The default values for the Tuning Data parameters work for many customers. However, if you have sophisticated applications or are experiencing problems, review this chapter to learn about the variety of tuning parameters available.
Tuning Data Menu
A brief description of each menu choice is given below. Detailed instructions for each option are presented in the sections which follow.
Edit ASCII and EBCDIC Translation Tables
Change the translation of characters from ASCII to EBCDIC format, and vice versa. This feature also allows you to change the language for the character set from English to one of several other languages.
Printer Control
Select options which control printer forms and form overlays and adjust parameters which affect the print data.
Additional Parameters
Adjust other options that affect BARR/SPOOL operation, including the amount of PC memory allocated. Additionally, certain program features may be disabled from this screen.
On the PC, characters are coded using the ASCII coding system. However, the IBM mainframe (or host) computer and devices designed for the mainframe (such as the AS/400) use the EBCDIC coding system. When files are received to the PC from the host device, characters can be translated from EBCDIC to ASCII depending on the receive mode.
The Barr software performs these translations using the EBCDIC translation tables discussed in this section. These tables may be altered to customize data translation for your application. Most users do not need to change the data translation. Usually the translation tables are altered to change the language character set or to process special characters for print applications.
See Appendix B for a complete description of the ASCII and EBCDIC character sets and their standard translations.
The translation tables do not affect all data processed by the Barr software. The following restrictions apply:
Carriage control characters are not translated by the translation tables. These characters are processed separately, based on the Receive mode selected under Assign Devices.
Data will not be translated by the translation tables if any of the following Receive modes is selected:
Binary
Fixed Length EBCDIC
S/370 Channel
Transparent
TWINAX is the only source that contains EBCDIC data, so it is the only source that will use the EBCDIC to ASCII translation table.
TCP/IP and LAT have their own ASCII to EBCDIC translation tables.
To reach the translation tables in the software, from the Tuning Data menu, select Edit ASCII and EBCDIC Translation Tables.
Select from the following options:
Translate control codes to Control codes
If you include control characters in the data to use special features of your printer, select Translate control codes to Control codes. This selection allows control codes which are embedded in the data to be translated. (Do not confuse control codes that are embedded in the data with control codes that precede data records. Control codes which precede data records are processed differently and do not go through the translation tables.)
For example, the HP LaserJet printer uses escape sequences to print boldface text or use different fonts. If you embed these types of codes in the data, the codes will be translated according to the translation tables in the software.
When transferring data from the PC to the host device, ASCII control characters 00-1F are converted to EBCDIC control characters, as documented in section B.4. When data is received to the PC from the host device, EBCDIC control characters 00-3F are converted to ASCII control characters as documented in section B.5. The translation tables in the software are altered if you select this option.
A message indicating your selection displays on the lower half of the screen:
The translation tables have been modified to translate control codes to control codes.
You can select ’Edit translation tables’ to see these changes or to make additional changes.
Translate control codes to Question marks
Use this selection if you do not want control codes which are embedded in the data to be converted from ASCII to EBCDIC or vice versa. This is the default choice. Normally, control codes are not embedded in the data records. This option is useful if you want to flag any control codes that occur in the data. (Do not confuse control codes that are embedded in the data with control codes that precede data records. Control codes which precede data records are processed differently and do not go through the translation tables.)
Translate control codes to Question marks converts all control codes embedded in the data to question marks (?). In the software, entries 00-1F of the ASCII-to-EBCDIC table and entries 00-3F of the EBCDIC-to-ASCII table are altered if you select this option.
Select Translate control codes to Question marks before using the Edit translation tables option.
A message indicating your selection displays on the lower half of the screen.
The translation tables have been modified to translate control codes to question marks.
You can select ’Edit translation tables’ to see these changes or to make additional changes.
Choose Language for translation tables
This feature allows you to modify the ASCII-to-EBCDIC and EBCDIC-to-ASCII translation tables for use with native language character sets. This feature is described later in this section.
Edit translation tables
This feature allows you to manually modify entries in the ASCII-to-EBCDIC and EBCDIC-to-ASCII translation tables. It is described later in this section.
