Re: Intelligent Mail barcode fonts for VM PSF
Tim, I found out my problem unzipping the file from the USPS site was that I had Filezip, maybe an old version. I uninstalled Filezip on my Windows XP system and then I was able to unzip the USPS file. Instead of XmitManager and afrreblk, I used another tool I have for reading XMIT format files and got the files into what looks like the correct z/VM format. I sent them to you. --Roger On Sat, Jan 29, 2011 at 2:24 AM, Tim O'Brien tobr...@tobe.com wrote: Hello Remember I am starting with a zip file from the USPS. I do not an MVS system. I used the XMIT Manager to get the files out on a PC since that is the best I could do. The files on the PC do Equal the files on VM I used a hex editor and Xedit hextype. There are extra likely file format information before th 5A 00 that looks to be at the start of each record. Also al the font file names that start with X are only 2 bytes. All my VM fonts with X are normal 4 records. I still stuck trying to get this new barcode fonts. Is anyone else using VM PSF to print USPS new barcodes? The old barcodes work, but the USPS is drop them soon. Thanks Tim
Re: Intelligent Mail barcode fonts for VM PSF
Hello Remember I am starting with a zip file from the USPS. I do not an MVS s ystem. I used the XMIT Manager to get the files out on a PC since that is the best I could do. The files on the PC do Equal the files on VM I us ed a hex editor and Xedit hextype. There are extra likely file format inf ormation before th 5A 00 that looks to be at the start of each record. Al so al the font file names that start with X are only 2 bytes. All my VM f onts with X are normal 4 records. I still stuck trying to get this new barcode fonts. Is anyone else using VM PSF to print USPS new barcodes? The old barcodes work, but the USPS is drop them soon. Thanks Tim
Re: Intelligent Mail barcode fonts for VM PSF
Hello Ok I got all the files/program XmitManager (takes the file out of the tso receive) USPS zip file (has the files) VMA (pc version of vmarc) unziped the file pull the 240 300 fonts out of the PDS format used VMA to create a VMARC of the files ind$file that up to customer's VM site run VMARC to extract the files and oops ... the some how even thought every thing ran fine the file all have one record (ok one had 2) if I xedit them and compare them to other fonts .. I could sort of guess where a line break might need to be. But this just seams to not be the right way Thanks for the thought ... or did I miss a step? tim
Re: Intelligent Mail barcode fonts for VM PSF
Tim, For AFP resource files like fonts that have been uploaded in a binary format from a PC, you probably need to reblock them into the normal record structure for the host. See http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=psd1P4000182 to get the AFRREBLK tool for MVS and VM. There are links on that page to both the FTP download of the package and to documentation on how to use it. Regards, --Roger On Fri, Jan 28, 2011 at 9:48 AM, Tim O'Brien tobr...@tobe.com wrote: Hello Ok I got all the files/program XmitManager (takes the file out of the tso receive) USPS zip file (has the files) VMA (pc version of vmarc) unziped the file pull the 240 300 fonts out of the PDS format used VMA to create a VMARC of the files ind$file that up to customer's VM site run VMARC to extract the files and oops ... the some how even thought every thing ran fine the file all have one record (ok one had 2) if I xedit them and compare them to other fonts .. I could sort of guess where a line break might need to be. But this just seams to not be the right way Thanks for the thought ... or did I miss a step? tim
Re: Intelligent Mail barcode fonts for VM PSF
Tim, From this earlier note of yours, I assume that you are using the AFP fonts for PSF/VM to print to the MPI Tech Blue Server (I'm not familiar with the MPI Tech Blue Server) so that PSF/VM sees it as an IPDS printer, and the Blue Server transforms the AFP data into PCL for the printer. On Wed, Jan 26, 2011 at 2:51 PM, Tim O'Brien tobr...@tobe.com wrote: Hello This customer's printing to PCL is via MPI Tech's Blue server z/vse(s) - z/vm queue - psf 2 grp 4 - tcp - PC Blue server - printer this setup has kept working over a few vm upgrades I just moved the minidisks between the upgrade sorry I could give you better info tim
Re: Intelligent Mail barcode fonts for VM PSF
Tim, My guess would be that the MPI Tech Blue Server (if it is doing the transform I think it is) is only going to use the 300 pel version of the fonts, and that both the 240 and 300 pel versions have the same member names so you will need to keep them separate. --Roger On Fri, Jan 28, 2011 at 9:48 AM, Tim O'Brien tobr...@tobe.com wrote: Hello Ok I got all the files/program XmitManager (takes the file out of the tso receive) USPS zip file (has the files) VMA (pc version of vmarc) unziped the file pull the 240 300 fonts out of the PDS format used VMA to create a VMARC of the files ind$file that up to customer's VM site run VMARC to extract the files and oops ... the some how even thought every thing ran fine the file all have one record (ok one had 2) if I xedit them and compare them to other fonts .. I could sort of guess where a line break might need to be. But this just seams to not be the right way Thanks for the thought ... or did I miss a step? tim
Re: Intelligent Mail barcode fonts for VM PSF
