by enclosing each text string in single quotation marks. Separate each text string with one or more spaces. (A string is a series of characters.) Each string is printed as one physical line of text. Text strings enclosed by single quotes (such as 'abcde') can be broken and continued onto the next input record; the FDL compiler skips all embedded spaces until it finds the first character of the next record. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE 2-13 FORMS DESCRIPTION LANGUAGE Default Considerations If direction and alignment are not specified, the defaults are HORIZONTAL and CENTER. FDL gives you control over vertical line spacings and horizontal character placement. The SPACED parameter in the TEXT command is used to control the amount of vertical space between two lines of text. Character spacing cannot be overridden. However, each proportionally spaced font contains six space characters of various widths to facilitate adjusting the line length for text applications. At least one font must be specified before any text can be specified. The FONT command is used, and only one such command can be given for any one form. After the fonts are specified, they are referenced in the form description by an index number, beginning with 1 for the first font specified, 2 for the second, and so forth. The number of fonts that may be specified depends on their size, the number of fonts used in the variable data, and the size of font memory. Once a font number is specified in a TEXT command, it remains in effect until a new font index is specified. If no font number is specified in any TEXT command, the system uses FONT 1 as the default. Text line origins The origin of a single line of text is the upper left corner of the first character cell when the line appears upright to the viewer. The origin of multiple lines of text is the upper edge of the topmost character cell and leftmost edge of the leftmost character cell when viewed in an upright position. Text buffer capacity limits vary depending on the application. The buffer is 968 bytes in size. However, 968 bytes of text cannot be included in a line of text. There are a number of factors involved: Using toggles • Approximately 30 bytes are consumed for the processing of the command. • Approximately 12 bytes are used for each individual text string that is specified in a command. • One byte is consumed for each byte of the text string. Therefore, it takes fewer bytes to process ’1234567890’ than to process ’12’ ’3456’ ’678’ ’90’ in a TEXT command. Text originally entered at a 9700/8700 keyboard may contain number signs (#). The number sign acted as a toggle to enable the user to alternate between lower and uppercase characters. Previously, this was the only way to specify a change from uppercase to lowercase and vice versa. The following is an example of the lowercase in a text string. Entering: 'R#ETAIL #D#ISTRIBUTION' produces: Retail Distribution Although the current keyboards provide lowercase capability, it is important to note that a form previously created on a 9700/8700 using toggles will compile successfully on a 4050, 4450, 4650, or 4090 LPS. Examples of aligned text Reference 2-14 Text in forms may be left-aligned, right-aligned, or centered. Refer to the “Command examples” appendix for command syntax and illustrations for aligned text. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE FORMS DESCRIPTION LANGUAGE Other character-block orientations are shown in the “Command examples” appendix. TEXT IN BOX Allows you to place text within a box. Syntax Parameter options direction TEXT SPACED d units PER LINE ALIGNED alignment USING FONT n IN position BOX y unit x unit ‘text’ ‘text’ ... IN NEXT direction BOX ‘text’ ‘text’ ...; direction HORIZONTAL VERTICAL d Amount of vertical space occupied by a line of text. All specifications except lpi are actual line height measurements. An lpi value specifies line height in terms of lines per inch. The number must be positive and may have two decimal places for all units except DOTS. The default unit is DOTS. units Units of linear measurement, expressed as inches (IN), centimeters (CM), DOTS, XDOTS, points (PTS), or lines per inch (LPI). If units are not specified, the measurement is in grid units. alignment LEFT RIGHT CENTER TOP BOTTOM n Index number of the font to be used. If omitted, the system uses the last font index specified in a TEXT command. If the font was omitted in all previous TEXT commands, the system uses the first font specified in the FONT command. position TOP LEFT or LEFT TOP TOP CENTER or CENTER TOP TOP RIGHT or RIGHT TOP LEFT CENTER or CENTER LEFT CENTER CENTER or CENTER RIGHT CENTER or CENTER RIGHT BOTTOM LEFT or LEFT BOTTOM BOTTOM CENTER or CENTER BOTTOM BOTTOM RIGHT or RIGHT BOTTOM y Coordinate on the y axis where the box origin is to be located. x Coordinate on the x axis where the box origin is to be located. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE 2-15 FORMS DESCRIPTION LANGUAGE text Text characters that are printed at the specified location. Multiple text strings can be specified by enclosing each text string in single quotation marks. Separate each text string with one or more spaces. (A string is a series of characters.) Each string is printed as one physical line of text. Text strings enclosed by single quotes (for example, 'abcde') can be broken and continued onto the next input record; the FDL compiler skips all embedded spaces until it finds the first character of the next record. Default Considerations Reference If direction and alignment are not specified, the defaults are HORIZONTAL and CENTER. The default for units is DOTS. A box with matching coordinate values must be defined before the TEXT IN BOX command can reference it. Thus, the statement allows nine options for the position in a box where the text is to be placed. Refer to the position parameters and to the “Command examples” appendix for illustrations regarding text positioning. Figure 2-2. Text positioning 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Note that except for CENTER, two keywords are required. If a location is not specified, the default is to place text in the center of the box. If the selected font causes the text to overflow the box or overflow the page, the system prints the form as specified and generates a message indicating the maximum size font, in points, that will fit in the allotted space. Adjacent boxes The BOX position is specified by the coordinates of the upper left corner of the box in which the text string is to be placed. If text is to be placed in an adjacent box (either vertically or horizontally adjacent), this can be specified by an IN NEXT BOX parameter, in the following format: IN NEXT HORIZONTAL BOX ‘text’ ‘text’ ...; Adjacent boxes must have a common side. The keywords IN NEXT HORIZONTAL BOX specify the next horizontal box to the right of the current box. The keywords IN NEXT VERTICAL BOX specify the box beneath the current box. These adjacent boxes are shown in figure 2-3. The default is HORIZONTAL. Figure 2-3. 2-16 Adjacent boxes XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE FORMS DESCRIPTION LANGUAGE Assuming that the upper left corner of the first box above is located two grid units down from the form origin and one grid unit to the right of the form origin, you would use the following statements: TEXT IN BOX 2,1 ‘A: IN NEXT BOX ‘B‘ IN NEXT BOX ’C’ IN NEXT VERTICAL BOX ’D’; TEXT IN BOX 2,1 ‘A‘ or BOX ‘B‘ BOX ’C’ VERTICAL BOX ’D’; The results of either statement are shown in figure 2-4. Figure 2-4. A B Placing text in adjacent boxes C D LOGO Use this command to place .LGO files. A complex figure called a logo up to two square inches in size can be digitized to order by the Xerox Font Center or Rank Xerox. This logo is a special font of one or more characters, which carries with it the relative position of the characters that make up the logo. Thus, while a logo may be made up of many characters, it is positioned as a single unit. For additional flexibility, a signature may be digitized and stored on the system as a logo. Syntax Parameter options LOGO id AT y unit x unit; id The logo identifier (one to six characters). y Coordinate on the y axis where the logo origin is to be located. unit Unit of linear measurement, expressed as inches (IN), centimeters (CM), or DOTS. If units are not specified, the measurement is in grid units. x Coordinate on the x axis where the logo origin is to be located. Example LOGO EAGLE AT 10,12; Logo origin XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE 2-17 FORMS DESCRIPTION LANGUAGE LOGO Keyword LOGO EAGLE The name of the logo, a one- to six-character alphanumeric label, is given to the logo when it is digitized by the Xerox Font Center or Rank Xerox. AT 10,12 The keyword AT and the coordinates (y,x) indicating where the logo is to be placed. Considerations Sample .FSL Be sure that font memory capacity is not exceeded. Logos larger than two square inches may be used if they are the result of using smaller components of the logo to gain the desired effect. The LOGO command is typically inserted near the end of the .FSL, as illustrated in figure 2-5. Figure 2-5. Placing a logo HORIZONTAL TEXT USING FONT 2 IN CENTER CENTER BOX 6,1 ’DATE’; COMMENT *** PLACE LOGO ***; LOGO EAGLE AT 1,26; END; GRAPHIC You can use the GRAPHIC command to place your images at any location on the page. A form may consist solely of graphics (images). Each graphic to be associated with a form must be specified in the .FSL file. Syntax Parameter options GRAPHIC name AT vpos unit hpos unit SCALE IS n/d; name Name of a graphic (.IMG) file, found on the system disk. vpos Specifies the vertical position of the top edge of the graphic relative to the virtual page origin. This parameter is a decimal number with up to two decimal places (except for DOTS, which must be an integer). If no unit is specified, grid unit dimensions are used as the default. unit Unit of linear measurement, expressed as inches (IN), centimeters (CM), or DOTS. If units are not specified, grid unit dimensions are used. hpos Specifies the horizontal position of the left edge of the graphic, relative to the virtual page origin. The format of the specification is the same as for vpos. 2-18 XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE FORMS DESCRIPTION LANGUAGE n/d Specifies the reference scale factor. Each parameter, n and d, must be an integer in the range of 1 to 8 to allow a reference scale factor in the range of 1/8 to 8. The reference scale factor is multiplied by that specified at the time the graphic was digitized, and the product is rounded to the nearest integer in the range of 1 to 8. That integer becomes the effective scale factor with which the graphic is imaged. Default Example Sample .FSL If no unit is specified, grid unit dimensions are used as the default. GRAPHIC AFJ AT 10, 12; A GRAPHIC command is illustrated in figure 2-6. Figure 2-6. Placing a graphic AT 31.6,31.6 DRAW BOX 46.8 WIDE BY 21.8 HIGH USING SOLID 2; AT 31.9, 31.9 DRAW BOX 46.2 WIDE BY 21.2 HIGH USING SOLID 2; AT 32.2,32.2 DRAW BOX 45.6 WIDE BY 20.6 HIGH USING SOLID 2; GRAPHIC UNICRN AT 31.5,42; TEXT USING FONT 1 AT 83.5,2.5'FORM SM105'; Considerations Up to 16 images per page are permitted. The Raster Image Processor (RIP), Interpress, and graphics capability (GVG2), enable the printing of more than 16 images per page as well as vector graphics. SECTION When a form consists of several identical sections, you can save time by defining only one section and treating it as a module, that is, having it repeated at desired locations. Syntax BEGIN SECTION id; or DO SECTION id AT y unit x unit; END SECTION; Parameter options id An identifier (one to six characters) that is invoked when a section is to be defined. y Coordinate of the origin on the y axis of the section in relation to the origin of the form. unit Unit of linear measurement, expressed as inches (IN), centimeters (CM), or DOTS. If units are not specified, the measurement is in grid units. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE 2-19 FORMS DESCRIPTION LANGUAGE x Coordinate of the origin on the x axis of the section in relation to the origin of the form. Default Considerations None. SECTION can also be used to define an entire form as a section. Within the section, any other command, statement, or specification may be used except another SECTION command, DO SECTION command, FORM command, or END command. More than one section may be defined and invoked, but each section must be terminated with the END SECTION command before another section can be defined. To invoke a section that has been defined, invoke the section with the DO SECTION command. A section must be defined before it can be invoked. Example Figure 2-7 illustrates how the SECTION commands are invoked. Figure 2-7. Specifying a section FORM SEC 4; PORTRAIT; GRID FMT8; FONT UN207B; COMMENT *** CREATE PHONE MESSAGE PAD SECTION ***; BEGIN SECTION PHONE; AT 7 DRAW 7 HORIZONTAL LINES FROM 4 TO 33 USING SOLID 1 AND REPEAT VERTICALLY AT 11,17,20,23,26,29; HORIZONTAL TEXT USING FONT 1 AT 2,4 'PHONE MESSAGES'; HORIZONTAL TEXT USING FONT 1 AT 4,4 'CALLER:'; HORIZONTAL TEXT USING FONT 1 AT 8,4 'TIME:'; HORIZONTAL TEXT USING FONT 1 AT 12,4 'MESSAGE:'; END SECTION; COMMENT *** PRINT MESSAGE PAD SECTION 4 TIMES ***; DO SECTION PHONE AT 0,0; DO SECTION PHONE AT 30,0; DO SECTION PHONE AT 0,37; DO SECTION PHONE AT 30,37; END; BEGIN SECTION PHONE; BEGIN SECTION Keywords PHONE; Name of the section. Rules for naming sections are identical to those for naming forms: one to six alphanumeric characters. END SECTION; Finishing command. Notice that the END SECTION command does not use the section name. Including a section name results in an error. 