Copyright: Miha Mazzini


PrintMe, version 1.2i

Send any file to Print Manager

(for Windows 3.1)

(c) Miha Mazzini, 1994

DISCLAIMER:

THIS PROGRAM IS FOR EXPERIENCED WINDOWS USERS ONLY!

THE USER MUST ASSUME THE ENTIRE RISK OF USING THE PROGRAM. THE AUTHOR SHALL NOT BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES, EITHER DIRECT OR NON-DIRECT, ARISING FROM THE USE OF THIS PROGRAM.

What is PrintMe and what it does?

Installation

Using PrintMe

Rules of the game (important!)

Settings in the INI file

Last but not least


What is PrintMe and what can it do?
What is PrintMe and what it does?

Printing One File

Owning a much better printer than your friends has its disadvantages. You have to print their very important correspondence that must look striking. They prepare documents on their computers and print to file instead of a printer (which they don't have anyway). Of course the print file is always HUGE.

You can print such a file using a DOS window and typing (for example):

COPY /B TEST.PRN PRN:

Printing in this manner is awfully slow (especially on very good printers, don't ask me why) and life in other windows crawls, no matter how fast your machine is.

Solution: Start PrintMe, select a print file and Print Manager will print it in the background.

That's all. You don't even have to delete the file afterwards, Print Manager does it for you.

Printing All the New Files in a Directory

While a DOS application is printing in a DOS window you can't open another DOS window with another DOS program and another print job.

Solution: Tell PrintMe to watch over a specific directory and when a new file appers in it, send it immediately to the printer. You can redirect printing from every DOS application to this directory. PrintMe will send all new files to Print Manager and printing will be done in the background from all DOS windows.


Installing
Installation

The ZIP packet contains the following files:

PRINTME.EXE	The program
PRINTME.HLP	The help file in HLP format
PRINTME.TXT	The help file in TXT format
CMDIALOG.VBX	The library
THREED.VBX	The library

PrintMe also needs the VBRUN300.DLL library. If you don't have it on your disk, you should be able to download it from your nearest BBS.

Extract files from the ZIP packet and copy them to the following directories:

PRINTME.EXE	The directory of your choice
PRINTME.HLP	The same directory as PRINTME.EXE
PRINTME.TXT	You don't need this file
CMDIALOG.VBX	\WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory
THREED.VBX	\WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory
VBRUN300.DLL	\WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory

PrintMe creates the file MAZZ.INI in the WINDOWS directory.


Using PrintMe

Printing One File:

1.	Start PrintMe.
2.	Choose File/Choose from the menu  or click the following icon  or press CTRL+P.
3.	Choose a file from disk. You may choose many files one after another.
4.	Wait until the last file is printed, and then quit PrintMe.
Printing All the New Files in the Directory (for the first time):

1.	Start PrintMe.
2.	Choose the Options/Open INI file from the menu.
3.	NOTEPAD starts with the file MAZZ.INI loaded.
4.	Make the following corrections in the [PrintMe] section: After WatchDirectory= type in the name of the directory with the print files. Example: WatchDirectory=c:\TEMP after Files= type the pattern for print files. Example: Files=*.prn Read more about it in the Settings in the INI file.
5.	Save the file (File/Save from the menu) MAZZ.INI.
6.	Choose Options/Reread INI file from the menu.
7.	Choose Options/Watch for new files.
8.	The program will keep a lookout for the new files in the specified directory. You can end its duty with choosing Options/Watch for new files again.
9.	Wait until the last file is printed and then quit PrintMe.
Printing all new files in the directory:

1.	Start PrintMe.
2.	Pull down the Options menu and if Options/Watch for new files isn't checked, choose it.
3.	The program will will watch for new files in the specified directory. You can end its duty with choosing Options/Watch for new files again.
4.	Wait until the last file is printed and then quit PrintMe.


Settings in INI file
Settings in the INI File

The program creates the file MAZZ.INI in the WINDOWS directory when you run it for the first time and inserts the following lines in the PrintMe section:

[PrintMe]

Backup= 0

Directory=K:\TEMP

Editor=NOTEPAD.EXE

Watch= 0

WatchDirectory=C:\TEMP

Interval=40

Files=*.prn

Explanation:

Backup

0 - the program won't make a backup copy of a file before sending it to the Print Manager; 1 - the program will make backup file with the BAK extension. If you have selected the file 0001.PRN, PrintMe will create its twin 0001.BAK. Print Manager will delete the original, but you will still have the copy.

Directory

Name of the last directory you chose files from.

Editor

Name (and path, if needed) of editor for editing the file MAZZ.INI.

Watch

0 - don't watch for new files; 1 - watch for new files.

WatchDirectory

Name of the directory to watch.

Interval

Time in seconds after two checks in the directory to be watched (60 seconds maximum).

Files

The name (or pattern) of print files.

Usually *.prn.

*.* prints every file in the directory.

Examples:

1. You would like the program to send all files from C:\PRINT directory to Print Manager and check for new files every 30 seconds:

Watch=1

WatchDirectory=C:\PRINT

Interval=30

Files=*.*

2. You would like the program to send just the file with the name D:\TEST\MIKE\TEST.PRN to Print Manager. It should check for it every 10 seconds:

Watch=1

WatchDirectory= D:\TEST\MIKE

Interval=10

Files=TEST.PRN


Rules of the Game

1.	Print Manager deletes the file after printing it! PrintMe can make a backup copy. Read more in Settings in the INI file.
2.	The program must remain in the memory until the last file is printed. You can minimize it and put it somewhere under the rug (aka Program Manager).
3.	Choose only print files and not every file that comes your way. Print files are files in which printing to the printer was redirected.
4.	A file can be sent to Print Manager just once during one session with PrintMe. If you already sent TEST.PRN, you can't send it again. If it is really a new and totally different file, quit PrintMe and run it again.
5.	This program is for experienced Windows users only!
6.	Use this program at your own risk!

THIS SOFTWARE AND MANUAL ARE "AS IS" AND WITHOUT WARRANTIES AS TO PERFORMANCE OF MERCHANTABILITY OR ANY OTHER WARRANTIES WHETHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED. BECAUSE OF THE VARIOUS HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE ENVIRONMENTS INTO WHICH THIS PROGRAM MAY BE PUT, NO WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE IS OFFERED. GOOD DATA PROCESSING PROCEDURE DICTATES THAT ANY PROGRAM BE THOROUGHLY TESTED WITH NON-CRITICAL DATA BEFORE RELYING ON IT. THE USER MUST ASSUME THE ENTIRE RISK OF USING THE PROGRAM. THE AUTHOR SHALL NOT BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES, EITHER DIRECT OR NON-DIRECT, ARISING FROM THE USE OF THIS PROGRAM.

All registered trademarks mentioned in this document are property of their respective holders.


At last, but not at least
Last but not least

Share this program with others but don't forget to distribute files in the original ZIP packet. This is a REQUIREMENT for distribution as SHAREWARE.

If you use this program and think the author has helped you, help him. Send 10 dollars (cash, please) to

Miha Mazzini

Gradnikova 23

SI-64240 Radovljica

Slovenia

It's hard to send money through email, but just in case, here are the electronic addresses:

fidonet: (2:380/102)

internet: Miha.Mazzini@Pasadena.Si

For 20 dollars you'll get a diskette of goodies.

Thank you for supporting shareware!