Any job that is sent to the printer is managed by the Spooler. For example, the following INFO/ACCESS command uses the keyword LPTR to direct the output to the printer.
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>LIST CUSTOMERS LAST-NAME FIRST-NAME LPTR |
Most commands also accept the parenthetical (P option to send the output of a command to the printer.
A print job is actually a request for the Spooler to handle the output from the process. The Spooler collects the output intended for the printer and places it in a temporary print file. The Spooler maintains a queue to handle all requests on a first-come, first- served basis. Each entry in the print queue identifies the print file and its destination.
For each entry in the queue the Spooler determines if the assigned printer is available to handle the job. If the printer is available, the job is printed immediately. If the printer is unavailable, this means that either the printer is currently printing a job or the printer is off- line. In both cases, the Spooler holds the print job in the queue until the printer is ready to take the job.
See Also