The Font Loader

This utility was designed primarily to allow me to keep one 
copy of each font I've purchased in it's original form on my 
hard disk, and still be able to load a select group of fonts 
at any time.

Using HP's PCLPAK to create download font sets is fine, if you 
have the room to spare on your system.  Going this route means 
that you've got at least two copies of each font file on your 
system,though; one in it's original form, and another inside 
one or more download sets.

The program FONTS.EXE takes as its argument the drive, path, 
and file name of an ascii text file.  This text file contains 
the starting font ID number you wish to use, and the list of 
font files you wish to download.  A sample text file (font.lst) 
is included in this archive set.

Syntax for FONTS.EXE:

FONTS [d:][pathname][font list file name]

To download the list of fonts in the text file HVFONTS.LST, 
located in the directory \FONTS of drive C:, you would issue 
the following command:

FONTS C:\FONTS\HVFONTS.LST

If the drive letter, directory, or font list filename do not 
exist, FONTS.EXE will deliver an error message to that effect.  
If the drive or directory is omitted, the drive or directory 
is assumed to be the current one.  If drive, directory, and 
filename are all omitted, the filename is assumed to be FONT.LST.


The format for the text file follows:


Starting FontID
Font Filename 1
Font Filename 2
Font Filename 3
.
.
.
Below is an example:


1
C:\HPFONTS\HV120RPN.R8L
C:\HPFONTS\HV120BPN.R8L
C:\HPFONTS\HV120IPN.R8L
C:\HPFONTS\HV140RPN.R8L
C:\HPFONTS\HV140BPN.R8L
C:\HPFONTS\HV140IPN.R8L
C:\HPFONTS\HV180BPN.R8L


The above would download 7 fonts, starting with a font ID number 
of 1, located in the \HPFONTS directory of drive C:.  Helvetica 
12p regular would be assigned font ID 1, boldface 2, italics 
3; Helvetica 14p regular 4, etc.  All fonts downloaded by FONTS.EXE 
are assigned permanent status.

FONTS.EXE stops downloading when the end of the text file is 
reached, and an audible signal sounds to let you know that downloading 
is complete.

Remember, you can have no more than 32 fonts downloaded to the 
LaserJet+, 500+, or Series II at any one time, regardless of 
the amount of memory you have installed.  Therefore, it's pointless 
to include more than 32 fonts in a download list.

The program was written and compiled in QuickBasic 3, and recompiled 
(after a few modifications) under QuickBasic 4 (4K smaller under 
QB4).  Printer output is sent to the DOS device LPT1: (as opposed 
to the BASIC device LPT1; had some weird problems with that), 
which you can assign to serial port COM1: with the DOS statements:

MODE COM1:96,N,8,1,P
MODE LPT1:=COM1:


I hope this program proves useful to you in your endeavours 
to tame your LaserJet.

Jeff Drumm
ValCom Computer Center
470 Forest Ave.
Portland, Maine 04101
70611,3151