Lindy - There are numerous ways to do this but there are several things that can make it very difficult. One way would be to use IP PrintWay assuming a site has the software installed and configured. Generally speaking, if the PDF document is still in its original ASCII format then I expect that most sites would prefer to offhand the CPU cycles to perform the rendering on another platform or to a device that can handle the PDF format involved. Nowadays I would expect that most large shops can deliver the data directly from the mainframe over an LPR/LPD conversation to a UNIX or Windows print server or can somehow drive a direct attached IP printer. The secret in this case is to make sure the original ASCII document is not translated to ASCII again and thus destroying its content. Locally we reserve JES SYSOUT class T to mean "transparent" assuring that any "binary" document (graphic image of any flavor or any other file for that matter including PDF) is not retranslated. In the last several years several major vendors such as Levi, Ray & Shoup, Inc. have added such transparent data delivery support directly to direct attached IP printers or to printer cap queues hung off an LPD server. We have over 900 printers that use this facility and the only cycles we spend on the mainframe for printing this type of document are those used by TCP/IP to deliver the document to the printer or the LPD server and those used by the subsystem interface to read the data from the JES spool. When sending data from the mainframe in this manner to an LPD server it is generally a requirement to copy the file from the JES spool to a temporary work file since the LP data/control lines sent as part of a control/data line pair at the first of the file requires an exact byte count (ignoring several RFC extensions with that comment that may not require this) for the file being sent at the first of the print file. I can assure you that rendering a PDF document on a mainframe will cost you significantly more than just handling the work to some cheap UNIX LPD server for direct delivery to the printer or simply directly to a capable printer. Encryption facilities are available for end-to-end printing in this manner if confidential documents are to be sent in this manner but you'll need to check with your systems staff and read the applicable printer documentation and LP daemon server info assuming they're ready for this. Hopefully this can give you some ideas. J. Hamlet
>-----Original Message----- >From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On >Behalf Of Lindy Mayfield >Sent: 04 Januarie 2008 12:59 nm >To: [email protected] >Subject: Re: Printing a PDF or PS doc > >That was my first thought. I've worked in places that have that sort of >setup. > >The question I got was so bizarre to me, something like: "How do I print >a PDF on the mainframe? When I print it, it comes out with the source >code of the PDF." > >One the surface it seems like a reasonable enough question. In my >wildest imagination I expected the answer to be something like: "Yes, >certain IBM printer models have a dual mode of operation and can handle >Postscript. Just add xyz to the SYSOUT parms on your JCL." Or even >better: "No, sorry. Send it to a PC printer if you need that." (Like >you said.) > >Or even better than that: "Check which model printer you have and read >the fine manual. Some do, some don't." ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