This feature allows you to select the ASCII-to-EBCDIC and EBCDIC-to-ASCII translation tables for use with native language character sets.
IBM has defined various code pages which are variations of either ASCII or EBCDIC and contain extra symbols for particular languages or nationalities. The extra symbols are different for each language, so a different code page is used for each language.
Follow the steps below to install the correct code page on your PC and to select the corresponding character set in the Barr software.
Determine which ASCII code page to use on your PC. Barr software supports code pages 437 (US) and 850 (multilingual). Code page 850 contains the symbols from all other non-US ASCII code pages and was designed to replace the other non-US code pages. Code page 437 is the default for most PCs.
Install the selected ASCII code page on your PC using DOS version 3.3 or later. Consult the chapter in your DOS manual that discusses Code Page Switching. For the U.S. English character set, use ASCII code pages 437 (US) or 850 (multilingual). At this time you may also want to install support for a non-U.S. keyboard. Keyboard installation instructions are described in your DOS manual.
In the Barr software indicate which EBCDIC code page you are using. From the Edit ASCII and EBCDIC Translation Tables menu, select Choose Language for translation tables. The following screen displays:
The choices listed on this screen correspond to EBCDIC code pages documented in the IBM publication GA23-0061, IBM 3270 Information Display System 3274 Control Unit Description and Programmer’s Guide, Appendix D: APL/Text Feature. The list of languages and translation standards in the Barr software are updated as new international standards emerge.
Select the language used by your application and press ENTER. For English, there are two selections; choose the one that matches the ASCII code page installed on your PC. All other languages require ASCII code page 850.
After you make a selection, a message displays indicating the selected language. For example, if you select Austrian/German(Alternate), the following message displays:
The translation tables have been modified for language ’Austrian/German(Alternate)’.
You can select ’Edit translation tables’ to see these changes or to make additional changes.
Typically, you do not need to edit the translation tables. Table changes are needed only for special applications or printing needs. For example, if your printer does not print lowercase letters, you can change the translation tables to convert lowercase letters to uppercase letters.
When you select the Edit translation tables option, the translation tables display and can be edited. One ASCII-to-EBCDIC table and two EBCDIC-to-ASCII tables are available for editing. ASCII to EBCDIC table one is used when printing ASCII data on a S/370 printer using the PRINT370 option. EBCDIC to ASCII table one and EBCDIC to ASCII table two may be used when receiving data from an AS/400 using the PRINT/TWINAX option.
The two EBCDIC-to-ASCII tables are not identical. Refer to section B.5 for a list of the differences between table one and table two.
If you need to use one of the first three options (Translate control codes to Control codes, Translate control codes to Question marks, or Choose Language for translation tables), you must do so before modifying the translation tables. If you select Edit translation tables then select one of the other options, changes you made to the translation tables may be overridden.
Follow these steps to reach the translation tables:
Select Edit translation tables. The ASCII to EBCDIC translation table displays.
Edit the table entries, or press ENTER to advance to the EBCDIC to ASCII translation tables.
Follow these guidelines when making entries in the Translation Tables:
The translation codes are arranged in columns. The current hexadecimal representation for a character is shown on the left side of each column. The translation for a character is shown on the right side of each column. The characters on the right side are the ones which can be modified.
Use the UP ARROW and DOWN ARROW keys to move up and down the columns on the screen.
To edit an entry, place the cursor on the entry and type over the translation.
When you have finished making entries to a table, press ENTER to store your changes and advance to the next screen.
If you want to abandon your changes for a table, press ESC. You are returned to the Edit ASCII and EBCDIC Translation Tables menu.
Printer Control parameters are used to specify additional features which affect print output, including form overlays and the maximum print line.
The options on this screen affect output files received on source devices.
To reach the Printer Control screen, from the Tuning Data menu select Printer Control:
A forms overlay directory may be specified for each LPT, COM, or NET Destination device. The directory is specified on the individual Miscellaneous Printer Options screen for each device. The overlay options described below, however, affect all of the devices for which an overlay directory is enabled.
Search for form overlay by?
This option controls the method used to search the forms overlay directory for an overlay file. The overlay file contains either an electronic printer form or other printer commands. When the print file is ready to be sent to the printer, the software searches the forms overlay directory for an overlay file. If an overlay file with the specified name is found it is automatically sent to the printer before the print file.