2-20 XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE FORMS DESCRIPTION LANGUAGE DO SECTION PHONE AT 0,0; DO SECTION PHONE AT 30,37; DO SECTION Keywords. PHONE Section name. The section must previously have been defined by the BEGIN SECTION and END SECTION commands. AT 0,0; AT 30,37; Coordinates of the origin of the section in relation to the origin of the form. COMMENT It is often helpful to use comments to include in the source statements a description of certain FDL commands and their functions. These comments are useful when debugging your program and can act as reminders if you or someone else modifies the .FSL later. When you use comments, they appear on the source statement only. They are not printed on your form, and do not affect the execution of your program. Syntax Parameter options COMMENT text; text Text to be treated as a comment. Default Example None. This sample illustrates a COMMENT that identifies the procedure that is to follow it: COMMENT *** PLACE SECTIONS ***; DO SECTION RSPNSE AT 0,0; DO SECTION RSPNSE AT 7,0; DO SECTION RSPNSE AT 14,0; Comment nesting /* begins a comment and */ ends a comment. /* THIS IS THE START OF A NESTED COMMENT /* WHEN TWO ENDING COMBINATIONS ARE FOUND */ THE COMMENT IS TERMINATED */ A syntax error results if /* does not begin a comment and */ does not end a comment. Each comment beginning (/*) and ending (*/) should be followed by at least one space character. Considerations A semicolon must be inserted at the end of the comment text; otherwise all of the following FDL commands are considered part of the comment text and are not executed. The FDL compiler ignores all comments up to the first encountered semicolon. Asterisks or line spacing cause the COMMENT to stand out from the text. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE 2-21 FORMS DESCRIPTION LANGUAGE END Use the END command to terminate the description of a form. Syntax END; Parameters None. Default None. Example An .FSL file can contain more than one file. Therefore, if additional .FSL files follow an END command, the end of all .FSLs to be processed is indicated by two consecutive END commands. The command syntax is: END;END; 2-22 XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE 3. Compiling and printing forms Once the Form Source Library (.FSL) file has been created, the file can be stored on the laser printing system (LPS) system disk. The next step is to compile the file and print a copy of the form. Form printing process Follow these steps to print an electronic form on a Xerox laser printing system: 1. Enter the editor utility and create a file of FDL commands to describe the form. This file is called a Forms Source Library (.FSL) file. Refer to the “Forms Description Language” chapter for more information. The .FSL file contains FDL commands such as coordinates for placing lines, boxes, text, and so forth. You can create the .FSL file directly at the LPS keyboard and display, at a host computer input device, or through remote communications. 2. Save the .FSL file to the LPS system disk. 3. Compile the .FSL to create a printable electronic form file (.FRM). 4. Debug, modify, and recompile the file if necessary. 5. Print the form. .FSL data transfer Once you have created the .FSL file, you can send it to the system disk either offline or online. Offline In the offline mode, .FSL files can be transmitted to the system disk from magnetic tape or by using the LPS Editor. Using magnetic tape 1. Create the source file at the host computer and store it on a magnetic tape. 2. Mount the tape on the LPS tape drive and copy the files electronically to the system disk. Using the LPS Editor The source code can also be entered directly to the LPS at the system user interface and transmitted electronically to the system disk. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE 3-1 COMPILING AND PRINTING FORMS Online If your LPS is channel-attached to a host computer, enter the source code at the host terminal through the host editor facility. The file must be preceded by the necessary control record identifiers. Refer to your host reference documentation for details. The LPS HOSTCOPY utility enables you to download files from the host and store them on the LPS system disk. Remote communications The LPS can also receive forms data from a remote device on the Ethernet network. Compiling a form Once the file has been created, the next step is to enter the command that compiles the .FSL to an .FRM. Multiple .FSLs contained in one file are paginated so that each new .FSL starts on the front side of a new page. FDL compilation time The time it takes to compile a form file depends on the position of the font file in its directory and the size and number of disks on the system. If your LPS has a large number of font files located on several disks, you may notice an increase in compilation time for forms that perform text handling. To ensure that your form files compile as quickly as possible, remove any unnecessary font files and use the COMPRESS utility to reorganize your files on the disk. This will shorten the font lookup time and use the disk space efficiently. Invoking the forms compiler To invoke the forms compiler, enter the following command at the LPS keyboard. The entire command must fit on one line. FDL filename NOPRINT TRAY DEBUG XPAN NOSOURCE PROOF SIMPLEX RES=spi The FDL compilation command includes any combination of the following options. Parameter options filename Specifies the name of the .FSL to be compiled. The file extension, .FSL, may be included. No other extension is allowed. The file name cannot be a keyword option such as TRAY, DEBUG, XPAN, and so on. These are reserved names that could cause problems when you use a task outside of the forms compiler. NOPRINT Specifies that the .FSL source statements listing, form summary, and sample form will not be printed. However, if an error occurs during form processing, the listing and the summary are printed. 3-2 XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE COMPILING AND PRINTING FORMS TRAY Specifies that the sample form, source statement, and summary sheet will go to the sample tray instead of the currently active output stacker. DEBUG Specifies that no attempt to print the sample form will be made. This ensures that the source statement and summary sheet are printed even if the sample form cannot be printed. XPAN Specifies printing of the source statement of section expansions. NOSOURCE Specifies that disk source file creation will be suppressed when compiling from magnetic tape or disk when the form name is the same as the file name given. PROOF Specifies that the .FSL will be compiled and the source statement and/or summary sheet will be printed. No .FRM file is generated. SIMPLEX Specifies that the source statement or summary sheet generated with each compile is printed in simplex rather than duplex. RES=spi Specifies a 300 or 600 spots per inch (spi) resolution. If the source file contains multiple form descriptions, the system does not start printing until all forms have been compiled. Compiling 600 spi forms Compiling 4850 color forms and logos A 600 spots per inch (spi) form can be compiled only on a 4650. It is important, however, that all 600 spi system fonts, logos, and image files are loaded on that system prior to compilation. V3.5 operating system software does not support any color references. Color forms created on a 4850 LPS using the IRESULT, ICATALOG, and PALETTE commands are accepted and can be printed successfully on the 4050, 4090, or 4650 LPS; however, problems occur when calling out color format LGOs and IMGs. A form or logo that was created and compiled on a 4850 can be printed (in monochrome black) only on a 4050, 4090, or 4650 LPS using V3.8 (or higher) operating system software releases. When an .FSL is compiled and the name of the source input file differs from the name in the FORM command, an .FSL is created using the name from the FORM command. This newly created .FSL contains only those commands necessary for that form. However, if the input file has the same name as the one in the FORM command, the original .FSL file is not affected. If there are multiple forms in the input source and the source input file name is used for any of the forms other than the first, an error occurs during compilation. Therefore, if you wish to use the source input file name as one of the form names, you must use it as the first form to be compiled. Typically, forms contained in a multiple-file .FSL do not have the same name as the source input file. An example of this is DC20.FSL. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE 3-3 COMPILING AND PRINTING FORMS If an .FSL with multiple forms has one form name which has the same name as another .FSL, this second .FSL will be overwritten when the first is compiled. For example, assume that file A.FSL contains forms X, Y, and Z. When it is compiled, files X.FRM, Y.FRM, and Z.FRM are produced, as are files X.FSL, Y.FSL, and Z.FSL. If there already is a file name X.FSL on the system, it is overwritten by X.FSL from the A.FSL file. Summary sheet If the compilation is successful, a summary sheet of statistics is printed with the following: • • • • Size of the source output file Size of the printable form file Size of the form image buffer Total amount of font memory used. The summary sheet is printed duplex by default. If you want it printed simplex, include the SIMPLEX option in the task invocation line as follows: FDL TRYIT SIMPLEX Multiple .FSLs contained in one file are paginated so that each new .FSL starts on the front side of a new page. Error checks If the compilation fails, a list of error messages is printed. If a command extends over several lines, an error message may not appear on the next consecutive line following the error. This may result in two consecutive error messages at the end of a command. An example of this is the CANNOT FIND THE BOX message that may occur for a TEXT IN BOX command. As the .FSL file is processed, it is automatically checked for the following errors. • Unknown, illegal, or missing commands, keywords, or parameters • Requests for items to be placed or drawn outside of box or page boundaries • Invalid font or logo requests • Illegal grid units or syntax. Errors are flagged in the source statement with messages specifying the type of error. Refer to the Xerox LPS Message Guide for a description of error messages that may appear while forms are being compiled. Using the compilation options After communicating the .FSL to the LPS disk, you compile, debug, and modify (if necessary) the .FSL using the following options. 3-4 XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE COMPILING AND PRINTING FORMS File storage A large number of forms may be stored in the forms source directory (uncompiled) and form directory (compiled) on the system disks. Two files with the same name cannot be stored in the same directory. The number of forms that can be stored depends on the amount of data required to describe each form and the total amount of disk space allocated to the libraries. The forms are filed in the system under their identifying names. The information stored in the file includes the identifier, the encoded form, and the list of specified fonts and logos. The original source statements that created the forms description are stored separately under the same identifier. A list of all of the forms stored in the directory, a sample of each, and the source statement lists can all be obtained using operator commands. PROOF The forms compiler makes it possible to compile a form and delete the .FRM file after it has been printed. If you use this option, less disk space is consumed by resident form files. The PROOF option has the following format: FDL filename PROOF If the form is compiled without errors, the .FRM file and the source statement and/or summary sheet is printed. Since the PROOF option deletes it, there is no form file on the disk. When you use the PROOF option, the form file that is created is given a pseudonym that differs from the one specified in the .FSL. Therefore, when TRYIT.FSL is compiled, for example, the form that is created is not automatically named TRYIT.FRM. The newly created .FRM file is given a different name, and it is this renamed form that is eventually deleted. Due to this safeguard, if a file named TRYIT.FRM already exists on the system disk, that form still exists after the new .FRM file is compiled and deleted. Secured files • If you attempt to overwrite a secured file while compiling a form, a security violation message displays, and the compilation process is aborted. • If you attempt to overwrite a secured file having the same name on both the task invocation line and in the .FSL, a security violation message is displayed and the form is aborted. For example, TRYIT1.FSL is a secured file. You enter: FDL TRYIT1 TRAY The .FSL contains: FORM TRYIT1; GRID IS 1 INCH; END;END; In this case, a security violation message displays and compilation aborts. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE 3-5 COMPILING AND PRINTING FORMS • If the form names on the invocation line and in the .FSL are different, the compilation is aborted and a single sheet is printed. The sheet contains the heading for the page and the portion of the .FSL that was processed before the security violation was detected. For example, TRYIT1.FSL is a secured file. You enter: FDL TRYIT TRAY The .FSL contains: FORM TRYIT1; GRID IS 1 INCH; END;END; In this case, a security violation message still displays and the compilation aborts, but a single page is printed containing the page heading and the .FSL line “FORM TRYIT1;”. Example 1 FDL TRYIT TRAY This command compiles the .FSL named “TRYIT” (provided it does not contain errors), generates the source statement, prints a copy of the statement and the form, and delivers both to the SAMPLE tray. If you do not include the word TRAY in your command, the printout is delivered to the currently active bin. Example 2 If you want to compile the form, but you do not want a printout of the form just yet, enter the following: FDL TRYIT NOPRINT The .FSL compiles, but the form and the source statement do not print. Printing a compiled form Once a form has been compiled, the object code is stored on the system as an .FRM file. To print copies of the form, enter the SAMPLE command at the LPS keyboard. The format of the SAMPLE command is: SAMPLE filename.FRM For example, to produce five copies of the form, enter the following: SAMPLE TRYIT.FRM 5 When an FRM is compiled using FDL software version 2 (or later), the paper size is defined by the PAPER SIZE IS XX BY YY statement in the .FSL. If the paper size is not defined, the paper size defaults to the sysgened paper size. FRMs compiled prior to version 2 (before the paper size statement of FDL was implemented) use the sysgened paper size. If there are graphics in the form, FDL does not guarantee that the image fits on the page. If necessary, the following message appears: OS6191 GRAPHIC xxxxxx OFF PAGE AND WILL NOT BE PRINTED 3-6 XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE 4. Troubleshooting Physical printer constraints and forms compiler methods are factors that can affect form design. This chapter provides coding technique suggestions and hints and tips to help you avoid coding problems. This chapter also covers factors that may impact the following: • • • • • Image complexity Boxes Shading Sections Rounding measurements. Suggested coding techniques Converting preprinted forms Follow these steps to convert preprinted forms: 1. Print data, using an appropriate format, on the laser printing system. 