Beginning with A-Shell 1149 of May 2009, it is possible to combine the +G{DI} or +P{ASSTHROUGH} option with a printer name (whether a printer ini file or a raw Windows printer name) in the DEVICE = AUXLOC: statement. For example:
DEVICE = AUXLOC:\\SERVER\SHARE NAME+PASSTHROUGH
DEVICE = AUXLOC:HP Laserjet Series 37+PASS
Previously all three of the above would have been interpreted as printer names (e.g. INVOIC+GDI, etc.) and would have therefore failed to find a match. Now, the +G{DI} or +P{ASSTHROUGH} will be recognized (in order to specify the associated mode) and not treated as part of the printer name.
Notes
| • | Prior versions of A-Shell on the server side were limiting the total length of the printer name (+ optional mode) specification to 32 bytes. |
| • | The mode may be specified with a few as 2 characters (e.g. +G or +P). (The downside of this is that those pairs of characters cannot appear within the printer name itself.) |
| • | When printing to a printer by its raw Windows printer name or share name (i.e. not via a printer ini file), the default mode is GDI, so there is no particular need to specify +GDI in that case. |
| • | When printing to a printer via a printer ini file, the printer ini file will override any mode specified in the DEVICE=AUXLOC: statement. Even if the printer ini file has no PASSTHROUGHpq statement, that is equivalent to PASSTHROUGH=ON. |
