Microsoft KB Archive/31206

DECLARATIVES Section when Printer Is Off Line

PSS ID Number: Q31206 Article last modified on 04-21-1993

2.20 MS-DOS

Summary: The MS COBOL Version 2.2 UPDATE.DOC file states the following: If the printer is off line, the DECLARATIVES section of a program trying to use the printer will be executed. When you are using the ASSIGN TO PRINTER clause, the printer can be off, off line, or unplugged and a DOS “Write Fault” error (which must be ignored) will be generated before the DECLARATIVES section is executed. A second WRITE to the unavailable printer WRITEs to the screen rather than to the printer. No “Write Fault” error is generated in this case and the DECLARATIVES section is not executed. When you are using ASSIGN TO DISK, ORGANIZATION IS LINE SEQUENTIAL, VALUE OF FILE-ID IS “LPT1:”, the program operates as the UPDATE.DOC specifies if the printer is unavailable. The information in the UPDATE.DOC file is probably incorrect and should therefore be ignored. Microsoft is researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

Additional reference words: 2.20 Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1993.