2. Draw horizontal and vertical lines on the system output. 3. Use the forms design ruler to measure line and character spacings. Refer to the “Support tools and measurements” appendix. 4. Code the form. Designing new forms Follow these steps to design new forms: 1. Determine the appropriate format. 2. Use the forms design ruler to measure line and character spacings. Refer to the “Support tools and measurements” appendix. 3. Draw horizontal and vertical lines on a layout sheet. Use standard layout sheet forms FLSF1 through FLSF11 that are provided in the FDL software. Layout sheet forms and corresponding paper sizes are shown in table 4-1. 4. Define the x and y coordinates. 5. Code the form. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE 4-1 TROUBLESHOOTING Table 4-1. Layout sheet forms and paper sizes Layout sheet forms Paper size FLSF1 through FLSF11 8.5 x 11 inch/ 216 x 279 mm FLSF1A and FLSF11A A4 FLSF12 and FLSF13 8.5 x 14 inch/ 216 x 356 mm Recommended coding sequence The FDL compiler imposes a number of constraints on the sequence in which commands are coded. The form name must come first. Only one form orientation is permitted, and fonts and boxes must be implicitly or explicitly defined before they are referenced by TEXT commands. After that point, the sequence is not significant to the compiler. However, it is worthwhile to develop a sequence while debugging or making changes to a form. Use a method of sequencing commands similar to the following: • • • • • Horizontal and vertical lines Boxes (if needed) Text Logo placement Shading. Syntax ambiguities Because FDL keywords can be abbreviated to the first three characters, and because certain two-character keywords can be interpreted in more than one way, the following known ambiguities exist: • IN (preposition) is interpreted as IN (inch). For example: TEXT 1 IN BOX...; Also, TEXT SPACED 1 IN BOX...; The keyword IN is interpreted as INCH, while the required keyword IN (preposition) is detected as missing and an error message results. The solution to this situation is to write the following: TEXT 1 IN IN BOX...; or TEXT 1 INCH IN BOX...; or TEXT 1 DOTS IN BOX...; • 4-2 FMTn cannot be abbreviated. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE TROUBLESHOOTING • [DOT\TED is interpreted as [DOT\S. For example: AT 18 DRAW 5 HORIZONTAL LINES FROM 27.5 TO 37.5 DOT...; The keyword DOT is interpreted as DOTS, which is valid in this position. The keyword DOTTED is also valid in this position, but must be spelled out in full. • [CEN\TER is interpreted as [CEN\TIMETERS. For example: TEXT 10 CEN IN BOX.....; The keyword CEN is interpreted as CENTIMETERS, which is valid in this position. The keyword CENTER is also valid in this position but must be spelled out in full. Hints and tips You can avoid coding problems by using the coding technique suggestions, hints, and tips shown in table 4-2. Table 4-2. Hints and tips Keywords Hints and tips Form id • • GRID command Choose a format that is compatible with the data. Coding lines • • • • • • • • • Coding boxes • • • • • Use of shading • • • Develop a logical, systematic approach to naming conventions. Take care not to choose a previously used form id. Use a COMMENT command. Code all horizontal lines, then all vertical lines. Precede each set with a comment statement. Code longer lines first. Then follow with the shorter segments that may overlay the basic long lines. Code lighter lines first. Then code shorter segments that are heavier in density. Code a SOLID 0 line first whenever you have a set of colinear segments, whether they are touching or not. Use lines rather than characters of the form element font, whenever possible. Avoid overlapping (superimposing) lines. Avoid using too many dotted or broken lines because they create too much overhead in the printing process. Avoid drawing unneeded lines across the longest side of the physical page. Use a COMMENT command. Use a BOX command only when the lines generated by that command are not duplicated by another command. Do not use a REPEAT command when drawing lines that create boxes if you need to find the coordinates of those boxes later. Use boxes rather than characters of the form element font, whenever possible. Avoid overlapping (superimposing) boxes. Use a COMMENT command. Avoid overlapping the boundary line of a box with shading. Set shading back from borders by three to five dots (or about 0.1 units for most coordinates). This conserves memory and results in a cleaner appearance. Try to avoid shading on portrait forms. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE 4-3 TROUBLESHOOTING Table 4-2. Keywords Hints and tips Coding text • • • • • • Hints and tips (continued) Use a COMMENT command. Remember that different fonts of a given point size are not necessarily the same physical size. Be aware that vertical error messages, generated when the system calculates that too much text has been specified for placement in a box, are an approximation. Use the TEXT SPACED AT command to force exact text placement. Avoid placing too many small characters in one area of the page. Avoid overlapping characters to achieve bolding or other effects. Use the correct font whenever possible. Avoid too many font switches on the same text line. This creates overhead in the printing process. Coding sections • • Use a COMMENT command. Use coordinates based at 0,0 when defining a section. Then place the section at the locations you want. Source copy If the source filename (.FSL) and the form name (the name that follows the FORM keyword) do not agree, an .FSL file is created that has the same name as the form name. Therefore, when you copy X.FSL to Y.FSL and compile Y.FSL without changing the form name in Y.FSL, the original X.FSL is deleted and a new X.FSL is created from the Y.FSL source. Furthermore, the form file (.FRM) that is created is X.FRM and not Y.FRM. If you wish to create a distinct source using another .FSL as a base, you need to change the form name to the same name as the source name, or to some other name that does not already exist. Two files with the same name and type cannot reside on the system. Image complexity factors Form design is limited by physical restrictions on the amount of image data (characters and lines) that can be printed on a scan line and on a page. Line tables Forms Description Language (FDL) line tables are internal FDL data structures that provide a record in memory of the lines to be drawn on a page. These tables allow the system to find the corners and edges of boxes when they are referenced later. Since excessive amounts of memory would be required to store every line, the FDL compiler retains only the memory of the longest lines that pass through any given coordinate in a particular direction. FDL replaces dotted or broken lines with an invisible line of the same length. Line table limits The FDL line tables can store 1,999 vertical and 1,999 horizontal lines in memory. When you exceed either of these line table limits, the following message is displayed: TOO MANY HORIZONTAL OR TOO MANY VERTICAL LINES This message warns you that the new user-specified line cannot be retained in the table. The message is of no real consequence to you unless the new line is intended as the side of a box. In that case, the box is not found and your form may not compile. 4-4 XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE TROUBLESHOOTING Generally, the line table limits are reached because the form contains a large number of short line segments. The most probable reason for this is a series of vertical lines (for example, tick marks) or horizontal lines (for example, a series of long dashes). With either of these conditions, it is possible to reduce the number of entries in the line table as the form is being constructed. Importance of orderly construction One consideration in determining the orderliness of form construction is that the algorithm used in loading the line table is designed to check only the following two criteria before entering a new line in the line table: • Is the new line contained within the boundaries of an existing line? • Is the new line an extension of one of the existing lines? If the new line is contained within the boundaries of an existing line, no change is made to the line table entries. If the new line is an extension of one of the existing lines, the boundaries of the first (and only the first) existing line are extended to include the new line. If neither of the criteria is met, a new entry is made in the line table. Examples The procedure of line extension results in an irregularity if lines are not specified in an orderly manner. For example, draw five line segments that are each five units in length. If the lines are drawn in an unreasonable or irregular manner, as shown below, the result is more entries in the line table than are necessary. Drawing line segments in the order 0 to 5, 10 to 15, 20 to 25, 5 to 10, and 15 to 20 creates a single visual line that FDL considers to be three lines. This is because the criterion of the line table allows the extension of only the first line segment with common coordinates to the new line. In this case, the three line entries in the line table would be 0 to 10, 10 to 20, and 20 to 25. Figure 4-1 shows examples of extraneous drawn lines. Figure 4-1. Example of extraneous drawn lines It is also possible to have the line table show more than one line passing in the same direction through a given coordinate. For example, draw three lines, each of which is five units in length (0 to 5, 10 to 15, and 20 to 25). Then draw two lines, each of which is nine units in length (3 to 12 and 13 to 22). The result is a single visual line for which FDL has three entries in the line table (0 to 12, 10 to 22, and 20 to 25). Figure 4-2 shows lines entered in unintended locations. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE 4-5 TROUBLESHOOTING Figure 4-2. Lines entered in unintended locations These two examples of lines entered in the line table result in lines that are visually contiguous but are not logically contiguous. As indicated in the following sections that describe problems with boxes, such conditions can result in a situation where FDL cannot find a box, or creates a box that has one or both of its dimensions equal to zero. Suggested techniques for entering lines To enter lines, draw the longest possible logical line first, then draw any shorter elements. If the logical line consists of different types of lines (for example, solid and dotted), draw a SOLID 0 line first, extending over the full range of the logical line. For example, the above example of five line segments of five units each might have consisted of alternating solid and dotted lines. In that case, the following is the most reasonable method of specifying the total line: AT 0 LINE 0 TO 25 USING SOLID 0; AT 0 LINE 0 TO 5 USING SOLID 2 AND AT 10, 20; AT 0 LINE 5 TO 10 USING DOTTED 1 AND AT 15; Figure 4-3 shows the resulting line. Figure 4-3. Line made up of different types of lines Scan line density Scan line density depends on printer and imaging speed. Therefore, it can vary with each product and even with different configurations of the same product. The basic limitation is linked to dispatchable items, which become visible in character count and number of lines. Line density errors Both characters and lines contribute to the dispatchable item count. When one dispatchable item is superimposed over another dispatchable item, the result is considered to be two dispatchable items by the system. When too many dispatchable items are present on a scan line on the long axis of the paper, the LPS operating system displays the following line density error message: OS6950 LINE DENSITY EXCEEDED 4-6 XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE TROUBLESHOOTING The hardware limitation of 320 dispatchable items per 300 spi scan line (640 for 600 spi) includes the required overhead of two dispatchable items. For example, a dispatchable item could be a maximum of 32 dots wide for 300 spi (64 dots for 600 spi), and thereby might be a full character (less than point size 8 or 9), a fraction of a character (greater than point size 8 or 9), or a line segment that is equal to or smaller than 32 dots in the scan direction. Determining line density limitations The following is a guide for determining 300 spi line density limitations. If printing at 600 spi, the same size character or same length line has twice as many dots, as follows: • Every 32 dots (or fraction thereof) of a line drawn on the long axis of the paper are one dispatchable item. • Each line drawn on the short axis of the paper is one dispatchable item. • Each active character is at least one dispatchable item. (An active character includes all the space from the top of the character cell to the bottom of the character cell, even if there is only white space present on a given scan line.) If the dimension along the scan line is greater than 32 dots, the character consists of some multiple dispatchable items. It is not possible to construct a form with two adjacent lines if both use the full count of 318 dispatchable items (320 minus the two required for overhead) resulting from text and lines. The imaging system requires a rest period of about four scan lines before it can image the second fully loaded line. Landscape pages Line density restrictions differ as a function of the mode (landscape or portrait) of the form. An 8-point or smaller landscape font is smaller than 32 dots for 300 spi and 64 for 600 spi. A vertical line is a single dispatchable item. A horizontal line is treated as a series of 32 dots in length, joined end-to-end. For 300 spi, this means that a form using an 8-point or smaller font on a landscape page may have up to 318 characters (plus a two-item overhead, for a total of 320 dispatchable items) on a scan line. For example, when using a 6-point font, it is possible to have 132 characters, a line across the page under the text, and up to 90 vertical lines, without exceeding the line density limitations. If a form requires a 9-point or larger font, the number of characters that may be imaged on a landscape page is reduced to 160 because the characters are generally more than 32 dots wide. While the dispatchable-item count remains 320 per line, fonts 9 points and larger use two dispatchable items per character. Since a character in a large font constitutes two dispatchable items, only half as many characters in a large font may be imaged on a scan line as is possible with a smaller font. Portrait pages Restrictions for a portrait page are significantly different from those for a landscape page because the system always images in the landscape direction. Therefore, if a page is formatted in portrait orientation, the hardware must reorganize the data into landscape prior to imaging. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE 4-7 TROUBLESHOOTING On a 300 spi portrait page, a 12-point font drops the dispatchable-item count below the 320-character level. A form with a 12-point font cannot have more than 160 characters on a scan line. When using an 8-point 300 spi font on a portrait page, the maximum dispatchable item count is approximately 200 per scan line. This limit falls off to 170 characters for a 6-point font, 150 characters for a 5-point font, and 120 characters for a 4-point font. (If printing at 600 spi, the same size character or length line has twice as many dots.) Superimposed lines Since lines superimposed over each other count as double the dispatchable items of a single line, they detract from the system capabilities. If printing at 600 spi, you see the following message: EXCEEDED LINE DENSITY. Page generation errors Generally, a form is imaged along with variable data. It is possible to create a form that prints correctly when sampled but cannot successfully be overlaid on certain variable data pages. The LPS may not have enough time to merge a complex form with a large amount of variable data within the limits of the throughput environment. In this case, either reduce the amount of variable data, or simplify the form. Review the broken page to determine the approximate location of the failure, and try to reduce the number of characters and lines in that area. Most imaging problems are local density of information problems rather than page-wide problems. Local density and page setup errors One problem that may occur while a page is being imaged is a page setup error, displaying the following message: OS9300 PAGE SET-UP ERROR This message means that there was not enough time to image a page. This may be caused by an excessively large amount of data and forms to be imaged, disk errors, image generation problems, or a problem known as local density. Even a form designed to avoid exceeding line density limitations may cause page setup errors because of local density. However, such problems are rarely encountered in readable forms. To have a problem area of local density, a form would have to have long lines of very closely spaced small text. A local density problem occurs when the imaging hardware accepts and dispatches characters at two different rates. If a form structure imposes a dispatching load that is too heavy, the hardware may run out of input before the data processing is finished. 4-8 XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE TROUBLESHOOTING Considerations If a form you described causes page setup errors, examine the form and variable data to see if there are many lines or a large amount of text in a small area. If there are, you can reduce the density of this area by spreading out the material or by deleting parts of the form. To determine possible causes of page setup errors due to local density, look for the following items: • Large amounts of closely spaced text in a small font; that is, long lines of solid text with minimum spacing, especially if a form is portrait. • Large amounts of text in an orientation different from the defined form orientation; for example, portrait text in a landscape form. • A large number of lines drawn on the short axis of the paper; that is, vertical lines on a landscape form. Using boxes You can draw boxes with a single BOX command or construct them with commands on a line-by-line basis. A line density problem can occur if a single BOX command is used to specify a box that is adjoined to another box by a single side. When two BOX commands are issued in this manner, one line of a box is superimposed over another along the adjoined side. Since two lines are drawn between the same pair of coordinates, a line density problem may occur. When to use the BOX command To avoid this situation, use the BOX command only for the following conditions when designing a form: • The box is fully isolated from any other lines. • The line type of a box is different from any other lines that share its boundaries, for example a SOLID 2 box sharing a small portion of a SOLID 1 edge, as shown in figure 4-4. Figure 4-4. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE SOLID 2 box sharing part of a SOLID 1 box edge 4-9 TROUBLESHOOTING Text in boxes When text is entered for placement within a box, the system attempts to determine whether the given text exceeds the largest font size that can fit within the boundaries of the box. If FDL computations indicate that the entered text may not fit within the box, the following error message is displayed: TEXT WILL NOT FIT IN THE BOX The system checks the horizontal and vertical directions of the box. If an error is detected in one or both directions, an attempt is made to indicate an approximate value for the largest font. Locating the closest box When you specify text to be placed in a box, the system locates the closest box within a ten-dot square of the specified point. Example If text is to be placed in a box located two grid units by two grid units from the origin of the form, the system selects the box closest to this point and within ten dots square. The upper left corner of this box becomes the relative origin for subsequent text placement. • If text is to be placed in the next box horizontally, FDL begins searching at the upper right corner of the box in which previous text was placed. • If text is to be placed in the next box vertically, the search begins at the lower left corner. Error calculations Horizontal errors The calculations made for horizontal errors (for example, too many characters in a line) are usually accurate. FDL uses the following formula for reporting horizontal errors: S S P B T Vertical errors = P * (B/T) target point size original font point size width of the box in dots width of the text in dots. The calculation made by FDL for vertical errors (for example too many lines in the box) is a rough approximation of the actual size of text, and the computation may, in fact, be larger than the font for which an error message was displayed. This is because the FDL calculation does not take into account the leading used within the font or provided by line spacing specifications. The following formula is used by the error-handling routine to compute text size when the box is too small in a vertical direction: S S 72 300 D N 4-10 = (72/300) * (D/N) target point size number of points in an inch number of dots in an inch distance between top and bottom of the box (in dots) number of lines that are involved. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE TROUBLESHOOTING Figure 4-5. Measurements used in computing vertical box TEXT IN LINE 1 D TEXT IN LINE 2 N TEXT IN LINE 3 The result of this equation is rounded up and displayed in the error message. Thus, what the error message actually signifies is the largest font that could be accommodated within the box if no leading were involved. Correcting text-in-box errors Centering text in boxes Specifying line spacing within boxes If an error is detected, you have the following choices: • Make the box larger • Reduce the number of lines • Use a smaller font • If text fits visually, use a TEXT AT command rather than a TEXT IN BOX command. FDL uses line spacing as the vertical unit of size in centering text within a box. In a small box, text that may not appear to be properly centered may actually be centered accurately if line spacing is considered. FDL cannot evaluate the aesthetics of the final printed product. Therefore, it is up to you to create an appropriate appearance for centered text. Most often, it is easiest to allow FDL to position text within boxes. In cases where the result is not satisfactory, you can do the following: • Specify an overriding line spacing value. • Exercise more control over text placement and assure satisfying aesthetic requirements with the SPACED AT option, possibly used with blank lines, or the TEXT AT command (that is, specifically positioning text). • If overriding the line spacing does not achieve a satisfactory appearance in a form, specify a line spacing that is smaller than the natural spacing of the font. A line spacing smaller than the height of the characters can be used with blank lines. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE 4-11 TROUBLESHOOTING Text might be spaced at four dots, while the line spacing is really 59 dots. It seems paradoxical to designate that text be spaced at four dots and create a form that actually has 59 dots of spacing. However, you can do this by using blank lines. A small line spacing along with blank lines allows you to get positioning control and forces visual centering of text within a box. aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaa Example The following statements provide an example of how this technique is used ( b represents a blank line). TEXT SPACED AT 4 DOTS IN BOX 10, 10 b b b ‘TEXT LINE 1’ b b b ‘TEXT LINE 2’ b b b As many blank lines may be used before, between, and after lines of text as are needed to obtain the desired visual effect. Shading factors You may sometimes want to use shading in a form, but it requires using a large amount of the form image buffer. Also, the space used increases if portrait rather than landscape shading is used. Landscape shading The basic element used in shading is a 32-by-32-dot character for dots. This character can be repeated in a landscape direction up to 32 times for dots. This means that in a landscape direction, the system can shade any area from 0.1 to 3.4 inches wide with no difference in the space used by the shading. This facility is not available when shading is done in a portrait direction. Portrait shading is performed on a character-bycharacter basis. Portrait shading 4-12 To reduce shading and improve the visual effect of the form, end shading before the boundary line. Separate the shading from the surrounding lines by 0.1 to 0.2 line or character units. This makes the shading 0.2 to 0.4 units smaller than the surrounding box and is centered in that box. (Units referred to are lpi and cpi units.) This sets shading back from the borders by 3 to 5 dots. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE TROUBLESHOOTING Avoiding boundary line density problems Terminating the shading before reaching the boundary line helps to avoid line density problems, conserves space in the form file and in the form image buffer, and enhances the appearance of the form. Figure 4-6. Terminating shading to avoid line density problems Normal shading using the same coordinates and sizes as the box. Early shading termination using a smaller box for shading. Section factors You can create sections to duplicate identical information on a page. However, you should take into account the form image buffer limitations and potential line density problems whenever you use this feature. A form that is made up of many sections often takes up more space in the form image buffer than a form created without sections. This occurs because a single long line requires less buffer space than many short lines. When you create a form by invoking defined sections, there is a tendency to begin and end lines at section boundaries, even when they are continuous through a series of sections. This is a much less efficient way to create forms than by taking the long lines out of the sections and drawing them as continuous lines. A less obvious inefficiency of using the form image buffer may occur when you have a line that switches from solid to dotted and vice versa. The common method of creating this type of line is to draw short segments of solid and dotted lines. This is an inefficient use of the form image buffer even if a SOLID 0 line is drawn first. A SOLID 0 line is useful in saving space in the line tables, but cannot help save buffer space. To save form image buffer space efficiently, draw a continuous dotted line and overlay a series of short, solid line segments. This technique makes best use of the form image buffer space, but does not reduce the load on the imaging section of the system. Refer to the “Scan line density” section in this chapter for more information. In a form where there is a problem with exceeding both form image buffer and line density restrictions, you may have to use logos or a specialty form font. