Save a printer file

Save a printer file

For support cases it can sometimes be required, that you include a saved printer file, that is used by the Spool2XML module.


This would normally be the converted (XML) printer file, which will make the printing application generate 'XML like' spooled files.

The procedure to save the printer file is covered in details below:

Identification of the XML printer file
From the IFORMNG2/IFORMNG2 menu you can see the name and library of the printer file, if you first select option 2. Work with XML definitions from the menu below.
IFORMNG2                Interform NG2 Main Menu                               

Select one of the following:                         System . . . :  PMK250   
                                                     User . . . . :  KSE      
   Administration                                    Version  . . :  1.6.0b    

     1. Work with monitored output queues                                     
     2. Work with XML definitions                                             
     5. Work with IFORMNG2 output queue                                       

    10. Start IFORMNG2 subsystem                                              
    11. End IFORMNG2 subsystem                                                
    12. Work with IFORMNG2 subsystem                                          

    31. Display print service log                                             
    51. Adjust CPI - *AFPDS configuration                                     
    91. License                                                               
    92. Change NG2 installation                                            

Selection or command                                                          
===>                                                                          

F3=Exit   F4=Prompt   F9=Retrieve   F12=Cancel                                
F13=Information Assistant  F16=System main menu

Then you will see the list of the XML definitions like below:

   Work with XML definitions                                    XDF300D 

 Position to . . . . . .                Printer file                           

 Type options, press Enter.                                                

   2=Change   3=Copy   4=Delete   5=Display   12=Record formats           
   14=Parent child relationship   15=Display keys   17=Export           

 Opt  File        Library     Description                                      
 _    AM64MRP1    IFORMDEV    CVTPRTFXML                                       
      NG401PR     EXPORTID:1  CVTPRTFXML                                       
      NG401PR     EXPORTID:2  CVTPRTFXML                                       
      NG401PR     EXPORT0001  CVTPRTFXML                                       
      NG401PR     KSE_HIGH    CVTPRTFXML                                       
      NG401PR     KSE_HIGH¤   CVTPRTFXML                                       
      NG401PR     PRODNY      CVTPRTFXML                                       
      NG401PR     VERSION 2.  CVTPRTFXML                                       

                                                                           End

 F3=Exit   F5=Refresh   F6=Create   F8=Import   F11=View 2   F12=Cancel

If you now choose to e.g. change the XML definition with option 2=Change, then you can see the main settings of the XML definition:

     Change XML Definition                                        XDF310D

 Printer file . . . . . . :   AM64MRP1                                    
   Library  . . . . . . . :     IFORMNG2AS   Name, *ALL              

 Reference printer file . :   AM64MRP1                                
   Reference library  . . :     AMALIBB                                

 Description  . . . . . . .   CVTPRTFXML                               
 Template . . . . . . . . .                                                    

 Create fragments . . . . .   3              0=Ignore fragment processing
                                             1=Single fragments file      
                                             2=Multiple fragment files          
                                             3=Treebuilder                      

 Output queue . . . . . . .                                            
   Library  . . . . . . . .                                                     

 Optimize XML-output  . . :   0              0=No  1=Yes                        

 F3=Exit   F12=Cancel

In the top you can see the name and library of the XML printer file, which in this case is AM64MRP1 in library, IFORMNG2AS.


Create a temporary save file
The next step is to create a temporary save file. You can e.g. create that in the QTEMP library with the command below:
CRTSAVF QTEMP/AM64MRP1

Here I have chosen to name the save file the same as the printer file, but you can freely choose the name.


Save the printer file in the save file
Now you can save the printer file to the save file created in the previous step.

You can do that with this command:

SAVOBJ OBJ(AM64MRP1) LIB(IFORMNG2AS) DEV(*SAVF) SAVF(QTEMP/AM64MRP1) TGTRLS(V7R1M0)

Where the parameters are:

  • OBJ
    The name of the printer file, that you want to save.

  • LIB
    The library of the printer file, that you want to save.

  • DEV
    The type of target for the save. *SAVF means, that we want to save into a save file.

  • SAVF
    The save file that the printer file is to be saved into. It should match the save file created in the previous step.

  • TGTRLS
    The target release of OS400 to save to. It is highly recommended to save to the earliest possible version. Here the target release is V7R1M0.

Copy the save file to the IFS
Now you can copy the save file into the IFS with this command:
CPYTOSTMF FROMMBR('/QSYS.LIB/QTEMP.LIB/AM64MRP1.FILE') 
         TOSTMF('/IFORMNG2/AM64MRP1.SAVF') 
         STMFOPT(*REPLACE) CVTDTA(*NONE)        

The parameters are:

  • FROMMBR
    Here you should state the path to the save file. The path must be written in the format above, where it is here referring to the save file named, AM64MRP1 in library QTEMP.

  • TOSTMF
    This is the target stream file in the IFS, that we want to create. Here we copy the save file into the stream file, AM64RP1.SAVF in the folder, IFORMNG2.

  • STMFOPT
    *REPLACE means, that the existing stream file with the same name (in the same folder) should be replaced, if it should already exist.

  • CVTDTA
    This sets up the conversion. *NONE means, that the data in the save file should not be converted, but a binary copy is done.

Download to your PC and attach the save file e.g. to a support ticket.
Copy the stream file to the PC

The final step is to copy the stream file to your PC. The most simple way is to access the folder via MS File explorer, but if that is not an option (e.g. if the Netserver is not running on the IBM i), then you can download it e.g. via IBM i Access Client Solutions, where you select Integrated File Systems:

NG2SavePRTF0001

 

Here you need to select the stream file in question and then right click to download the file.

NG2SavePRTF0002

 

Afterwards you can find the file in the downloads folder on your PC.

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