PRINT (command)
{{Short description|Computing command}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
File:RT-11 help.jpg displayed on a VT100.]]
In computing, the print command
provides single-user print spooling capability in a number of operating systems. It is roughly similar to that provided by the UNIX System V lp and BSD lpr print spooler systems.
Implementations
The command is available in the DEC RT-11,{{Cite web|url=http://paleoferrosaurus.com/beta/documents/rt11help.html#PRINT|title=RT-11 HELP FILE|website=paleoferrosaurus.com|access-date=16 July 2018|archive-date=17 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180717041552/http://paleoferrosaurus.com/beta/documents/rt11help.html#PRINT|url-status=dead}} OS/8,"Concise Command Language" (CCL).{{cite web
|url=http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/dec/pdp8/os8/OS8_Handbook_Apr1974.pdf
|title=OS/8 Handbook |date=April 1974 |access-date=28 November 2017}} RSX-11,{{Cite book |title=RSX A Guide for Users |date=1987 |author=John F. Pieper |publisher=Digital Equipment Corporation |url=http://www.rsx11m.com/rsxguide.pdf |isbn=0-932376-90-8 |access-date=2020-09-19}} TOPS-10,{{Cite book |title=TOPS-10 Operating System Commands Manual |date=August 1980 |publisher=Digital Equipment Corporation |url=http://scandocs.trailing-edge.com/tops10-aa-0916d-tb.pdf |access-date=2019-02-17 |archive-date=9 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809145058/http://scandocs.trailing-edge.com/tops10-aa-0916d-tb.pdf |url-status=dead }} and TOPS-20{{cite web
|url=http://www.textfiles.com/bitsavers/pdf/dec/pdp10/TOPS20/V6.1/AA-FP65A-TM_tops20CmdsRef.pdf
|title=TOPS-20 Command manual
|access-date=18 July 2018
|archive-date=9 August 2020
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809103116/http://www.textfiles.com/bitsavers/pdf/dec/pdp10/TOPS20/V6.1/AA-FP65A-TM_tops20CmdsRef.pdf
|url-status=dead
}} operating systems and also in DR FlexOS,{{cite web |url=http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/digitalResearch/flexos/1073-2003_FlexOS_Users_Guide_V1.3_Nov86.pdf |title=FlexOS User's Guide |date=1986 |website=bitsavers.org |access-date=2020-09-19 |archive-date=25 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190925131719/http://bitsavers.org/pdf/digitalResearch/flexos/1073-2003_FlexOS_Users_Guide_V1.3_Nov86.pdf |url-status=dead }} DR DOS, TSL PC-MOS,{{Cite web|url=https://github.com/roelandjansen/pcmos386v501|title=roelandjansen/pcmos386v501|website=GitHub|date=2 January 2022}} Paragon Technology PTS-DOS,
{{cite web |title=PTS-DOS 2000 Pro User Manual |publisher=Paragon Technology GmbH |location=Buggingen, Germany |date=1999 |url=http://download.paragon-software.com/doc/manual_dos_eng.pdf |access-date=2018-05-12 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180512094512/http://download.paragon-software.com/doc/manual_dos_eng.pdf |archive-date=2018-05-12}} SISNE plus,{{Cite web|url=https://datassette.org/manuais/ibm-pc/sisne-plus-referencia-sumaria|title=SISNE plus – Referência Sumária|date=14 May 2015|website=Datassette}} IBM OS/2,{{Cite web |url=http://www.jatomes.com/Help/Os2Cmd.php#PRINT |title=JaTomes Help – OS/2 Commands |access-date=6 July 2019 |archive-date=14 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190414130029/http://www.jatomes.com/Help/Os2Cmd.php#PRINT |url-status=dead }} eComStation, ArcaOS, Microsoft Windows, FreeDOS,{{Cite web|url=http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/micro/pc-stuff/freedos/files/distributions/1.2/repos/pkg-html/group-base.html|title=ibiblio.org FreeDOS Group -- FreeDOS Base|website=ibiblio.org}} Stratus OpenVOS,{{cite web |url=http://stratadoc.stratus.com/vos/19.1.0/r098-19/wwhelp/wwhimpl/common/html/r098-19.pdf |title= Manual |website=stratadoc.stratus.com |access-date=2020-09-19}} AROS,{{Cite web|url=https://aros.sourceforge.io/documentation/users/shell/index.php|title=AROS Research Operating System|website=aros.sourceforge.io}} HP MPE/iX,{{Cite web |url=http://www.teamnaconsulting.com/compresources/pdfs/c01687363.pdf |title=MPE/iX Command Reference Manual |access-date=21 October 2018 |archive-date=21 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181021232213/http://www.teamnaconsulting.com/compresources/pdfs/c01687363.pdf |url-status=dead }} and OpenVMS.{{Cite web|url=https://www.itec.suny.edu/scsys/vms/OVMSDOC073/v73/6489/6489pro_005.html|title=OpenVMS User's Manual|website=itec.suny.edu}}{{Dead link|date=October 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