Overlay files must be named for the selected search method. In most cases, overlay files must not have a file extension.
The selected search name is included in a file using one of three methods:
Use the Barr OUTPUT statement and enable OUTPUT statement used in file? (job name, form name, FCB name) under Assign Devices Options.
Enable Spool header from data? (form name, job name) under Assign Devices Options.
The PRT file header when submitting network files to Spool using the PRT program.
For example, if Search for form overlay by? is set to FORMNAME, you will create overlay files named for the form names of the print files. When a print file is received to the PC, the software obtains the form name from the file and stores it in the file header. When the file is ready to be sent to the printer, the software searches the forms overlay directory for an overlay file name that matches the form name.
FORMNAME
FCBNAME
FCB+UCS
UCSNAME
UCS
FCB
JOBNAME
Use default overlay file if overlay not found?
Specify whether to use a default overlay file if the specified overlay file is not found in the forms overlay directory.
No
Yes
Default overlay file:
If the previous option, Use default overlay file if overlay not found?, is set to Yes specify the name of the default overlay file. Remember to create the default overlay file and put it in the overlay directory. STD (standard) is a good choice for the default overlay name.
Suspend printing if Overlay not found?
Choose whether to suspend the source device if an overlay file is not found.
No
Overlay files are not required for all print files, or
You have enabled the option Use default overlay file if overlay not found? and defined a default overlay file.
Yes
Maximum print position:
Specify the maximum print position on a line. As a file is received to the PC, if characters on a line exceed the specified maximum the software will wrap the extra characters to the next line. The maximum length is 255 print characters, but you can lower this value for your application. For example, if data lines contain 255 characters but your printers support a maximum of 132 characters per line, set this value to 132.
The Additional Parameters screen contains a variety of parameters that affect program operation. The first two parameters on this screen are used for allocating PC memory and are the most significant parameters. Several other parameters may be used to disable operator access to certain program features. The remaining parameters are used to adjust other program features.
Memory allocated for buffers:
Specify the amount of PC conventional memory, measured in bytes, that BARR/SPOOL may allocate for buffers. Memory buffers are used for temporary storage of data during software operation. Each software feature has individual memory requirements, so the amount of memory required for operating BARR/SPOOL depends on the features you enable during software installation. (This value does not include the amount of memory required to load the software, or the amount of memory needed for the BARR/SPOOL DOS session.) The default value which displays depends on the software options you purchased. This value seldom needs changing. Try using the software before adjusting this value.
If it is necessary to increase or decrease the amount of Memory allocated for buffers, change the value a little at a time on a trial-and-error basis and test that the software still operates after each change. The software has a minimum requirement for conventional memory buffers and will not operate if this allocation is too low. However, the minimum value is impossible to calculate.
If the value for conventional memory buffers is larger than the amount of memory available on your PC when BARR/SPOOL is loaded, the software will use all of the available memory. Low memory conditions such as this may result in too little memory to use the BARR/SPOOL DOS session.
Extended memory allocated for buffers:
This option allows you to use memory past the one megabyte range normally defined for DOS. To use extended memory support with the Barr software, a device driver must be loaded which supports the Microsoft, Lotus, Intel, and AST Research Extended Memory Specification (XMS), version 2.0 1988. HIMEM and QEMM386 are two memory managers which support this specification.
Use of extended memory is especially helpful if your Barr software configuration requires more than 100,000 bytes of conventional memory buffers (specified with the Memory allocated for buffers parameter). For example, if you are driving several printers simultaneously or are using the BARR/TAPE software option you may need to allocate extended memory. Extended memory also is useful if there is not enough conventional memory available to use the DOS session.
The default amount of extended memory buffers is 0. Increase this amount as needed. If you increase Extended memory allocated for buffers you may want to decrease Memory allocated for buffers to free up conventional memory for the DOS session. Other software features can use extended memory buffers, but the DOS session requires conventional memory.
When lowering the amount of Memory allocated for buffers, decrease the value a little at a time on a trial-and-error basis and test that the software still operates after each decrease. The software has a minimum requirement for conventional memory buffers and will not operate if the allocation is too low. However, the minimum value is not possible to calculate.
