pdspace command: backspaces or forward spaces a printer

Syntax

pdspace [-H host:port] [-c destination] {-b SideCount | -f SideCount} [-n] 
[-x "attribute=value …"] [-X AttributesFileName] 
[ServerName:]DestinationName …

pdspace -h

Description

Use the pdspace command to backspace or forward space the job currently printing on the specified PSF physical printer a given number of sides. If the job is printing on one side of the medium, one side is equivalent to one sheet. If the job is printing on two sides of the medium (duplex), two sides are equivalent to one sheet.
    Note:
  1. The functions of this command only apply to PSF IPDS actual destinations.
  2. Before using the pdspace command, make sure that SNMP has been enabled on the printer.
  3. While all PSF IPDS actual destinations support the pdspace command, installing the level of microcode especially written for backspacing or forward spacing makes sure that the printer stops quicker and the appropriate page prints. For example, the microcode that supports pdspace for the InfoPrint Pro C900AFP, InfoPrint 3000, InfoPrint 4000, and InfoPrint 4100 printers stops the printers in less than five seconds after the pdspace is submitted.
  4. You cannot backspace or forward space ASCII print jobs.

You can enter the pdspace command while the printer is stopped, paused, or running.

  • If the printer has been stopped by pressing the STOP button on the printer device, the printer operator must press the START or READY button before the printer can start printing again. You cannot force a stopped printer to do an nonprocess runout (NPRO) by specifying the -n flag; but the operator can force an NPRO by pressing the NPRO button.
  • If the printer has been paused with the pdpause command, you must enter the pdresume command before the printer can start printing again.
  • If the printer is running, the pdspace command takes effect as soon as possible. However, some pages will continue to print before the command takes effect because the printer might not stop immediately.
  • Another way to use the pdspace command for InfoPrint 3000, InfoPrint 4000, and InfoPrint 4100 follows:
    1. Stop the printer with the pdpause command.
    2. When the printer stops, specify pdspace and the backspace or forward space should be accurate from the last printed page.
    3. To begin printing again, enter the pdresume command.

The printer backspaces or forward spaces the number of sides you specify, except that:

  • The printer will not backspace or forward space to the back side of a duplexed sheet. If a backspace or forward calculation points to the back side of a duplexed sheet, the printer backspaces or forward spaces to the front side of that sheet.
  • When backspacing, if you specify a side count of -1, the job restarts printing on page 1 with a new header sheet.
  • When backspacing, if you specify more sides than have already printed, the job restarts printing on page 1 without a header sheet.
  • When forward spacing, if you specify more sides than there are sides left to print, the job terminates.

    Note:
  1. InfoPrint backspaces or forward spaces from the last printed sheet: any count is one less than you would normally expect. For example, if you backspace ten sides starting at page 39, the job resumes on page 30 because page 39 is counted as one of the pages backspaced.
  2. A backspace or forward space request is accepted for dpf-ipds jobs, but unpredictable results will occur.

Flags

You can use these flags with the pdspace command:

-Hhost:port

Identifies the host and port of the InfoPrint Manager server used for communication. When not specified, the command follows the Configuration logic to define the host and socket.

-b SideCount
Specifies the number of sides to backspace before continuing to print. Using this flag is equivalent to specifying the command attribute back-space.
-c destinationDEFAULT=destination
Specifies the object class of destination, which represents a PSF physical printer. This is the only allowed class. Using this flag is equivalent to specifying the command attribute class.
-f SideCount
Specifies the number of sides to forward space before continuing to print. Using this flag is equivalent to specifying the command attribute forward-space.
-n
Causes the printer to do an NPRO (move the last printed page to the stacker) before restarting printing. An NPRO makes it easier to see exactly where the spacing took place. Using this flag is equivalent to specifying the command attribute non-process-runout=true.
-x"attribute=value …"
Consists of a single attribute string, containing one or more attribute-value pairs.
-XAttributesFileName
Specifies the name of a file containing attribute and value pairs that you want InfoPrint to insert at the current point in the command. Using this flag is equivalent to specifying the command attribute attributes.
-h
Displays a command-specific help message containing information about command syntax and flags. If you use this flag with any other flag or attribute, InfoPrint recognizes only the -h flag.

Configuration logic

The command determines which server host and server port to use based on this sequence:

  1. Server host and server port specified with the -H parameter.
  2. Server host and server port specified with the PDHOST and PD_SOCKET envirnonment variables.
  3. Uses the defaults for PDHOST=localhost and PD_SOCKET=6874.
Note: This configuration logic enables multiple commands to run on a single machine communicating with one or more InfoPrint Manager servers.

Command attributes

You can define these attributes in a -x "attribute=value …" string or in an attributes file designated in the -X AttributesFileName flag.

attributes=AttributesFileName
Specifies the designated attributes file that InfoPrint reads and inserts at the current point in the command. This file contains attribute and value pairs that InfoPrint uses to expand the command.
back-space=SideCount
Specifies the number of sides to backspace before continuing to print.
operation-class=destinationDEFAULT=destination
Specifies the object class of destination, which represents a PSF physical printer. This is the only allowed class.
forward-space=SideCount
Specifies the number of sides to forward space before continuing to print.
Note: You cannot forward space from the beginning of a job; the job has to start to print before you can space. To start printing on a page other than page one, you can submit the job and hold it, and then use Change Page Range to Process on the Job menu in the InfoPrint Manager Administration GUI or the InfoPrint Manager Operations GUI. (However, Change Page Range to Process is not available in the GUIs by default, so you have to customize the GUIs to add it by clicking Options and then Customize.)
non-process-runout={true | false} DEFAULT=false
Specifies whether the printer should do an NPRO (move the last printed sheet to the stacker) before restarting printing. An NPRO makes it easier to see exactly where the spacing took place.

Arguments

Use the argument value to identify the specific physical printer on which the job backspaces.

[ServerName:]DestinationName

Examples

  • Backspacing 22 sides

    To backspace the currently printing job on physical printer jrSrv-pp by 22 sides, enter the command: 

    pdspace -b22 jrSrv-pp

  • Forward spacing 22 sides

    To forward space the currently printing job on physical printer mySrv-pp by 22 sides, enter the command: 

    pdspace -f22 mySrv-pp

  • Forward spacing a paused printer 10 sides with NPRO

    To pause physical printer carlo-pp, forward space the job that was printing by 10 sides, move the last printed sheet to the stacker, and resume printing, enter the commands: 

    pdpause carlo-pp pdspace -f10 -n carlo-pp pdresume carlo-pp

  • Backspacing to a specific side

    To backspace exactly to page 62 in the job printing on physical printer mySrv-pp:

    1. Use one of these methods to interrupt printing:
      • Press the STOP button to stop the printer device.
      • Enter this command to pause the physical printer: 
        pdpause mySrv-pp
    2. At the operator viewing point, check to see what page was printing when the job stopped.
    3. Calculate the number of sides to backspace. For example, if the job stopped at page 97: 
      97 - 62 + 1 = 36
      You must add one because page 97 is counted as the first side to backspace.
    4. Enter the command: 
      pdspace -b36 mySrv-pp
    5. Use one of these methods to resume printing:
      • If you pressed STOP, press START to restart the printer device.
      • If you paused the physical printer, enter this command to resume it: 
        pdresume mySrv-pp

Parent topic: InfoPrint Manager commands