How do you  check that a parallel dot matrix printer is online  in
QuickBasic?
Thanks,

JB

DO
   INPUT "Enter Printer (1,2,3):", Printer
LOOP WHILE (Printer < 1 OR Printer > 3)

Regs.ax = &H200
Regs.dx = Printer - 1
CALL Interrupt(&H17, Regs, Regs)

IF ((Regs.ax AND &H2800) OR (Regs.ax AND &H1000) = 0) THEN
   PRINT "Printer not ready"
ELSE
   PRINT "Printer ready"
END IF
END
--
Judson McClendon          This is a faithful saying and worthy of all
Sun Valley Systems        acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the

(please remove zzz from email id to respond)

'Demo code -----------------------------------------------------------

 PRINT "LPT1 is ";
 IF PrinterReady% THEN
   PRINT "ready."
 ELSE
   PRINT "NOT ready."
 END IF
'---------------------------------------------------------------------

'=======================
 FUNCTION PrinterReady% ()
'=======================  

  DIM RetVal AS LOCAL INTEGER

ASM  Mov RetVal, 0         ; assume not ready
ASM  Mov AH, 2             ; set up the call
ASM  Int &H17              ; returns printer status in AH
ASM  And AH, &H80          ; isolate the high bit
ASM  Or  AH, AH            ; not set means not ready
ASM  Jz  NotReady
ASM  Mov RetVal, &HFFFF    ; flag printer ready (-1)

NotReady:

  PrinterReady% = RetVal

END FUNCTION

|>
|> >How do you  check that a parallel dot matrix printer is online  in
|> >QuickBasic?
|>
|> '=======================
|>  FUNCTION PrinterReady% ()
|> '=======================  
|>
|>   DIM RetVal AS LOCAL INTEGER
|>
|> ASM  Mov RetVal, 0         ; assume not ready
|> ASM  Mov AH, 2             ; set up the call
|> ASM  Int &H17              ; returns printer status in AH
|> ASM  And AH, &H80          ; isolate the high bit
|> ASM  Or  AH, AH            ; not set means not ready
|> ASM  Jz  NotReady
|> ASM  Mov RetVal, &HFFFF    ; flag printer ready (-1)
|>
|> NotReady:
|>
|>   PrinterReady% = RetVal
|>
|> END FUNCTION

This function won't work, as written, in QuickBASIC. It is
designed for powerbasic 3.x, and uses the inline assembler
feature of that compiler.

I should know. I wrote this code. (It is good to see it has
a life of its own, now.)

--
Brian McLaughlin, Technical Writer  |"Thanks to the Internet, misinformation
Integrated Measurement Systems, Inc.| now travels faster than ever before!"
Beaverton, OR, USA                  | ---- Standard disclaimer applies ----