User Macros; Programming Considerations - TransAct POSjet 1500 Programmer's Manual

Control Codes
EPOS [GS] 3
Description The [ESC] [US] q <Name..> <0> command prints a status report. The file name is ignored and
may be omitted. The NUL must be present. The intention of the command is to aid in macro
development.
Note 1 The report is also printed as part of the configuration report. The terminating <0> may be
replaced with an & or redefined. See [ESC] [EM]T<n> or &%UT<n> on page 150.
Function Redefine User Store Termination Character
ASCII
[ESC] [EM] T <n>
Hexadecimal
1BH 19H 54H <n>
Decimal
<27> <25> <84> <n>
IPCL &%UT <n>
EPOS
None
Description This command allows the terminator used to signal the end of the name field in User Store
commands to be modified. The value of <n> is used (in addition to the <0>) for the terminator.
The value of n may be from 0 to 255.
The default value for the second terminator is &. If this command redefines the terminator to
something other than &, the & will no longer function.
Example
If &%UT% were sent to the printer the user store command to run macro "Demo" would be
&%URDemo%.

User Macros

The user macro feature works by inserting the macro data buffer into the printer data stream when the print user
store data command is encountered.
Macros can be any data normally sent to the printer including graphics. (Note: User store maintenance and inquire
commands may not be included in the macro definitions.) The printer is designed to store macro data in a RAM-
based storage buffer as it is received and processed. The storage buffer may then be saved to a flash-based user
store or inserted into the print data stream. If a macro is recalled from the user store, it is expanded into the macro
buffer, and replaces whatever is currently there.

Programming Considerations

The flash (nonvolatile) memory has a limited number of write cycle operations. Consequently, the number of saves
should be limited. The buffer should not be saved on a transaction by transaction basis. Once a day should be the
limit.
The buffer is initially about 16K
included in the size limits. The printer does not indicate when the buffer is full. The application must make sure
that the buffer is not overfilled. The printer simply stops saving information when it is full. As the buffer fills, the
input data is printed normally. The effect of the macro start command is to clear the buffer and to start to save the
input data. The macro stop command stops saving data and initializes internal pointers for the next print. To store
the data in the nonvolatile flash, it must be named and saved by one of the user store save commands.
When the macro buffer is inserted into the data stream, configuration commands (like font or pitch changes) remain
in effect after the macro is processed. Illegal commands that are placed in the buffer will take up space.
Horizontal color graphics should be sent to the printer compressed. If the data is not compressed, it is saved in the
macro buffer. If the buffer is saved into the user-store nonvolatile flash, there must be enough room in the user store
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The actual buffer is smaller because of the overhead.
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IPCL commands are converted by the printer into an equivalent [ESC] code and then placed in the save buffer.
The equivalent [ESC] code should be used to calculate the size of the save buffer data.
Page 150
®
POSjet 1500
15
bytes long. All commands
Rev M
Programmer' s Guide
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and print data are placed in the buffer and must be
Nov-07