I think we're conflating two issues — I wanted to know about the issue of PCL. I'm playing with an idea to be able to eliminate some of the outboard processing. From what I can see in the docs (at least for z/OS AFP), AFP now natively supports PCL4 printers. I'm curious if anyone has tried this in general as an alternative to IPDS printers. I have some ideas about handling the output for archiving if this actually works without screwing up the output too badly. Not being a AFP wizard, I was looking for some sample output from the AFP PCL driver. -- db
Re: Intelligent Mail barcode fonts for VM PSF
David, What two issues are conflated? I'm getting confused now. I was only trying to answer Tim's question about how to get the USPS AFP fonts for IMB into a format that PSF/VM could use. Can you give a link to what you see that indicates AFP now natively supports PCL4 printers? Many kinds of printers can have IPDS cards in them so that they support IPDS as well as PCL or PS. Or are you talking about using the AFP Viewer to see the image and then print it to a PCL printer? I guess I'm not understanding completely what you're asking. PSF is only going to handle MO:DCA-P (a.k.a. AFPDS) data and use IPDS to communicate with a printer that supports IPDS. PSF only does IPDS output. If you are on z/OS, then Infoprint Server with the Infoprint Transforms can take AFP and convert it to PDF, PostScript, or PCL and send it to a non-IPDS printer. Infoprint Server can also send AFP to a remote PSF (like Infoprint Manager) for printing. If you want to see the publications that describe AFP Architecture, see http://www.outputlinks.com/SpecialInterest/AFPColorConsortium/publications.html The Infoprint Server documentation can be found within the z/OS Information Centers. See the z/OS Internet Library as a starting point to get to the documentation for your level of z/OS. http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/z/os/zos/bkserv/ Regards, --Roger On Fri, Jan 28, 2011 at 1:38 PM, David Boyes dbo...@sinenomine.net wrote: I think we're conflating two issues — I wanted to know about the issue of PCL. I'm playing with an idea to be able to eliminate some of the outboard processing. From what I can see in the docs (at least for z/OS AFP), AFP now natively supports PCL4 printers. I'm curious if anyone has tried this in general as an alternative to IPDS printers. I have some ideas about handling the output for archiving if this actually works without screwing up the output too badly. Not being a AFP wizard, I was looking for some sample output from the AFP PCL driver. -- db
Re: Intelligent Mail barcode fonts for VM PSF
Hello Ok I took the Zip file and extracted the fonts ... Yep the 240 are not needed .. but just in case I'm doing both and watchin g my filetype names So now I have the Files as they would be on MVS .. but sitting on the PC .. likely not blocked as why would you need that, when the library should be loaded on an mvs like system .. That is why I used VMARC .. I assumed it keep the file formats I found VMA .. which is the PC/WINDOWS version of VMARC I put the files in to one arc file and moved that up Binary/fixed to Z/VM Then I extracted the files with VMARC .. yep they came out with recfm v a nd lrecl all over the place ,,, just like normal fonts would look but it's all ONE record NOTHING generated an error message or warning about file not be correctly formatted My quick guess is that either extracted from the TSO file or the pc versi on of VMARC does not know how/where the lines should have been separated ... ... Ok we have used the reblocker after moving AFP resources to the mainframe , but the file was preblocked by the generating program .. is there a block er program and does it have a version for the PC .. and then are these files on the PC even blocked up to start with ... Hope all is well, Enjoy tim
Re: Intelligent Mail barcode fonts for VM PSF
On Friday, 01/28/2011 at 06:32 EST, Tim O'Brien tobr...@tobe.com wrote: but it's all ONE record NOTHING generated an error message or warning about file not be correctly formatted My quick guess is that either extracted from the TSO file or the pc version of VMARC does not know how/where the lines should have been separated ... All record boundaries are lost when binary data is downloaded to a PC. The best way is to block the data on the host before you download to the PC. Then you upload/download to your heart's content using binary transfer. When all done, you reblock the data back into it's original format. That's why the AFRREBLK program is useful. The following procedure is untested: 1. Run AFRREBLK to MVS against EACH font library member you want 2. Download each member to your PC in binary 3. Use VMA to create the VMARC file containing all those members 4. Upload to VM in binary 5. PIPE BARCODES VMARC A | fblock 80 00 | BARCODES VMARC A F 80 6. VMARC UNPK BARCODES VMARC A 7. Run AFRREBLK against each of the unpacked FONTxxx files It might be simpler just to FTP MPUT all the files from your workstation to VM without creating the VMARC. Alan Altmark z/VM and Linux on System z Consultant IBM System Lab Services and Training ibm.com/systems/services/labservices office: 607.429.3323 alan_altm...@us.ibm.com IBM Endicott
Re: Intelligent Mail barcode fonts for VM PSF
