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I need a TEXT Word Processor

M

mattrix

Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2010
Messages
17
Hi,
I'm looking for a word processor that produces a file I can print without using windows drivers. It doesn't have to be old but needs to support Esc/p codes.

In the dim, dark recesses of my mind ....
I can remember a word processor notable for the following features,

* It produced a text file with embeded Esc/p(2?) printer codes. This file could be reopened in the word processor and/or copied to PRN, to print on an Epson printer.

*It had a graphic interface that showed the actual size of the selected fonts (wysiwyg); Windows or possibly DOS graphics mode - I can't remember - but it definitely used the Epson built in fonts at the printer.

It was pretty basic, only supporting features in the Esc/p command set: page size, margins, tab positions, font type, font size, font emphasis/style etc. and NO graphics except the code page graphics characters.

The printer I want to use is an old dot mattrix, but the modern windows drives convert documents into raster images, which are large and are causing memory buffer problems somewhere.
 
You could use 'generic/text only' printer driver in Windows (although there are still IBM 9-pin drivers, at least in XP). Windows drivers have printed the lot as graphics as long ago as Windows 3.0 I think (other than the text driver of course).
 
"Windows drivers have printed the lot as graphics as long ago as Windows 3.0"

Your probably right, so it must have been a DOS app using graphics mode. (though I seem to recall being able to copy and paste?...it WAS a long time ago:)

I still need the word processor to create the output with embedded Esc/p codes to send to the 'generic/text only'. Windows apps loose the fonts and formatting (tab stops etc.) when they use the generic driver
 
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Microsoft Word 6 Pro? When/if I use office apps on Win3x I use Office 6 Pro - it's pretty nice for a Win3x suite, just like Office 2k but... 3x..ier...

(I have no idea if it can do what you describe, just throwing it out there)
 
not sure about the esc/p or epson, but is this too obvious?
wordperfect 5.1 for dos was the uber wp circa 1990
i used a later panasonic dotmatrix until 2000, using office95, win95
the printer manual was thick and had pages of reference for epson and iirc two variants of ibm.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WordPerfect#WordPerfect_for_DOS
i thought I'd seen somewhere on the web that an old version was released free... but...
 
WordStar for DOS allowed one to quote any character by prefixing it with control-V (if I remember correctly).

Another approach is to use a standard word processor that can output .TXT files and reserve a character or character combination to represent ESCape, then run it through a simple filter application to convert said combination to ESCape. In the simplest case, this is just a run through tr or a similar utility.

Reminds me of the hoops we had to jump through when all terminals and keypunches were uppercase and one wanted to compose a document to print in both upper and lower case with a special printer type train installed.
 
Chuck(G) said:
WordStar for DOS allowed one to quote any character by prefixing it with control-V (if I remember correctly).

Another approach is to use a standard word processor that can output .TXT files and reserve a character or character combination to represent ESCape, then run it through a simple filter application to convert said combination to ESCape. In the simplest case, this is just a run through tr or a similar utility.

Reminds me of the hoops we had to jump through when all terminals and keypunches were uppercase and one wanted to compose a document to print in both upper and lower case with a special printer type train installed.
Click to expand...
Ah, the good old days...

But I think you missed the WYSIWIG requirement...
 
I remember having a version of WordPerfect for Windows (5.x something) that came with its own printer drivers -- they might not have the same problem as the built-in Windows ones. The DOS WordPerfect would also be good for this, I think.
 
Microsoft Works was available for dos as was WordPerfect (typically a blue background white txt) editor had very advanced abilities to use macros and formatting. here is a site which has some of the standard codes. In any DOS application you can just hold alt and type the ascii number on the number pad to produce those characters (alt+27 alt+45 alt+49) to turn on underline, etc. Otherwise in dos you could also (I think it was dos not the editor) do ctrl+p followed by the character to print the ascii equivalent (ctrl+pG would produce the bell which in a batch file will do the beep command), etc.
 