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE 4-13 TROUBLESHOOTING Rounding measurement factors Laser printing systems use only dot units when actually compiling forms. Therefore, as long as all positioning commands within FDL are defined in terms of dots or an integral number of dots, there are no rounding problems. Converting other unit values to dots You can define positions in decimal-value inches, in centimeters, in lines per inch, and in characters per inch. The LPS converts all of these commands to dots while the form is being compiled. Many of the possible defined values (lines per inch, centimeters, and so forth) cannot be reduced to an integral number of dots. For example, if a coordinate system uses 13.6 characters per inch (cpi), that number may be translated to approximately 22.058823 dots per character unit. The compiler rounds the converted number to the nearest whole dot before starting to compile the form. Example The following example illustrates the problems encountered using the 13.6 cpi coordinate system: AT 4 DRAW 1 HOR LINE FROM -1 TO 132 USING SOLID 1; AT 5 DRAW 1 HOR LINE FROM -1 TO 132 USING SOLID HAIRLINE; AT 8 DRAW 15 VER LINES FROM 4 TO 5 USING HAIRLINE AND REPEAT HOR EVERY 8; In theory, this form description technique creates 14 boxes that can be found simply by addressing the appropriate coordinates. In fact, the coordinates of the boxes are not exactly those expected. The boxes can be found by using the IN NEXT BOX parameter of the TEXT IN BOX command. The IN NEXT BOX parameter works properly because it specifies the next adjacent box, but does not specify the coordinates of that box. The problem in addressing coordinates is that the FDL statement requires vertical lines every 176.47058 dots, which is rounded down by the system to 176.00000 dots. This difference makes it impossible for the LPS to find box 14 at the coordinates 4, 112. There are two ways to draw the form to overcome this problem. One way is to draw 13 lines with the REPEAT parameter and then specify lines at 112 and 120. Another way is to change the final statement in the following manner: AT 8 DRAW VER LINE FROM 4 TO 5 USING HAIRLINE AND AT 16, 24, 32, 42, 48, 56, 72, 80, 88, 96, 104, 112, 120; Unless a form is described with a coordinate system of only dots or an integral number of dots, the REPEAT parameter cannot be used to draw boxes that must be referenced by their coordinates. 4-14 XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE TROUBLESHOOTING Rounding variable data Alignment problems Under certain circumstances, a form and variable data do not align properly, even though it appears that both use the same line spacing. This may be the result of the effects of rounding on the line spacing. As an example, construct a form with a grid unit of 13.6 cpi and 9 lpi. Horizontal lines are specified at 0, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31, 34, 37, 40, 43, 46, 49, 52, 55, 58, 61, 64, and 67. The data is printed with an override line spacing of “9.” The natural assumption is that the form and the variable data line up. However, when the variable data is merged with the form, it tends to drift up the page. The reason for this is rounding. Specifying 9 lines per inch for the variable data means that the LPS is requested to place data at approximately 33.333333 dots. The system rounds this number down to 33 dots per line. Meanwhile, in FDL, rounding does not take place until it is time to resolve specifications for the form to a dot address. Note that variable data has a line spacing value that is computed as dots per line, and rounding is done on that value. In FDL, the rounding takes place only when it is needed to resolve to a dot address and, therefore, might involve more than one line at a time. For example, the line drawn at 43 is assigned to scan line 1433 using the following formula: (43 * 300) / 9 = 12900 / 9 = 1433.3333 or 1433 The equivalent line positioning for the variable data is computed with the following method: 43 * (300 / 9) = 43 * 33 = 1419 This yields an error that increases as calculation proceeds down the page. Furthermore, in the example form, if we had drawn lines with a REPEAT EVERY 3 LINES command, the uneven dot value (33.333333 dots per line) would not have been rounded off because rounding would not have been performed until it was time to resolve the specification to a dot address. The dot address for three lines is an even 100 dots. So, the lines for the form would be drawn at exactly 100 dots, and the variable data, on the other hand, would be using a 99-dot spacing. Avoiding imperfect alignment The best way to ensure that a form and variable data share the same coordinate system is to define both in terms of an integral number of dots. It is also important to know when rounding will affect the alignment of the variable data and the form. In the example, the only way to make the form match the lines of data is to set the line spacing for both at 33 dots. If variable data does not line up properly with a form, and it appears that both are using the same line spacing, find out what the dot value is. It is most likely in such cases that the difficulty is a variation in defining the coordinate system resulting from rounding, and is not a software problem. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE 4-15 TROUBLESHOOTING FDL statistics If a form is compiled successfully, the following FDL statistics are displayed on the summary sheet. • • • • Size of the source output file (FSL) Size of the printable form file (FRM) Size of the form image buffer Amount of font memory used by the form. Grid unit scaling Table 4-3 shows grid unit scaling specifications when the grid parameters are omitted or specified. Table 4-3 Grid unit scaling specifications Grid unit specification System response Omitted: default scaling When the system receives the FORM id command, it sets grid scaling to that of FMT1; if it subsequently receives the PORTRAIT command, it sets the scale to that of FMT6. Specified in GRID command Replaces default scaling. Specified in BOX or LINE command (IN unit) Replaces GRID command scaling for that command only (becomes the default scaling). Specified for a parameter Overrides any scaling specified via GRID, BOX, or LINE commands for the parameter only. Examples: GRID 1 INCH; AT 2 CM LINE FROM 3 TO 1500 DOTS; COMMENT EQUIVALENT TO: AT 2 CM LINE FROM 3 INCHES TO 1500 DOTS; AT 2 LINE IN CM FROM 3 INCHES TO 1500 DOTS; COMMENT EQUIVALENT TO: AT 2 CM LINE FROM 3 INCHES TO 1500DOTS; 4-16 XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE A. FDL command syntax summary This appendix contains an alphabetized summary of the Forms Description Language (FDL) commands syntax described in this guide. The conventions and definitions used to describe the commands are shown in table A-1. Table A-1. FDL command syntax conventions Syntax Meaning UPPERCASE BOLD BLUE Required words (keywords*) in the command syntax appear in uppercase bold blue. ... Ellipses indicate that you can repeat a parameter option, or list a series of parameter options. Lowercase black italics Word, character, or phrase, (variable information) in lowercase black italic to be replaced by a value. UPPERCASE BLUE ITALIC Optional required words (keywords) in the command syntax appear in uppercase blue italic. The carat character represents a required space. * XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE Keywords may be abbreviated to the first three characters (except for FMTn). Refer to the “Syntax ambiguities” section in the “Troubleshooting” chapter. A-1 FDL COMMAND SYNTAX SUMMARY Table A-2. FDL command syntax Command Syntax BOX AT y unit x unit DRAW n BOXES IN unit p unit WIDE BY q unit HIGH USING type thickness SHADING density AND REPEAT direction AT ca unit ca unit ... EVERY ci unit; COMMENT COMMENT text; END END; FONT FONTS id; FORM/ RESOLUTION FORM name; FORM name RESOLUTION IS value SPI; GRAPHIC GRAPHIC name AT vpos unit hpos unit SCALE IS n/d; GRID GRID UNIT IS format id ORIGIN y unit x unit; LANDSCAPE/ PORTRAIT orientation PAGE SIZE IS n WIDE BY m HIGH; LINE AT co unit DRAW n direction LINES IN unit FROM cs unit TO ce unit USING type thickness AND REPEAT repeat direction AT ca unit ... EVERY ci unit; LOGO LOGO id AT y unit x unit; PAPER PAPER SIZE IS value; SECTION BEGIN SECTION id; or DO SECTION id AT y unit x unit; or END SECTION id; TEXT AT direction TEXT SPACED d units PER LINE ALIGNED alignment USING FONT n AT y unit x unit ‘text’ ‘text’ ...; TEXT IN BOX direction TEXT SPACED d units PER LINE ALIGNED alignment USING FONT n IN position BOX y unit x unit ‘text’ ‘text’ ... IN NEXT direction BOX ‘text’ ‘text’ ...; Reference Refer to the “Forms Description Language” chapter for a detailed explanation of each command syntax. Compiling commands syntax To invoke the forms compiler, enter the following command at the LPS keyboard. The entire command must fit on one line. FDL filename NOPRINT TRAY DEBUG XPAN NOSOURCE PROOF SIMPLEX RES=value To print a stored form, enter the following: SAMPLE filename.FRM Reference A-2 Refer to the “Compiling and printing forms” chapter for more information on compiling commands. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE B. System default summary This appendix lists the default parameters that the system automatically substitutes when specifications are omitted in FDL commands. Grid unit dimensions are rounded to the nearest tenth. The grid and origin substitutions made when printing on 8.5 by 11 inch/216 by 279 mm paper are shown in table B-1. Table B-1. Grid and origin substitutions for 8.5 by 11 inch/216 by 279 mm paper Specification Substitution FMT1 LANDSCAPE; GRID UNIT IS 13.6 CPI, 8.1 LPI, ORIGIN 0.18 INCH, 0.66 INCH; FMT2 LANDSCAPE; GRID UNIT IS 15 CPI, 8.1 LPI, ORIGIN 0.18 INCH, 0.50 INCH; FMT3 LANDSCAPE; GRID UNIT IS 13.6 CPI, 10.7 LPI, ORIGIN 0.14 INCH, 0.66 INCH; FMT4 LANDSCAPE; GRID UNIT IS 15 CPI, 10.7 LPI, ORIGIN 0.14 INCH, 0.50 INCH; FMT5 LANDSCAPE; GRID UNIT IS 10 CPI, 6 LPI, ORIGIN 0.17 INCH, 0.50 INCH; FMT6 PORTRAIT; GRID UNIT IS 13.6 CPI, 8.1 LPI, ORIGIN 0.57 INCH, 0.58 INCH; FMT7 PORTRAIT; GRID UNIT IS 12 CPI, 6 LPI, ORIGIN 0.50 INCH, 0.50 INCH; FMT8 PORTRAIT; GRID UNIT IS 10 CPI, 6 LPI, ORIGIN 0.50 INCH, 0.50 INCH; FMT9 LANDSCAPE; GRID UNIT IS 20 CPI, 10 LPI, ORIGIN 0.25 INCH, 0.25 INCH; FMT10 PORTRAIT; GRID UNIT IS 17.6 CPI, 12.5 LPI, ORIGIN 0.22 INCH, 0.51 INCH; FMT11 PORTRAIT; GRID UNIT IS 20 CPI, 12.5 LPI, ORIGIN 0.57 INCH, 0.39 INCH; XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE B-1 SYSTEM DEFAULT SUMMARY The grid and origin substitutions made when printing on 8.5 by 14-inch/216 by 356 mm paper are shown in table B-2. Table B-2. Grid and origin substitutions for 8.5 by 14 inch/216 by 356 mm paper Specification Substitution FMT12 LANDSCAPE; GRID UNIT IS 13.6 CPI, 8.1 LPI, ORIGIN 0.18 INCH, 0.66 INCH; FMT13 PORTRAIT; GRID UNIT IS 13.6 CPI, 8.1 LPI, ORIGIN 0.57 INCH, 0.58 INCH; The grid and origin substitutions made when printing on 8.27 by 11.69 inch/A4 paper are shown in table B-3. Table B-3. B-2 Grid and origin substitutions for 8.27 by 11.69 inch/A4 paper Specification Substitution FMT1A LANDSCAPE; GRID UNIT IS 12.5 CPI, 8.3 LPI, ORIGIN 0.46, 1.45 CM; (0.18, 0.57 INCH) FMT2A LANDSCAPE; GRID UNIT IS 14.3 CPI, 8.3 LPI, ORIGIN 0.46, 1.53 CM; (0.18, 0.60 INCH) FMT3A LANDSCAPE; GRID UNIT IS 12.5 CPI, 11.1 LPI, ORIGIN 0.46, 1.45 CM; (0.18, 0.57 INCH) FMT4A LANDSCAPE; GRID UNIT IS 14.3 CPI, 11.1 LPI, ORIGIN 0.46, 1.53 CM; (0.18, 0.60 INCH) FMT5A LANDSCAPE; GRID UNIT IS 10 CPI, 6 LPI, ORIGIN 0.56, 2.16 CM; (0.22, 0.85 INCH) FMT6A PORTRAIT; GRID UNIT IS 13.6 CPI, 8.1 LPI, ORIGIN 2.32, 1.17 CM; (0.91, 0.46 INCH) FMT7A PORTRAIT; GRID UNIT IS 12 CPI, 6 LPI, ORIGIN 2.16, 1.00 CM; (0.85, 0.39 INCH) FMT8A PORTRAIT; GRID UNIT IS 10 CPI, 6 LPI, ORIGIN 2.16, 1.00 CM; (0.85, 0.39 INCH) FMT9A LANDSCAPE; GRID UNIT IS 20 CPI, 10 LPI, ORIGIN 0.36, 2.16 CM; (0.14, 0.85 INCH) FMT10A PORTRAIT; GRID UNIT IS 17.6 CPI, 12.5 LPI, ORIGIN 1.45, 1.00 CM; (0.57, 0.39 INCH) FMT11A PORTRAIT; GRID UNIT IS 20 CPI, 12.5 LPI, ORIGIN 1.44, 1.00 CM; (0.57, 0.39 INCH) XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE SYSTEM DEFAULT SUMMARY Substitutions made for all paper sizes are shown in table B-4. Table B-4. Grid and origin substitutions for all paper sizes Specification Substitution FORM id; FORM id; GRID FMT1; FORM id; PORTRAIT; FORM id; PORTRAIT; GRID FMT6; Page orientation not specified Landscape PAPER SIZE not specified Sysgen-specified paper size is assumed PAPER SIZE not specified Virtual page size is set to sysgen-specified paper size Explicit GRID UNIT measurement is specified, and ORIGIN is not specified Form origin is set to virtual page origin GRID format-id is specified, and ORIGIN is not specified Form origin is set to specified format-id BEGIN values No GRID UNIT or format-id is specified, and ORIGIN is specified Grid unit dimensions are set by FMT1 (landscape) or FMT6 (portrait) No GRID command is specified Grid unit dimensions and form origin are set by FMT1 (landscape) or FMT6 (portrait) No unit specified in the ORIGIN parameter of the GRID command or the PAGE SIZE parameter of the LANDSCAPE or PORTRAIT command Inches No line direction Horizontal and repeat vertically No line/box thickness SOLID 1 No direction for box repeat Repeat box horizontally No text direction Horizontal text No box text alignment Aligned centered in the box No font index specified in the TEXT command Current font in use Unit not specified in the SPACED parameter of the TEXT command Dots No units specified in the LOGO command Grid unit XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE B-3 C. Sample form creation This appendix reviews the commands discussed earlier in this guide, and illustrates a sample form along with the entire Forms Source Library (FSL) that created it. Practice entering the Forms Description Language (FDL) commands that instruct the LPS to produce a sample form accurately. Refer to the command definitions discussed earlier in this guide as needed. Enter the commands as shown in the sample FSL to produce the form. You must be familiar with the LPS Editor utility or the editor at your host. The sample form that you create is shown in figure C-1, in reduced size; your form will be actual size. Figure C-1. