🚀 go-pugleaf

I just wrote a little ASCII to PS converter for printing
ASCII files on my PS printer.  I'm including the code in
this message because it's fairly short and I thought some
of you might be interested...and also because I'm having
a couple of problems with the thing.  I've also neglected
to include certain things which probably would be nice,
but "oh well" <grins>!
 
1. The file basically works but I've hard coded at 8
space tab replacement into it because I couldn't get my
PS printer to do anything with a \t. It recognized the \t 
as a special character but didn't do a right shift to
compensate for it. What *DOES* the PS interpreter do with
a \t?
 
2. If I choose prn: or LPT1 as the output file name, the
"working" light on my printer blinks like crazy but
nothing ever prints.  However, if I use an actual file
for the output it prints fine (via DOS).  Any guesses on
what's happening (before I start printing out PS errors)?
 
It's actually a VERY simple program but it was fun to do
because it  combines C and PS syntax(es?) in one project. 
Now I need to modify  it so you can choose fonts,
justification, etc. and supply the input  and output
filenames optionally at the command line as parameters.
<laff>
 
*****************    CODE BEGINS HERE    ******************
 
/* program to convert an ASCII text  */
/* file to a PostScript printer file */
 
#include <stdio.h>
FILE     *in, *out;
char     text_file[13]="untitled.txt",
         ps_file[13]="untitled.ps",
         line[81];
int  x=72, y=730, i=0, character;
 
/* ********   function to get file names to convert from user   ******** */
 
void get_file_names() {
      printf ("This program will convert an ASCII text file to\n");
      printf ("a printable PostScript (not-encapsulated) file.\n\n");
      printf ("Enter source file name: ");
      scanf ("%s", text_file);
      printf ("Enter output file name: ");
      scanf ("%s", ps_file);
}
 
/* ******** function to creat PS header including font selection ******* */
 
void ps_header() {
     fprintf (out, "/Courier findfont 10 scalefont setfont\n");
     fprintf (out, "72 730 moveto\n");
}
 
/* ******** function to read in a line from the ASCII text file ******** */
 
int read_line() {
      int done=0, i=0;
      do {   
            if ((character = getc(in)) != EOF) {
                  if (character != '\n' && i < 81) {
                        line[i]=character;
                        i++;
                  }
            }
            else 
                  done =1; 
      } while (!done && character != '\n' && i<81 );
      return (done);
}
 
/* ******* function to write one line of text to PS file w/ show ******** */
 
void write_line() {
int count;   
unsigned len;
     count = (strlen(line)-1);  
     fprintf (out, "(");            
     for (i=0; i<count; i++) {      
            if (line[i] == '\051')  
                  fprintf (out, "\\)");
            else if (line[i] == '\050')
                  fprintf (out, "\\(");
            else if (line [i] == '\134')
                  fprintf (out, "\\\\");
            else if (line [i] == '\11')
                  fprintf (out, "        ");
            else
                  putc (line[i], out);
     }
     fprintf (out, ") show\n");  
     y-=12;
     if (y<=36) {
            fprintf (out, "showpage 72 730 moveto\n");
            y = 730;
     }
     else 
            fprintf (out, "72 %d moveto\n", y);
     
     for (i=0; i<81; ++i) 
            line[i]='\0';     /* clear out array for next line */
}
 
/* ****** main function for converting ASCII to PostScript ********* */
 
void main() {
int done=0;
    get_file_names();
    if ((in=fopen(text_file, "r")) == NULL)
            printf ("Cannot open %s for reading.\n", text_file);
    else if ((out=fopen(ps_file, "w")) == NULL)
            printf ("Cannot open %s for writing.\n", ps_file);
    else {
            ps_header();
            do {
                  (done=read_line());
                  write_line();
            } while (!done);
            fprintf (out, "showpage");
     }
     fclose (in);
     fclose (out);
}
 
*********************    CODE ENDS HERE    ************************
 
Thanks for any input.  Please reply via e-mail as I haven't had the time 
lately to keep up with all the message traffic.

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