The FreeDOS version was developed by James Tabor and is licensed under the GPL.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/micro/pc-stuff/freedos/files/distributions/1.2/repos/pkg-html/print.html|title=ibiblio.org FreeDOS Package -- print (FreeDOS Base)|website=ibiblio.org}}
DOS, OS/2, Windows
= Background =
The command was introduced in MS-DOS/IBM PC DOS 2.0. DR DOS 6.0 includes an implementation of the {{code|PRINT}} command.{{Cite web |url=https://www.4corn.co.uk/archive/docs/DR%20DOS%206.0%20User%20Guide-opt.pdf |title=DR DOS 6.0 User Guide Optimisation and Configuration Tips |access-date=12 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190930135943/http://www.4corn.co.uk/archive/docs/DR%20DOS%206.0%20User%20Guide-opt.pdf |archive-date=30 September 2019 |url-status=dead }}
In early versions of DOS, printing was accomplished using the copy command: the file to be printed was "copied" to the file representing the print device. Control returned to the user when the print job completed. Beginning with DOS 2.0, the print command was included to allow basic print spooling: the ability to continue to use the computer while printing occurred in the background, and the ability to create a queue of jobs to be printed.
= Description =
The print command allowed specifying one of many possible local printer interfaces, and could make use of networked printers using the net command. A maximum number of files and a maximum buffer size could be specified, and further command-line options allowed adding and removing files from the queue. Margins, page lengths and number of copies could also be set, as well as a parameter to adjust between favoring printing speed versus computer responsiveness.
= Retrospect =
Users of the initial release of the print command commented on the slow print speed and high resource usage, as well as the lack of support for the newly introduced subdirectories. The command was among the first RAM-resident programs and was the first to achieve widespread use, with many users disassembling the binary in order to determine how RAM-resident programs should be written.
See also
References
{{Reflist|refs=
|first1=Tim
|last1=Paterson
|author-link1=Tim Paterson
|title=Microsoft DOS V1.1 and V2.0: /msdos/v20source/PRINT.ASM
|url=http://www.computerhistory.org/atchm/microsoft-research-license-agreement-msdos-v1-1-v2-0/
|publisher=Computer History Museum, Microsoft
|date=2013-12-19
|orig-year=1983
|access-date=2015-10-01
}}
|url=http://www.computerhistory.org/atchm/microsoft-ms-dos-early-source-code/
|title=Microsoft MS-DOS early source code
|series=Software Gems: The Computer History Museum Historical Source Code Series
|first=Len
|last=Shustek
|date=2014-03-24
|access-date=2015-10-01}}
}}
Further reading
- {{Cite book|author-last=Cooper|author-first=Jim|title=Special Edition Using MS-DOS 6.22, Third Edition|date=2001|publisher=Que Publishing|isbn=978-0789725738}}
- {{Cite book|author1=Kathy Ivens|author2=Brian Proffit|year=1993|title=OS/2 Inside & Out|publisher=Osborne McGraw-Hill|isbn=978-0078818714}}
- {{Cite book|author=John Paul Mueller|year=2007|title=Windows Administration at the Command Line for Windows Vista, Windows 2003, Windows XP, and Windows 2000|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-0470165799}}
External links
{{Wikibooks|Guide to Windows Commands}}
- [https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/print print | Microsoft Docs]
- [https://github.com/microsoft/MS-DOS/blob/master/v2.0/source/PRINT.ASM Open source PRINT implementation that comes with MS-DOS v2.0]
{{Windows commands}}
Category:External DOS commands
Category:Microcomputer software
Category:Microsoft free software