WD: Printing Multiple Pages with Single-Sheet Feed to Dot Matrix

• Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 1.0, 1.1, 1.1a, 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-CD, 2.0b, 2.0c, 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c

SYMPTOMS

When you print a multiple-page document to a dot-matrix printer using a single-sheet feed, Windows Print Manager stalls the print job after each page.

CAUSE

Print Manager receives a "Paper Out" message from the printer that causes it to stall.

WORKAROUND

You can use the macros below in Word for Windows to pause the print job between each page so you can add paper.

The following macros prompt you for the number of pages you want to print. Then they determine the number of pages in your document and display the following message:

   Ready to print page X. Press OK when the paper is loaded?

WARNING: ANY USE BY YOU OF THE CODE PROVIDED IN THIS ARTICLE IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. Microsoft provides this macro code "as is" without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose.

Macro for Word for Windows Version 6.0

   Sub MAIN
      StartOfDocument
      FileSummaryInfo .Update
      Dim dlg As DocumentStatistics
      GetCurValues dlg
      Pages = Val(dlg.Pages)
      ncopies = 0
      On Error Resume Next
      ncopies = Val(InputBox$("Print how many copies of each page?"))
      If Not Err Then
         Err = 0
         For x = 1 To Pages
            For i = 1 To nCopies
               msg$ = "Ready to print copy" + Str$(i)
               msg$ = msg$ + " of page" + Str$(x) + ".  "
               msg$ = msg$ + "Press OK when the paper is loaded."
               If MsgBox(msg$, 1) Then
                  FilePrint .Range = 3, .From = Str$(x), .To = Str$(x)
               Else
                  i = nCopies
                  x = Pages
               End If
            Next
         Next
      End If
   End Sub

Macro for Word for Windows Version 2.0

   Sub Main
     StartOfDocument
     fView = ViewFieldCodes()
     If fView <> 0 Then ViewFieldCodes
     InsertField "numpages"
     CharLeft 1, 1
     UpdateFields
     Pages = Val(Selection$())
     EditClear
     ncopies = 0
     On Error Resume Next
     ncopies = Val(InputBox$("Print how many copies of each page?"))
     If Not Err then
       Err = 0
       For x = 1 To Pages
         For I = 1 to nCopies
         If MsgBox("Ready to print copy" + Str$(i) + " of page" + Str$(x) \
             + ".  " + "Press OK when the paper is loaded?", 1) Then
             FilePrint .Range = 3, .From = Str$(x), .To = Str$(x)
           Else
             i = nCopies
             x = Pages
           End If
         Next
       Next
     End If
     If fView <> 0 Then ViewFieldCodes
   End Sub

Macro for Word for Windows Versions 1.x

   Sub MAIN
     StartOfDocument
     Dim dlg As ViewPreferences
     GetCurValues dlg
     prefer = dlg.ShowAll
     If prefer <> 0 Then dlg.ShowAll = 0
     ViewPreferences .ShowAll = dlg.ShowAll
     fview = ViewFieldCodes()
     If fview <> 0 Then ViewFieldCodes
     InsertField "numpages"
     CharLeft 1, 1
     UpdateFields
     pages = Val(Selection$())
     EditClear
     ncopies = 0
     On Error Resume Next
     ncopies = Val(InputBox$("Print how many copies of each page?"))
     If Not Err Then
       Err = 0
       For x = 1 To pages
         For I = 1 to nCopies
         If MsgBox("Ready to print copy" + Str$(i) + " of page" + Str$(x) \
             + ".  " + "Press OK when the paper is loaded?", 1) Then
             FilePrint .Range = 2, .From = Str$(x), .To = Str$(x)
           Else
             I = nCopies
             x = Pages
           End If
         Next
       Next
     End If
     If fview <> 0 Then ViewFieldCodes
     If prefer <> 0 Then dlg.ShowAll = 1
     ViewPreferences .ShowAll = dlg.ShowAll
   End Sub

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the versions of Word listed At the beginning of this article. This problem was corrected in Word version 7.0 for Windows 95.

REFERENCES

"Microsoft Word for Windows and OS/2 Technical Reference," pages 63, 66, 203, 280, 283 "Using WordBasic," by WexTech Systems and Microsoft, pages 45- 49, 226, 234