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Chuck(G) said:
WYSIWYG with screen fonts but not Windoze? Doesn't leave too many candidates. How about Ventura Publisher?
Click to expand...
I suspect that's why he's still looking... ;-)

But if I understand correctly Windows is OK, as long as it sends text to the printer instead of graphics; didn't some of the programs do that even with LaserJets, using built-in printer fonts on screen and sending text with escape codes to select those fonts in the printer, and only sending graphics for non-native fonts?

Maybe it's just a matter of finding the correct driver...

Or maybe I don't know what I'm talking about...
 
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VP used GEM, so not Windoze.

But color me confused. The OP wants a TEXT processor, but ostensibly not a WORD processor.

To me, text means just that--unformatted ASCII text; lines terminated by a CR-LF. No font changes or other fancy stuff.

But the OP also wants font changes to be displayed as well as supported by escape codes on his printer.

So which is it? A WORD processor with specific printer support and WYSIWYG (only about 5 zillion of those) or a TEXT editor, with no special processing beyond, say tab and return? (only about 7 zillion of those)?
 
Hm.. good point. I took the natural vintage instinct and was trying to produce the product that it used to be rather than a new found solution. So with the ascii codes known it may be possible to just use gvim or notepad to produce a file by hand, save it as a plain .txt file, then echo, copy, etc it to the printer port in windows (ltp1: or prn:, etc).
 
Thanks so much for the replies, everyone,

MikeS said:
But if I understand correctly Windows is OK, as long as it sends text to the printer instead of graphics; didn't some of the programs do that even with LaserJets, using built-in printer fonts on screen and sending text with escape codes to select those fonts in the printer
Click to expand...

Yes, you do understand correctly. I'm guessing they had there own print drivers and didn't use the windows ones....but I don't know.

Maybe it's just a matter of finding the correct driver...
Click to expand...

That is what I thought, but I can't find one; it seems that what modern apps require of a printer is too difficult to translate to lesser printer control codes. so the modern windows approach seems to be to do all the formatting on the computer and send a raster-graphic to the printer, instead of embedded formatting commands.

But color me confused. The OP wants a TEXT processor, but ostensibly not a WORD processor.

To me, text means just that--unformatted ASCII text; lines terminated by a CR-LF. No font changes or other fancy stuff.

So which is it? A WORD processor with specific printer support and WYSIWYG
Click to expand...

A word processor, but I want all the fancy stuff to be done by the printer.
The Esc/p language was quite a capable language, the printers had built in different sized fonts (8-32 point), settable tab positions and could even be told to justify lines etc.

I'm sure there were wysiwyg programs that did this.
 
barythrin said:
So with the ascii codes known it may be possible to just use gvim or notepad to produce a file by hand, save it as a plain .txt file, then echo, copy, etc it to the printer port in windows (ltp1: or prn:, etc).
Click to expand...

Yes someone could, but not me.
If I change the font size, I'd have to move the LF's, and how many 1/360" will I have to adjust the line spacing and if ....
Thats what word processors are for!! :)

Seriously though, I guess I just need a program that can interpret one format (say msword) into text with embedded Esc/p codes.


Edit: I just had a quick look, but couldn't see anything useful. There are lots that go the other way round Esc/p format to some graphics format for modern windows printers,
 
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Why not use a PCGeos solution? Yeah I know its not text based but does generate an extremely good output on dot matrix printers. No where near as resource hungry as windows either.
Its still available at http://www.breadbox.com/

In saying that MS Word may well be the word processor you a thinking of in the OP. There has been a link posted to v5.x already I believe.
 
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The problem with the Windows 3.x drivers is that they ignore dot matrix printer built in fonts and print everything as raster. Laserjet will use downloadable or built in fonts though.
 
So I need something that doesn't use windows drivers

I will give MSword for dos a try when I work out how to run it in XP
When I try to install the printer driver (file>printer setup) I get a "not enough memory" error

Chuck: its an LQ570.

Edit: corrupt driver file.
 
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