Message-ID: <1654@rlgvax.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 3-Feb-84 22:09:33 EST
Article-I.D.: rlgvax.1654
Posted: Fri Feb 3 22:09:33 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 9-Feb-84 02:55:38 EST
References: <333@hou5g.UUCP>
Organization: CCI Office Systems Group, Reston, VA
Lines: 15
> Bidirectional printing is NOT a function of software. It must
> be handled by HARDWARE.
On some printers, however, it is not only a function of hardware (or, actually,
firmware; any one of the Diablo-type servo-controlled printers has the hardware
capability, but the micro controlling the printer may not have code to do
it) but also a function of the software controlling the printer. The letter-
quality printers I've worked with of the Diablo-type servo-controlled family
(Diablo, NEC Spinwriter, Qume, etc.) could print backwards; however, the
host software had to position the head to the leftmost or rightmost position,
put the printer in "print forwards" or "print backwards" mode, and send the
characters in right-to-left order if printing backwards.
Guy Harris
{seismo,ihnp4,allegra}!rlgvax!guy