Absolute Horizontal Move Command Handled Incorrectly if PDT Used (214656)

SYMPTOMS

AS/400 print jobs that contain the Absolute Horizontal Move SCS command will print with incorrect formatting if the AS/400 print session is configured to use a Printer Definition Table (PDT) file. The incorrect formatting will cause data to be printed farther from the left margin than was intended.

As an example, assume a print job that is supposed to generate the following output:

123456789
    AAAA

The second line of the print job is supposed to print 'AAAA' (without quotes) starting at print position (column) 5. If this print job includes an Absolute Horizontal Move command at the beginning of the second line that specifies that the next position is column number 5, the following output will be generated if the SNA Server print session is configured to use a PDT file:

123456789
     AAAA

The second line will start printing at print position (column) 6 instead of print position 5.

This does not occur if the AS/400 print session is not configured to use a PDT in SNA Server Manager.

For additional information about a similar problem with the Absolute Vertical Move Command, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Absolute Vertical Move Command Handled Incorrectly if PDT Used

CAUSE

The virtual print driver used by SNA Server's host print service does not keep track of the print job's current print position when a PDT file is used for a print session. Consequently, the 5250 print provider always uses a current print position of 1 when calculating the number of print positions to move across the current print line when processing an Absolute Horizontal Move command. This results in extra spaces being sent to the printer, which moves the print data too far across the current print line.

The current print position is tracked when a PDT file is not used, which is why this problem does not occur when a PDT file is not used for the AS/400 print session.

RESOLUTION

SNA Server 4.0

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for SNA Server version 4.0. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

215838 How to Obtain the Latest SNA Server Version 4.0 Service Pack

SNA Server 3.0

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for SNA Server version 3.0. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

184307 How to Obtain the Latest SNA Server Version 3.0 Service Pack

MORE INFORMATION

After applying the update, the host print service keeps track of a print job's current print position when a PDT file is used.

The SCS control code Presentation Position (PP) '0x34' is commonly used in AS/400 (APPC) printing. This control code allows the print position to be moved either horizontally or vertically, relative to the previous position or to an absolute position.

The following are the four forms of the Presentation Position SCS control code.

Absolute Horizontal Presentation Position (AHPP) '0x34C0(nn)'
Parameters: nn - The column number the print position is set to.
Example: 34C00F
34C0 - AHPP
0F - column number 15

Relative Horizontal Presentation Position (RHPP) '0x34C8(nn)'
Parameters: nn - The number of columns to move from the current print position.
Example: 34C80F
34C8 - RHPP
0F - 15 columns

Absolute Vertical Presentation Position (AVPP) '0x34C4(nn)'
Parameters: nn - The line number the print position is set to.
Example: 34C40F
34C4 - AVPP
0F - line number 15

Relative Vertical Presentation Position (RVPP) '0x344C(nn)'
Parameters: nn - The number of lines to move from the current print position.
Example: 344C0F
344C - RVPP
0F - 15 lines