Tim, I don't understand the last paragraph. When you move AFP resources around, just use binary all the time. There is no such thing as blocks or records on the PC, and then you do a binary upload to a VM file that is RECFM V and then run AFRREBLK to fix it. If you enter afrreblk ? it gives some brief help. The comments inside the exec explain what it does and the syntax better. Upload the files with something like UP300 for the filetype, and then you could, in FILELIST, do something like EXECUTE * AFRREBLK / = FONT300 A ( FONTLIB 300 to create the reblocked FONT300 files. AFRREBLK will separate the file into records with one structured field per record. See the comments in the exec for details. Does that help? --Roger On Fri, Jan 28, 2011 at 4:32 PM, Tim O'Brien tobr...@tobe.com wrote: Hello Ok I took the Zip file and extracted the fonts ... Yep the 240 are not needed .. but just in case I'm doing both and watching my filetype names So now I have the Files as they would be on MVS .. but sitting on the PC .. likely not blocked as why would you need that, when the library should be loaded on an mvs like system .. That is why I used VMARC .. I assumed it keep the file formats I found VMA .. which is the PC/WINDOWS version of VMARC I put the files in to one arc file and moved that up Binary/fixed to Z/VM Then I extracted the files with VMARC .. yep they came out with recfm v and lrecl all over the place ,,, just like normal fonts would look but it's all ONE record NOTHING generated an error message or warning about file not be correctly formatted My quick guess is that either extracted from the TSO file or the pc version of VMARC does not know how/where the lines should have been separated ... ... Ok we have used the reblocker after moving AFP resources to the mainframe, but the file was preblocked by the generating program .. is there a blocker program and does it have a version for the PC .. and then are these files on the PC even blocked up to start with ... Hope all is well, Enjoy tim
Re: Intelligent Mail barcode fonts for VM PSF
For some reason, right now, when I try to download and unzip uspsFontsAFP-1.4.0.zip my system is telling me it isn't a valid Zip archive, so I can't look inside, but here's what I suggest. Don't use the VSE fonts. VSE does link the fonts into phases, as you noted, and those phases are not useful on VM or MVS. If you can unzip the file and get the MVS version of the fonts, those should work just fine on VM too. The difference is that, on VM, each member of the MVS font library becomes a separate file with the filetype indicating the type of fonts, like FONTLIBB, FONT300, or FONTOLN, etc. I'm assuming these are traditional AFP fonts. Regards, --Roger On Wed, Jan 26, 2011 at 12:27 PM, Tim O'Brien tobr...@tobe.com wrote: Hello I see the US Post Office is giving out the Intelligent Mail barcode fonts for other major flavor of IBM OSs that run PSF ... see https://ribbs.usps.gov/onecodesolution/download.cfm and the uspsFontsAFP-1.4.0.zip file. The build of the Fonts under VSE is via a Link Edit of a text deck ... Can anyone tell me/point me how to use this maybe to build them under VM? could I move Fonts from VSE to VM (we have both at this Customer's site) Any advice would be Great! Hope all is well, Enjoy tim
Re: Intelligent Mail barcode fonts for VM PSF
Hello to Quote the included PDF file on the MVS install The files to be uploaded are unloaded MVS partitioned data sets (PDS) in TSO Transmit format. To restore the files for use on an MVS system you wil l require: - A personal computer equipped with an emulator capable of doing a binary upload to TSO on the MVS host. - A version of the TSO RECEIVE command that can accept its input from a sequential file, i.e., the TSO/E version of RECEIVE So I did upload them to Z?VM .. but how to I get the then in to something .. I can see eye catchers ... but they are still in that PDS format for the receive command.. .. still stuck ..
Re: Intelligent Mail barcode fonts for VM PSF
Hello This customer's printing to PCL is via MPI Tech's Blue server z/vse(s) - z/vm queue - psf 2 grp 4 - tcp - PC Blue server - printer this setup has kept working over a few vm upgrades I just moved the minidisks between the upgrade sorry I could give you better info tim
Re: Intelligent Mail barcode fonts for VM PSF
I have NOT tried this, but there is a tool called XmitManager from cbttape.org that might help. If you can unzip a file from the original zip package that is supposed to be an sequential unloaded PDS file from the XMIT command, it might be able to pull the individual members from that to your PC which you could then upload to VM as separate files. As I said, I have NOT tried this, but I get the impression from reading about Xmit Manager that it might work. --Roger On Wed, Jan 26, 2011 at 2:37 PM, Tim O'Brien tobr...@tobe.com wrote: Hello to Quote the included PDF file on the MVS install The files to be uploaded are unloaded MVS partitioned data sets (PDS) in “TSO Transmit” format. To restore the files for use on an MVS system you will require: - A personal computer equipped with an emulator capable of doing a binary upload to TSO on the MVS host. - A version of the TSO RECEIVE command that can accept its input from a sequential file, i.e., the TSO/E version of RECEIVE So I did upload them to Z?VM .. but how to I get the then in to something .. I can see eye catchers ... but they are still in that PDS format for the receive command.. .. still stuck ..