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE Earnings register C-1 SAMPLE FORM CREATION Writing the setup commands Recall that the setup commands precede the form description commands for lines, boxes, and text. In general, the setup commands specify the parameters which describe the form. Invoke the Editor utility and enter the commands shown in figure C-2. Figure C-2. Setup commands FORM 1STFRM; GRID FMT1; FONTS UN114A,UN106A,UN104C; Notice that the PORTRAIT or LANDSCAPE command and the PAPER command are omitted. These commands are optional, and, when omitted, the system uses the default values. Using the COMMENT command Comments enable you to include messages or reminders in your source statement that help you organize your FDL commands logically. These comments are not printed on the form but can be useful if you or someone else modifies the form later. If the semicolon is omitted, the forms compiler cannot determine where the comment ends and may treat commands as comments. Enter the COMMENT shown in figure C-3. The comment indicates that horizontal lines are coded next. Figure C-3. COMMENT command COMMENT *** DRAW HORIZONTAL LINES ***; C-2 XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE SAMPLE FORM CREATION Drawing lines LINE commands are used to construct horizontal and vertical lines which, in turn, are used to construct boxes. Drawing horizontal lines Enter the horizontal line commands shown in figure C-4. You have the option of abbreviating the commands to the first three characters. Figure C-4. HORIZONTAL LINE command COMMENT *** DRAW HORIZONTAL LINES ***; AT 7 DRAW 18 LINES FROM 0 TO 132 USING HAI AND REPEAT EVE 3; AT 8 DRAW 18 LINES FROM 0 TO 24 USI HAI AND REPEAT EVE 3; AT 9 DRAW 18 LINES FROM 0 TO 24 USING HAI AND REPEAT EVE 3; Drawing vertical lines Insert another COMMENT to indicate that vertical lines are to be coded next, then enter the vertical line commands shown in figure C-5. Figure C-5. VERTICAL LINE command COMMENT *** DRAW VERTICAL LINES ***; AT 24 DRAW VER LINE FROM 5 TO 61 USING HAI; AT 32 DRAW 11 VER LINE FROM 5 TO 61 USING HAI AND REPEAT EVE 10; AT 29 DRAW VER LINE FROM 10 TO 61 USI BRO HAI; AT 38 DRAW 10 VER LINE FROM 10 TO 61 USI BRO HAI AND REPEAT EVE 10; AT 8 DRAW 18 VER LINE FROM 8 TO 9 USI HAI AND REPEAT VER EVE 3; AT 19 DRAW 18 VER LINE FROM 8 TO 9 USI HAI AND REPEAT VER EVE 3; XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE C-3 SAMPLE FORM CREATION Drawing boxes Use the BOX command to construct individual, standalone boxes or boxes that share common sides. You can also create a shaded area or construct an invisible box to place “floating” text such as titles conveniently. Enter the following COMMENT and BOX command, as shown in figure C-6. Figure C-6. BOX command COMMENT *** DRAW BOXES ***; AT 2,2 DRAW BOX 35 WIDE BY 2 HIGH USI HAIRLINE; AT 2,82 DRAW BOX 50 WIDE BY 2 HIGH USI HAI; AT 5,0 DRAW BOX 132 WIDE BY 56 HIGH USI HAI; AT 5.1,0 BOX 132 WIDE BY 1.8 HIGH USI SHADING; AT 10.1,0 DRAW 9 BOXES 132 WIDE BY 2.8 HIGH USI SOL HAI INK 'BLUE' AND FILL USING INK 'XEROX.PICTORIAL.PALE BLUE' AND REPEAT VER EVE 6; Placing text at a location Use the TEXT AT command to place text at an exact location. Enter the COMMENT and TEXT AT command, as shown in figure C-7. Figure C-7. TEXT AT command COMMENT *** TEXT AT COMMAND ***; TEXT USING FONT 2 AT 2,2.5 'COMP.'; TEXT USING FONT 2 AT 2,11 'BR.'; TEXT USING FONT 2 AT 2,14 'DEPT.'; TEXT USING FONT 2 AT 2,22 'DATE'; TEXT USING FONT 2 AT 2,30 'PP'; TEXT USING FONT 2 AT 2,34 'PAGE'; TEXT USING FONT 1 INK 'BLUE' AT 3,47 'EARNINGS REGISTER'; TEXT USING FONT 2 AT 61,0 '7860-143-1'; VER TEXT USING FONT 3 AT 66,-5 'F8662'; C-4 XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE SAMPLE FORM CREATION Placing text in a box The TEXT IN BOX command allows you to place text at a particular location within a box that was previously described. Enter the COMMENT and TEXT IN BOX commands, as shown in figure C-8. Figure C-8. TEXT IN BOX command COMMENT *** TEXT IN BOX COMMANDS ***; TEXT USI FONT 2 IN BOX 5.1,24 'THIS PAY' BOX 'REGULAR' BOX 'OVERTIME'; TEXT USI FONT 2 IN BOX 7,0 'NAME' BOX 'GROSS' 'ADJ. NET' 'NET PAY' BOX 'UNITS-UNITS YTD' 'CURRENT AMT.' 'YTD AMOUNT' BOX 'UNITS-UNITS YTD' 'CURRENT AMT.' 'YTD AMOUNT' BOX 'UNITS-UNITS YTD' 'CURRENT AMT.' 'YTD AMOUNT' BOX BOX BOX BOX 'UNITS-UNITS 'UNITS-UNITS 'UNITS-UNITS 'UNITS-UNITS YTD' YTD' YTD' YTD' 'CURRENT 'CURRENT 'CURRENT 'CURRENT AMT.' AMT.' AMT.' AMT.' 'YTD 'YTD 'YTD 'YTD AMOUNT' AMOUNT' AMOUNT' AMOUNT' BOX 'UNITS-UNITS YTD' 'CURRENT AMT.' 'YTD AMOUNT' BOX 'UNITS-UNITS YTD' 'CURRENT AMT.' 'YTD AMOUNT' BOX 'UNITS-UNITS YTD' 'CURRENT AMT.' 'YTD AMOUNT'; TEXT USI FONT 2 IN BOX 8,19 'EMP.##'; TEXT USING FONT 2 IN LEFT CENTER BOX 9,0 'SAL/RATE'; TEXT USING FONT 2 IN BOX 9,0 'GROSS YTD'; Using the END command The END command is the final command. Enter END; and you are done! Figure C-9. END command END; XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE C-5 SAMPLE FORM CREATION Compiling the form This exercise gives you practice using most of the FDL commands discussed throughout this guide. The next step is to compile the .FSL which produces a sample of the form, provided there are no syntax errors. The summary statement also prints any errors. After you have entered the END command, SAVE, CLEAR, and END the editing session, as shown in figure C-10. Figure C-10. SAVE, CLEAR, and END commands END; SAVE 1STFRM.FSL CE FDL 1STFRM,TRA CE is an abbreviation for CLEAR and END. Do not be surprised if you inadvertently omit a semicolon or misspell a word. The system indicates where the error occurred and you can easily go back into the form and correct the error. If there are errors, at the OS1000 READY FOR the LPS user interface, enter the following: COMMANDS message on EDIT 1STFRM.FSL The .FSL file is displayed. When you identify where the error occurred, modify that record, then SAVE, CLEAR, and END the editing session. Since this FSL already exists, use the abbreviated method to SAVE, CLEAR, and END (SCE), as shown in figure C11. Figure C-11. SAVE, CLEAR, and END (SCE) commands END; SCE FDL 1STFRM,TRA When the form compiles error-free, your form prints successfully. Figure C-12 illustrates the complete .FSL. C-6 XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE SAMPLE FORM CREATION Figure C-12. FDL VERSION B03 13:13 DISK-ID: VX.7 ARIEL 30-APR-XX R9.7 PAGE REL #5 Source statement (1STFRM.FSL) 1 XX/XX/XX 1 2 FORM 1STFRM; GRID FMT1; 000010 000020 3 4 5 FONTS UN114A,UN106A,UN104C; COMMENT ***DRAW HOR LINES***; AT 7 DRAW 18 LINES FROM 0 TO 132 USING HAI AND REPEAT EVE 3; AT 8 DRAW 18 LINES FROM 0 TO 24 USING HAI AND REPEAT EVE 3; 000030 000040 000050 6 8 9 AT 9 DRAW 18 LINES FROM 0 TO 24 USING HAI AND REPEAT EVE 3; COMMENT *** DRAW VERTICAL LINES *** AT 24 DRAW VER LINE FROM 5 TO 61 USING HAI 000060 000080 000090 10 AT 32 DRAW 11 VER LINE FROM 5 TO 61 USING HAI AND REPEAT EVE 10; 11 AT 29 DRAW VER LINE FROM 10 TO 61 USING BRO HAI; 12 AT 38 DRAW 10 VER LINE FROM 10 TO 61 USI BRO HAI AND REPEAT EVE 10; 000100 000110 000120 13 AT 8 DRAW 18 VER LINE FROM 8 TO 9 USI HAI AND REPEAT VER EVE 3; 14 AT 19 DRAW 18 VER LINE FROM 8 TO 9 USI HAI AND REPEAT VER EVE 3; 15 COMMENT ***DRAW BOXES ***; 000130 000140 000150 16 17 18 19 000160 000170 000180 000190 AT AT AT AT 2,2 DRAW BOX 35 WIDE BY 2 HIGH USI HAIRLINE; 2,82 DRAW BOX 50 WIDE BY 2 HIGH USI HAI; 5,0 DRAW BOX 132 WIDE BY 56 HIGH USI HAI; 5.1,0 BOX 132 WIDE BY 1.8 HIGH USI SHADING; 20 AT 10.1,0 DRAW 9 BOXES 132 WIDE BY 2.8 HIGH USI SOL HAI 21 INK 'BLUE' AND FILL USING INK 'XEROX.PICTORIAL.PALE BLUE' 22 AND REPEAT VER EVE 6; 000200 000210 000220 23 COMMENT *** TEXT AT COMMAND ***; 24 TEXT USING FONT 2 AT 2,2.5 'COMP.'; 25 TEXT USING FONT 2 AT 2,11 'BR.'; 000230 000240 000250 26 TEXT USING FONT 2 AT 2,14 'DEPT.'; 27 TEXT USING FONT 2 AT 2,22 'DATE'; 28 TEXT USING FONT 2 AT 2,30 'PP'; 000260 000270 000280 29 TEXT USING FONT 2 AT 2,34 'PAGE'; 30 TEXT USING FONT 1 INK 'BLUE' AT 3,47 'EARNINGS REGISTER'; 31 TEXT USING FONT 2 AT 61,0 '7860-143-1'; 000290 000300 000310 32 VER TEXT USING FONT 3 AT 66,-5 'F8662'; 33 COMMENT *** TEXT IN BOX COMMANDS ***; 34 TEXT USI FONT 2 IN BOX 5.1,24 'THIS PAY' BOX 'REGULAR' BOX 'OVERTIME'; 000320 000330 000340 35 TEXT USI FONT 2 IN BOX 7,0 'NAME' 36 BOX 'GROSS' 'ADJ. NET' 'NET PAY' 37 BOX 'UNITS-UNITS YTD' 'CURRENT AMT.' 'YTD AMOUNT' 000350 000360 000370 38 39 40 BOX 'UNITS-UNITS YTD' 'CURRENT AMT.' 'YTD AMOUNT' BOX 'UNITS-UNITS YTD' 'CURRENT AMT.' 'YTD AMOUNT' BOX 'UNITS-UNITS YTD' 'CURRENT AMT.' 'YTD AMOUNT' 000380 000390 000400 41 42 43 BOX 'UNITS-UNITS YTD' 'CURRENT AMT.' 'YTD AMOUNT' BOX 'UNITS-UNITS YTD' 'CURRENT AMT.' 'YTD AMOUNT' BOX 'UNITS-UNITS YTD' 'CURRENT AMT.' 'YTD AMOUNT' 000410 000420 000430 44 45 46 BOX 'UNITS-UNITS YTD' 'CURRENT AMT.' 'YTD AMOUNT' BOX 'UNITS-UNITS YTD' 'CURRENT AMT.' 'YTD AMOUNT' BOX 'UNITS-UNITS YTD' 'CURRENT AMT.' 'YTD AMOUNT'; 000440 000450 000460 47 TEXT USING FONT 2 IN BOX 8,19 'EMP.##'; 48 TEXT USING FONT 2 IN LEFT CENTER BOX 9,0 'SAL/RATE'; 49 TEXT USING FONT 2 IN BOX 9,0 'GROSS YTD'; 000470 000480 000490 50 END; 000500 XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE C-7 D. FDL capacity limits The available memory space imposes the following maximums for use, as shown in table D-1: Table D-1. Capacity limits Item Maximum Text Buffer capacity: Lines per TEXT statement: 512 bytes 64 Space allocation TEXT AT command: TEXT IN BOX command: 16 bytes + S1 + S2 . . . Sn 18 bytes + S1 + S2 . . . Sn (1st box) 6 bytes + S1 + S2 . . . Sn (second and all succeeding boxes) . . .where n bytes S is fixed overhead. is number of characters > 2 in a text string, rounded to a multiple of two. Sections Definitions: Invocations: 8 per form No limit Lines Horizontal: Vertical: 2000 2000 Fonts and logos 84 This number may vary, depending on memory capacity and use; however, you cannot exceed 84 fonts and logos. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE D-1 E. Standard print formats Predefined print formats that provide commonly used impact printer conversion formats for use with specific page sizes and orientations are provided on the Operating System Software (OSS). Table E-1. Standard LPS print formats Format ID No. of lines No. of columns lpi cpi Point size1 Page size and orientation2 BEGIN values (y,x) Default font ID FMT1 FMT2 FMT3 FMT4 FMT5 FMT6 FMT7 FMT8 FMT9 FMT10 FMT11 FMT12 FMT13 66 66 88 88 49 80 60 60 80 132 132 66 104 132 150 132 150 100 100 90 75 200 132 150 172 100 8.1 8.1 10.7 10.7 6 8.1 6 6 10.0 12.5 12.5 8.1 8.1 13.6 15 13.6 15 10 13.6 12 10 20.0 17.6 20 13.6 13.6 9 9 7 7 12 9 12 12 7 6 6 9 9 11 x 8.5 in. 11 x 8.5 in. 11 x 8.5 in. 11 x 8.5 in. 11 x 8.5 in. 8.5 x 11 in. 8.5 x 11 in. 8.5 x 11 in. 11 x 8.5 in. 8.5 x 11 in. 8.5 x 11 in. 14 x 8.5 in. 8.5 x 14 in. (.18,.66) (.18,.50) (.14,.66) (.14,.50) (.17,.50) (.57,.58) (.50,.50) (.50,.50) (.25,.25) (.22,.51) (.22,.50) (.18,.66) (.57,.58) L0112B L0212A L0312A L0412A L0512A P0612A P07TYA P0812A L0912A P1012A P1112A L0112B P0612A 66 66 88 88 48 80 60 60 80 132 132 132 150 132 150 100 100 90 75 200 132 150 8.3 8.3 11.1 11.1 6 8.1 6 6 10.0 12.5 12.5 12.5 14.3 12.5 14.3 10 13.6 12 10 20.0 17.6 20.0 9 9 7 7 12 9 12 12 7 6 6 297 x 210 mm 297 x 210 mm 297 x 210 mm 297 x 210 mm 297 x 210 mm 210 x 297 mm 210 x 297 mm 210 x 297 mm 297 x 210 mm 210 x 297 mm 210 x 297 mm (.18,.57) (.18,.60) (.18,.57) (.18,.60) (.22,.85) (.91,.46) (.85,.39) (.85,.39) (.14,.85) (.57,.39) (.57,.39) R112BL R212BL R312BL R412BL R512BL R612BL R7TIBP R812BP R912BL RA12BP RB12BP A4 formats FMT1A FMT2A FMT3A FMT4A FMT5A FMT6A FMT7A FMT8A FMT9A FMT10A FMT11A 1 Point size is approximate. dimension given is the horizontal dimension. Therefore, 11 by 8.5 inches is landscape orientation, while 8.5 by 11 inches is portrait orientation. For A4 paper, 297 by 210 mm is landscape, and 210 by 297 mm is portrait orientation. 2 First XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE E-1 F. Support tools and measurements There are two separate functions of form creation: forms design and forms description. Any form can be converted to an electronic form stored on the system by describing it in Forms Description Language (FDL). Forms design involves laying out and measuring a form and is only a peripheral concern of this guide. A forms design ruler is provided for the forms designer. Forms design ruler The forms design ruler is used for the following: • • Measuring character and line spacings Converting forms from one type of paper to another. The ruler has eight scales, four on the front and four on the back, as shown in table F-1. Table F-1. Standard formats and spacings Side 1 Formats/spacing Scale 1–10/inch Standard computer output character spacing; can also be used for measuring inches, graduated in tenths. Scale 2–6/inch Standard computer output line spacing (6 lpi). Scale 3–8/inch Standard computer output line spacing (8 lpi). Scale 4–12/inch Can be used for 12 cpi or 12 lpi. Side 2 Formats/spacing Scale 5–13.6/inch Default character spacing on Xerox laser printing systems. Scale 6–8.1/inch Default line spacing on Xerox laser printing systems (66 lines per landscape page). Scale 7–10.7/inch Line spacing on Xerox laser printing systems (88 lines per landscape page). Scale 8–15/inch Can be used for 15 cpi or 15 lpi. The scales can be used for either character spacing or line spacing. For example, scale 1 can be used for either 10 characters per inch (cpi) or 10 lines per inch (lpi). XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE F-1 SUPPORT TOOLS AND MEASUREMENTS F-2 Side 1 Side 1 of the ruler is typically used for measuring impact-printed computer output reports in which the spacing is 10 cpi (scale 1) and either 6 lpi (scale 2) or 8 lpi (scale 3). Side 2 Side 2 should be used for measuring laser printing systems output. Default spacing The default spacings on the system are 13.6 cpi (scale 5) and 8.1 lpi (scale 6); they were chosen for optimal readability for the standard computer format of 132 columns by 66 lines. Reference Refer to the “Standard print formats” appendix for a complete list of standard formats and spacings. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE G. Command examples The examples presented in this appendix illustrate the functions of the FDL commands. Use these examples together with the command information in the “Forms Description Language” chapter. GRID examples The following examples illustrate how virtual page and form origins are determined. Reference Refer to the “Grids” section in the “Basic concepts” chapter and the “GRID” section in the “Forms Description Language” chapter for more information. Example 1 LANDSCAPE; GRID [UNIT] [IS] FMT3; In this example, page size is not specified, and the virtual page defaults to paper size. FMT3 in the GRID command provides the grid size and form origin (which is offset from the virtual page origin). Form results with grid specified, but no page size or origin aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa Figure G-1. aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaa Virtual page origin Virtual page (defaults to paper size) Example 2 aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa Form origin (set by FMT3) Grid unit dimensions (set by FMT3) LANDSCAPE; GRID ([UNITS] [IS] FMT1 ORIGIN [IS] 1 INCH 1 INCH; In this example, the ORIGIN parameter in the GRID command specifies a form origin that is offset from the virtual page origin by one inch vertically and one inch horizontally. Grid unit dimensions are set by FMT1. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE G-1 aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa Virtual page (defaults to paper size) Example 3 Figure G-3. Example 4 G-2 1" aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa 1" aaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa Figure G-2. aaaaaa aaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaa COMMAND EXAMPLES Form results with origin offset one inch from virtual page origin Virtual page origin Form origin (offset from virtual page origin by grid origin) Grid unit dimensions (set by FMT3) LANDSCAPE PAGE SIZE IS 3 INCH 3 INCH; In this example, the landscape-oriented virtual page is centered on the paper in accordance with the parameters in the LANDSCAPE PAGE SIZE command. Grid size and form origin default to FMT1. Form results with page size specified, but no origin or grid Grid Unit size (set by FMT1) Virtual page origin Form origin (defaults to FMT1) 3" Virtual page centered on paper 3" LANDSCAPE PAGE SIZE IS 3 INCH 3 INCH; GRID [UNIT] [IS] 1 CM; In this example, explicit grid unit dimensions are set by the GRID command, and no ORIGIN parameter or predefined format is specified. This causes the form origin to coincide with the virtual page origin. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE COMMAND EXAMPLES Form results with grid specified, but no origin or format aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaa Figure G-4. aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa Grid unit size (1 cm square) aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa Virtual page origin and form origin 3" Virtual page centered on paper 3" Example 5 LANDSCAPE PAGE SIZE IS 3 INCH 3 INCH; GRID [UNIT] [IS] FMT3; In this example, FMT3 provides both the grid unit dimensions and the form origin. Form results with grid and page size specified aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa Figure G-5. aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa Grid unit size (set by FMT3) aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaa Virtual page origin Form origin (set by FMT3) aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa 3" Virtual page centered on paper 3" Example 6 LANDSCAPE PAGE SIZE IS 3 INCH 3 INCH; GRID [UNIT] [IS] FMT1 ORIGIN IS 1 INCH 1 INCH; In this example, the location of the virtual page origin is determined by the PAGE SIZE command. The form origin is offset from the virtual page origin by one inch vertically and one inch horizontally. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE G-3 COMMAND EXAMPLES Form results with grid, origin, and page size specified aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaa Figure G-6. aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa Grid unit size (set by FMT1) aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Virtual page origin Form origin (offset from virtual page origin by grid origin) 1" aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa 3" 1" Virtual page centered on paper 3" LINE examples Example 1 AT 3 DRAW LINE FROM 4 TO 10; AT 3 Keyword AT and the location down the page at which the line will be placed. DRAW Keyword DRAW. LINE Keyword LINE or LINES. (When the number of lines is omitted, one solid line at the default is assumed.) FROM 4 TO 10 Keyword FROM and the coordinates indicating the beginning and end of the lines. This command specifies the drawing of a horizontal line three grid units down from the form origin, starting four grid units to the right of the form origin and ending 10 grid units to the right of the form origin. Figure G-7. G-4 Drawing a horizontal line (rows and columns) XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE COMMAND EXAMPLES Example 2 AT 3.5 DRAW LINE IN INCHES FROM 4 TO 10; This command specifies the drawing of a horizontal line 3.5 inches down from the form origin, beginning four inches to the right of the form origin and ending 10 inches to the right of the form origin. Figure G-8. Example 3 Drawing a horizontal line (inches) AT 2 DRAW 5 VERTICAL LINES FROM 5 TO 10 AND REPEAT EVERY 2; This command specifies the drawing of five vertical lines. The first line begins two horizontal grid units to the right of the form origin and five grid units down from the form origin, and ends ten grid units down from the form origin. This line is repeated every two horizontal grid unit intervals. Figure G-9. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE Drawing parallel vertical lines G-5 COMMAND EXAMPLES Example 4 AT 4 DRAW 5 LINES FROM 2 TO 4 AND REPEAT HORIZONTALLY EVERY 4; This command specifies five short lines to be drawn, each two grid units long, with each starting point spaced four grid units apart and separated two grid units from the end of the preceding line. Figure G-10. Drawing repeated horizontal lines BOX examples Example 1 AT 4, 6 BOX 14 WIDE BY 4 HIGH; This command specifies a box 14 grid units wide and four grid units high, with the upper left corner four grid units down from the form origin and six grid units to the right of the form origin. Figure G-11. G-6 Drawing a box XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE COMMAND EXAMPLES Example 2 AT .5,0 DRAW 4 BOXES IN INCHES 5 WIDE BY .5 HIGH USING SHADING AND REPEAT VERTICALLY EVERY 2; This command specifies four 5-inch wide, .5-inch high bars placed with the top edges at .5 inches, 2.5 inches, 4.5 inches, and 6.5 inches. Figure G-12. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE Drawing boxes G-7 COMMAND EXAMPLES TEXT AT examples Figure G-13 gives the command syntax for and demonstrates aligned text. Figure G-13. Aligned text Left-aligned1 Right-aligned Center-aligned2 TEXT ALIGNED LEFT AT 5,1 'FIRST' 'NATIONAL' 'TRUST' 'CO'; TEXT ALIGNED RIGHT AT 5,1 'FIRST' 'NATIONAL' 'TRUST' 'CO'; TEXT AT 5,1 'FIRST' 'NATIONAL' 'TRUST' 'CO'; FIRST NATIONAL TRUST CO FIRST NATIONAL TRUST CO FIRST NATIONAL TRUST CO Vertical-aligned3 Top-aligned Bottom-aligned VERTICAL TEXT AT 5,1 'FIRST' 'NATIONAL' 'TRUST' 'CO'; VERTICAL TEXT ALIGNED TOP AT 5,1 'FIRST' 'NATIONAL' 'TRUST' 'CO'; VERTICAL TEXT ALIGNED BOTTOM AT 5,1 'FIRST' 'NATIONAL' 'TRUST' 'CO'; Proportional font Fixed font F I R S T N A T I O N A L T C R O U S T F I R S T N A T I O N A L T R U S C T O 1 This command produces stacked, left-aligned output beginning five grid units down from the form origin and one grid unit to the right of the form origin, as follows. 2 To center the stacked words (the default option), an alignment need not be specified. Horizontal printing is the default. If vertical printing is desired, it must be specified. 3 Centering is automatic. Notice how the fixed font gives a more uniform appearance. G-8 XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE COMMAND EXAMPLES Figure G-14. Character block orientations for portrait and landscape pages This character indicates the positioning origin of the text block. If the font and page have the same orientation, letters appear upright. They appear sideways or upside down if orientations differ. Text is aligned horizontally or vertically relative to page orientation, not relative to the font. Portrait and inverse portrait fonts may be used with landscape page orientation (for example, to insert labels or captions). Likewise, landscape and inverse landscape fonts may be used with portrait page orientation. Portrait, landscape, inverse portrait, and inverse landscape fonts are listed in the Xerox Laser Printing Systems Standard Font Library Font User Guide. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE G-9 COMMAND EXAMPLES TEXT IN BOX examples The following examples give the command syntax and demonstrate the nine positions in a box where text can be placed. Figure G-15. Text positions Top positions TEXT ALIGNED LEFT FONT 1 IN TOP LEFT BOX 10,20 'PART NUMBER'; TOP LEFT TEXT ALIGNED CENTER FONT 2 IN TOP CENTER BOX 10,10 'PART NUMBER’; TOP CENTER TEXT ALIGNED RIGHT FONT 3 IN TOP RIGHT BOX 5,5 'PART NUMBER'; TOP RIGHT Center positions TEXT ALIGNED LEFT FONT 3 IN LEFT CENTER BOX 35,5 'PART NUMBER'; LEFT CENTER TEXT FONT 1 IN CENTER CENTER BOX 12,5 'PART NUMBER'; CENTER CENTER TEXT ALIGNED RIGHT FONT 1 IN RIGHT CENTER BOX 32,3 'PART NUMBER'; RIGHT CENTER Bottom positions TEXT ALIGNED LEFT FONT 1 IN BOTTOM LEFT BOX 20,10 'PART NUMBER'; BOTTOM LEFT G-10 TEXT ALIGNED CENTER FONT 3 IN BOTTOM CENTER BOX 40,10 'PART NUMBER'; BOTTOM CENTER TEXT ALIGNED RIGHT FONT 1 IN BOTTOM RIGHT BOX 10,40 'PART NUMBER'; BOTTOM RIGHT XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE Glossary batch A3 International paper size measuring 297 by 420 mm or 11.69 by 16.54 inches. A4 International paper size measuring 210 by 297 mm or 8.27 by 11.69 inches. B4 International paper size measuring 250 by 353 mm or 9.84 by 13.9 inches. processing BCD bitmap Process that allows for repetitive operations to be performed sequentially on batched data without much involvement from the computer operator. Binary coded decimal. Visual representation of graphic images in which a bit defines a picture element (pixel) and a matrix of bits defines an image. For example, if a bit is 1, the corresponding pixel is printed. blocking Process of combining two or more records into a single block of data which can moved, operated upon, stored, and so on, as a single unit by the computer. block length Number of characters or bytes contained in a block of data (the block is treated as a unit within the computer). Block length is usually invariable within a system and may be specified in units such as records, words, computer words, or characters. BOF Bottom of form. BOT Beginning of tape. bpi CCID character set cluster Bits per inch. Character Code Identifier. Code associated with the universal identifier “Xerox” to indicate the version of the Xerox character code standard used to code Interpress strings. Set of all characters defined in a font, including alphabet, numeric, and special characters such as symbols. Group of related feeder trays, usually containing the same size and type of paper (stock). Each cluster has a name, consisting of one to six alphanumeric characters. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE GLOSSARY-1 GLOSSARY CME compiler Copy Modification Entry copy-sensitive cpi See CME. Job in which multiple copies of a report contain different data, such as paychecks and banking statements. Characters per inch. Value assigned to a field by the system if no input is received from the operator. You can change the default value of a field. DJDE Dynamic Job Descriptor Entry. Command within an input data stream used to modify the printing environment dynamically. dot Picture element (pixel) imaged by a printer. The number of dots imaged per inch measures printer resolution, for example, 300 dots per mich (dpi). See also spot. dpi Dots per inch. Indicates the number of dots per inch displayed on a terminal screen or printed to form a character or graphic. dry ink Minute particles of resin and carbon black that can accept an electrical charge and create images. Resin and carbon black or color pigment toner are combined with developer to form the dry ink. duplex 1. Ability of a data communications system to send and receive information simultaneously. 2. In printing, duplex means printing on both sides of the paper. edgemarking blanks ENET EOT Ethernet GLOSSARY-2 Software that translates instructions written in high-level language into machine language for execution by a system. default Dynamic Job Descriptor Entry embedded Entry modifying the output printing characteristics of a report on a copy-to-copy basis. See DJDE. Use of graphic objects (usually lines or boxes) that bleed off the edge of the physical page. See also physical page. Blank spaces within a command line. Ethernet network. End of tape. Xerox local area network (LAN) that allows transmission of data by cable from one device to another. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE GLOSSARY FCB Forms Control Buffer. Controls the vertical format of printed output. FCP File Control Parameter. FCU File Conversion Utility. FDL Forms Description language. LPS-resident source language used to design electronic forms. See also FSL and form. FDR File directory. FIS floating accent font Font Interchange Standard form Font Interchange Standard. Defines the digital representation of fonts and character metrics for the generation of an entire series of Interpress fonts. Nonspacing accent characters that can be combined with characters and printed as a composite. Complete set of characters of a particular font family having the same point size, weight, stress, and orientation. See FIS. 1. Compiled .FSL file. 2. Specific arrangement of lines, text, and graphics stored in an electronic version. Forms can be printed without variable data or merged with variable data during the printing process. See also FDL and FSL. Forms Control Buffer See FCB. Forms Description Language See FDL. Forms Source Library See FSL. FSL Forms Source Library. Uncompiled collection of user-created files containing FDL commands. See also FDL and form. hexadecimal Numbering system with a base of 16. The numbers 10 through 15 are represented by A through F. highlight color Printing with black plus another color. A range of colors, tints, and shades is printed by varying the percentage of black dots, colored dots, and the white space between the dots. HIP image area Host Interface Processor. Area on a physical page that may contain text or graphics. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE GLOSSARY-3 GLOSSARY initialize Interpress Industry-standard page description language developed by Xerox. Interpress documents can be printed on any sufficiently powerful printer equipped with Interpress print software. JCB Job Control Block. JCL Job Control Language. JDE Job Descriptor Entry. Collection of job descriptions. JDL Job Description Library. Collection of compiled job descriptions. See also JSL. JID Job Identifier. job Synonymous with a START command, a job is a group of print data sets called reports. A job may contain one or multiple reports. job control Program called into storage to prepare each job or job step to be run. Job Descriptor Entry See JDE. Job Descriptor Library See JDL. job management Job Source Library JSL keyword label landscape GLOSSARY-4 1. To prepare a blank diskette so it can accept data. This is usually accomplished when a program is booted. 2. To set all information in a computer system to its starting values. Collective functions of job scheduling and command processing. See JSL. Job Source Library. Collection of uncompiled job descriptions. See also JDE and JDL. Required part of a command. Reference to a file saved on tape or disk, a record indicating the file name or date created, or other control information. Orientation in which text and images are positioned parallel to the long edge of the paper. legal size Paper size measuring 8.5 by 14 inches or 216 by 356 mm. letter size Paper size measuring 8.5 by 11 inches or 216 by 279 mm. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE GLOSSARY line feed literal logical page lpi LPS Control character that (unless set to be interpreted as a line end) causes the printing system to begin printing in the current character position of the next line. Alphanumeric character beginning with a letter, including an asterisk, period, colon, or slash, and not enclosed in single quotes. In Xerox printing systems, a logical page is a formatted page that is smaller than the physical page. A logical page is defined by an origin, thus allowing more than one logical page to be placed on a physical page. Lines per inch. Laser printing system. mask Selection of bits from a storage unit by use of an instruction that eliminates the other bits in the unit. In accessing files, a file name mask is used to reference one or more files with similar file-id (identifier) syntax. In Interpress, a mask serves as a template, indicating the shape and position of an object on a page. metacode Method of controlling the image generator. The character dispatcher uses these codes to generate scan line information. This information is sent in the form of character specifications to the image generator, which uses it to compose the bit stream that modulates the laser. Also called native mode. monochrome nesting object file octal operating Printing in one color only. Subroutine or set of data, such as a comment, contained sequentially within another set of data. Source file converted into machine language (binary code). System of representing numbers based on 8. offset To place printed output sets in slightly different positions from each other in an output bin for easy separation of collated sets. operand That which is acted upon, for example, data, in an operation or process. system Software that controls the low-level tasks in a computer system, such as input or output and memory management. The operating system is always running when the computer is active. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE GLOSSARY-5 GLOSSARY orientation origin overprint ratio packet page end palette parameter parse In reference to image area, the upper left corner of a sheet. Maximum number of variable data and form characters that can be intersected by a single scan line. A group of DJDE records terminated by an END command. Command character (form feed) to terminate the current page. Predefined set of colors or inks. Different versions are provided with the printer and with host- or PC-based application software. Part of a command, other than the keyword. See keyword. To read or interpret a command; to build up a parameter list from information within a command. PCC Printer Carriage Control. PDE Page Description Entry. PDL Print Description Language. Language used to describe printing jobs to a laser printing system. PDL describes the input (type, format, characteristics), performs the processing functions (logical processing), and describes the output (type, format, font selection, accounting options). PE physical page Phase encoded. Actual page size your printer uses to print a form. pitch Width of a fixed-pitch font expressed in characters per horizontal inch. pixel Acronym for picture element. Smallest addressable point of a bitmapped screen that can be independently assigned color and intensity. point In Xerox laser printing systems, a unit of measurement equal to 0.0139 inch. Points are always used to express type, size, and leading. There are 12 points to a pica and about 72 points to an inch. portrait GLOSSARY-6 In reference to image area, describes whether the printed lines are parallel to the long edge of the paper (landscape) or the short edge of the paper (portrait). Orientation in which text and images are positioned parallel to the short edge of the paper. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE GLOSSARY ppm Print Description Language print file PSC query See PDL. Portion of the system disk memory (up to 4 MB) reserved for temporary storage of formatted pages for printing. Pages are retained until they are delivered to the output tray. Printer Subsystem Controller. Request for data or other information, entered by an operator while the system is processing. record A line of data as defined in the RECORD command. report A single output data set, delimited by an RSTACK command or as a file. In setting a separation boundary, reports are subsets of a job. resolution scale sequential set simplex Pages per minute. printing spi spot statement stock stockset string Number of dots per inch (dpi) or spots per inch (spi). The greater the number of dots, the higher the resolution and the clearer the image. The terms dots, spots, and pixels are synonymous. To adjust font or image size according to given proportions. 1. In numeric sequence, usually in ascending order. 2. A file structure in which records are written one after another and cannot be randomly accessed. Multiple copies of the same report. Printing on one side of the page. Spots per inch. See resolution. A picture element imaged by the printer. Synonymous with dot and pixel. Detailed instructions in a program step, written according to specific rules called syntax. User-defined name in the JSL that specifies a certain type of paper for printing a job. Collection of stocks to be used on a print job. See also stock. Connected sequence of alphanumeric characters treated as one unit of data by a program. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE GLOSSARY-7 GLOSSARY syntax Rules governing the structure of expressions in a programming language. system page Maximum area in which text and graphics can be imaged on a printing system. tape density Expression of the format of a magnetic tape measured in number of bytes that can be stored per inch of tape. TOF two-up UCSB UCS variable data virtual page vpos wildcard XDDI xdot xerographic mode XNS XPAF, XPF GLOSSARY-8 Top of form. Printing two logical pages on one side of a physical page. Universal Character Set Buffer. Universal Character Set. Changeable information which is merged with a standard document to create specialized or personalized versions of that document. Variable data is not a part of a form design, but varies from page to page. Page area selected by a forms designer for printing. Vertical positioning. Character (usually an asterisk *) which can be inserted into a command string to indicate that it may represent one or more characters in that position. Xerox Dynamic Document Interface. Unit of measurement representing a fraction of an inch. May also be referred to as a picture element (pixel) or spot; for example, 1/600 spots per inch (spi). Either of two possible printer configurations: 1. Black mode which allows printing with black dry ink only. 2. Highlight mode which enables both highlight color and black printing. Xerox Network Systems. Xerox Printer Access Facility. XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE Index Symbols .FSL data transfer, 3-1 to 3-2 Numerals 300 spi, 1-1, 2-4, 4-7 600 spi, 1-1, 2-4, 3-3, 4-7 4850 color forms, 3-3 to 3-4 logos, 3-3 to 3-4 A abbreviations, 4-2 to 4-3 absolute coordinate symbol, 2-9 alignment, 4-15 B boundary line, 4-13 BOX command, 2-11 to 2-12, 4-9 to 4-10 boxes, using, 1-1, 2-15 to 2-17, 4-9 to 4-12, C-5, G-6 to G-7 C capacity limits, FDL, D-1 channel-attached, 3-2 character case, 2-14 cells, 1-2, 2-14 spacing, 1-2 to 1-3, 2-14 characters per inch, see cpi coding techniques, 4-1 to 4-4 Color Compatibility Release software, 1-10 command summary, 2-2 COMMENT command, 2-21, C-2 communicating, remote device, 3-2 compilation options, 3-4 to 3-6 compiling forms, 3-1 to 3-6 COMPRESS utility, 3-2 conventions, document, vii converting preprinted forms, 4-1 unit values, 4-14 coordinates location, 1-1, 2-9 negative, 1-13, 2-9 symbols, 2-9 system, 1-6 cpi, 1-12 D data transfer, FSL, 3-1 to 3-2 types, 1-14 defaults, system, B-1 to B-3 XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE density, print, 1-9 description commands, FDL, 2-9 to 2-22 designing forms, 4-1 to 4-2, C-1 to C-6 device, communicating, 3-2 dispatchable items, 4-6 to 4-8 displacement values, 1-10 DJDEs, restricting, 1-9 DO SECTION command, 2-19 to 2-21 documentation, viii dots, 1-12 Dynamic Job Descriptor Entries, see DJDEs E edgemarking, 1-6, 2-5 editor utility, 2-3, 3-1 END command, 2-22, C-5 end coordinate symbol, 2-9 END SECTION command, 2-19 to 2-21 error checks, compiling, 3-4 messages, imaging, 1-7 Ethernet network, 3-2 F FDL basic concepts, 1-1 to 1-14 capacity limits, FDL, D-1 command examples, G-1 to G-10 format, 2-1 overview, 2-1 summary, 2-2 syntax summary, A-1 to A-2 description commands, 2-9 to 2-22 forms creation process, 2-3 PROOF, 3-5 setup commands, 2-3 to 2-8 statistics, 4-16 file secured, 3-5 to 3-6 storage, 3-5 fixed fonts, 1-2 to 1-3 FMT1, 2-7 FMT6, 1-13, 2-7 FONT command, 2-8, 2-14 fonts character set, 1-2, 2-8 definition, 1-2 fixed, 1-2 to 1-3 maximum, 2-8 memory, 1-4 orientation 1-3 proportional, 1-2 to 1-3 INDEX-1 INDEX typefaces, 1-3 FORM command definition, 2-4 RESOLUTION parameter, 2-4 form image buffer, 4-12 to 4-13 forms compiler, 2-6, 2-8, 3-2 to 3-5 compiling, 3-1 to 3-6, C-6 to C-7 creating, 2-3, C-1 to C-7 design ruler, 1-13, F-1 elements, 1-11 to 1-13, 2-7 naming, 2-4 new, designing, 4-1 to 4-2 origin, 1-10 to 1-13, 2-7 printing, 3-1 to 3-6 formats, standard, 1-13, E-1 Forms Description Language, see FDL Forms Source Library, see FSL FSL compiling, 3-3 to 3-5 data transfer offline, 3-1 online, 3-2 modifying, 2-3 fuser jams, 1-6 G GRAPHIC command, 2-18 to 2-19 graphics capability, see GVG2 GRID command, 1-5, 1-10, 2-6 to 2-7, G-1 to G-4 grid unit scaling, 4-16 grids, 1-12 to 1-13 GVG2, 2-19 H hardware limitations, 4-7 highlight color, 1-10 host computer, 3-2 hostcopy utility, 3-2 I image complexity factors, 4-4 to 4-9 error messages, 1-7 hardware limitation, 4-7 non-printing, 1-7 registration, 1-7 to 1-9 size, 1-4 to 1-7 incremental coordinate symbol, 2-9 Interpress, 1-9, 2-19 J Job Source Library, see JSL JSL, 2-5 L landscape definition, 1-2 density, 4-7 FMT6, 1-13, 2-7 font, text block origin, 1-11 image registration, 1-7 to 1-9 INDEX-2 shading factors, 4-12 see also page LANDSCAPE command, 1-5 to 1-6, 2-6 layout sheet forms, 4-2 LINE command, 2-10 to 2-11 line density, 4-6 to 4-9 drawing, C-3 examples, G-4 to G-6 superimposed, 4-8 tables, 4-4 to 4-6 types, 1-1 linear units, 1-12 lines per inch, see lpi LOGO command, 2-17 to 2-18 logos, 3-3 to 3-4 lowercase toggle, 2-14 lpi, 1-12 LPS Editor, 3-1 M maximum image area, 1-4 magnetic tape, 3-1 measurement factors, rounding, 4-14 to 4-15 scales, F-1 unit, 1-13 memory, font, 1-4 N naming, form, 2-4 negative coordinates, 1-13 non-imaged elements, 1-7 O Operating System Software, see OSS orientation, see font; landscape; page; portrait origin coordinate symbol, 2-9 OSS, 1-9, 1-13 output performance, 1-9 to 1-10 OUTPUT SHIFT command, 1-7 P page generation errors, 4-8 orientation, 1-2 physical, 1-5, 1-13 setup errors, 4-8 to 4-9 system, 1-4, 1-7 virtual, 1-5 to 1-6, 1-13, 2-6 see also landscape; portrait Page Description Language, see PDL paper selecting, 2-5 sizes, 1-4, 4-2 types, 1-4 PAPER command, 1-5, 2-5 to 2-6 PAPERSIZE command, 1-5 PDL, 1-5 physical page, 1-5 portrait definition, 1-2 to 1-3 XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE INDEX density, 4-7 to 4-8 FMT1, 2-7 font, text block origin, 1-11 image registration, 1-7 to 1-9 shading factors, 4-12 see also page PORTRAIT command, 2-6 PostScript, 1-9 predefined formats, 1-13, 2-6 to 2-7 print density, 1-9 printing forms, 3-1 to 3-6 procedures form converting preprinted, 4-1 designing, 4-1 printing, 3-1 offline, transferring data, 3-1 proportional fonts, 1-2 to 1-3 publications, related, viii AT, 2-13 to 2-14, G-8 to G-9 IN BOX, 2-15 to 2-17, G-10 troubleshooting, 4-1 to 4-16 R Raster Image Processor, see RIP registration, image, 1-7 to 1-9 remote devices, 3-2 resolution, specifying, 2-4 RIP, 2-19 rounding measurement factors, 4-14 variable data, 4-15 X x coordinate, 1-12 to 1-13, 2-9 XDDI software, 1-10 xdots grids, 1-12 size, 1-1 U UNIT value, 1-13 uppercase toggle, 2-14 USLEGAL, 2-5 USLETTER, 2-5 V variable data non-imaged, 1-7 rounding, 4-15 vector graphics, 2-19 virtual page definition, 1-5 to 1-6 origin, 1-6, 1-13, 2-7 size, 1-13, 2-6 Y y coordinate, 1-12 to 1-13, 2-9 S SAMPLE command, 3-6 scaling, grid unit, 4-16 scanning line density, 4-6 to 4-8 SECTION command, 2-19 to 2-21 section factors, 4-13 setup commands, FDL, 2-3 to 2-8, C-2 shading, 2-11, 4-12 to 4-13 shift, image, 1-7 to 1-9 skew, image, 1-7 to 1-9 spi, 1-1, 2-4, 3-3, 4-7 spots-per-inch, see spi standard formats, 1-13, 2-7, E-1 standard print formats, see standard formats start coordinate symbol, 2-9 superimposed lines, 4-8 summary sheet, 4-16 syntax ambiguities, 4-2 to 4-3 summary, A-1 to A-2 system defaults, B-1 to B-3 page, 1-4, 1-7 T text boxes, 2-15 to 2-17, 4-10 to 4-12, C-5 buffer, 2-14 placing, C-4 text block origin, 1-11 TEXT command definition, 2-13 XEROX 4050/4090/4450/4650 LPS FORMS CREATION GUIDE INDEX-3
Source Exif Data:
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