Note that in the software, conventional memory (Memory allocated for buffers) is measured in bytes, while extended memory allocated for buffers is measured in K bytes (1024 bytes).
As a rule, the increase in extended memory buffers should be greater than the decrease in conventional memory buffers, because extended memory buffers use some conventional memory buffers as overhead. However, the value for extended memory buffers does not need to exceed the original value for conventional buffers (the value before extended memory buffers were added and conventional memory buffers were decreased). The amount of extended memory buffers should be kept within 50-100 K bytes of the original amount of conventional memory. For example, if you were using 200,000 bytes of conventional memory, try setting the amount for extended memory buffers to 100-150 K bytes and the value for conventional memory buffers to 100,000 bytes.
Do not set the amount of Extended memory allocated for buffers to values of 500 K bytes or greater, even if that much extended memory is available, unless you are using Siemens model 2 printers. See the PRINT370 manual for more information. This would be an excessive amount and could use between 100-300 conventional memory buffers as overhead. Additionally, 100000 is the minimum value recommended for Memory allocated for buffers even when using extended memory buffers.
If you allocate more extended memory buffers than are available, you will see the following message at program startup, indicating the actual number of extended memory buffers available:
Only nnnn K bytes of extended memory is available for use
If you over-allocate extended memory buffers, meaning the overhead required for the extended memory buffers exhausts the amount of conventional memory, you will see this message:
XMS Buffers Not Allocated - Not Enough Real Memory
Internal buffer size:
This option allows users to increase the internal buffer size in BARR/SPOOL. The possible values are 1, 2, and 4 kilobytes. Increasing this value allows faster performance when using LAN Connections, especially when using the BARR/400 option, driving multiple high-speed printers, or running on a slow network. Memory allocated for buffers is increased automatically with this value, leaving less memory available for the DOS session.
Number of minutes before screen save:
Specify the number of minutes the screen may display before the display is cleared. The screen save feature is useful for increasing the screen life of the PC monitor. The screen life may be shortened if the screen display is constant, especially in cases where the software runs 24-hours a day.
After the specified time has elapsed, the screen clears. However, the screen can be re-displayed at any time by pressing any key on the keyboard. For example, if you specify a period of 10 minutes, after displaying for 10 minutes the screen will blank. Clearing the screen does not interfere with normal operation of the program.
If the number of minutes before screen save is set to 0, the screen will blank after displaying for only one second. In this case, to view the software screens for more than one second you must hold the SHIFT, CTRL, or ALT key. The screen displays until you release the key.
This feature may not work with all display adapters. Supported adapters include IBM monochrome, IBM CGA, and IBM PS/2 VGA. The IBM EGA adapter does not support this feature.
Disable Installation Description?
Choose whether to disable the Installation Description. This prevents PC users from viewing or changing the installation parameters.
No
Yes
Disable DOS session?
Choose whether to disable the BARR/SPOOL DOS session. This feature can be used to save PC memory and to prevent PC users from accessing DOS.
No
Yes
DOS session executes AUTOCMD.BAT?
Select whether BARR/SPOOL will automatically run a batch process each time you change to the DOS session. This feature can be used to automatically run an applications program in background DOS.
No
Yes
Initial session is?
Select which session displays as the initial session when BARR/SPOOL is started. Sessions can be changed using the Sessions command on the Advanced menu or by using hot-keys. Refer to Chapter 13, BARR/SPOOL Operation, for more information about changing sessions.
OPER
DOS
PRINT
Session1-Session4
GATE
TAPE
Hot key uses?
This option allows you to use an alternate hot-key to change sessions. Choices are:
Ctrl-Alt
(Default)
Ctrl-Shift
Alt-Shift
Fast scroll used on CGA color monitor adapter?
Choose whether to use fast screen scrolling for CGA color display adapters.
No
Yes
Use VERIFY OFF to improve disk performance?
This option can be used to enhance disk performance by as much as 60%.
Yes
No
XPAF special: Vertical Channel Select sets print column to zero?
This parameter does not apply to BARR/SPOOL.