Near Letter Quality

     This set of files implements a Near Letter Quality print function
on a bit image graphics printer.  They represent the first primitive
steps towards a potentially quite elaborate printing facility.  The
printer control codes and formats imbedded in the code are for a Star
Micronics Delta 10 printer (also compatable with Gemini series) and
will probably need to be changed for other brands.

     The source files are all commented to varying degree, the code,
the comments and the following brief descriptions should be enough
to get you started.

MAKENLQ.PAS - creates an empty font file.  MUST be run before entering
              data with EDITNLQ.  WARNING!  MAKENLQ will erase any exis-
	      ting font file whose name is given at the prompt.

EDITNLQ.PAS - used to enter/update data in a font file.  It prompts for
              the file to edit, then the character to update.  For each
              char, you will be prompted for each of the 12 columns of
              data for each of the two print passes with the pass and
              column number as well as the current data.  To leave the
              data unchanged, just press return.  Data is expected to
              be as two HEX digits, or a single HEX digit and return.

DUMPNLQ.PAS - dumps the font file to the printer.  Characters are printed
              5 per row with pass 1 dots shown as '*' and pass 2 dots as '+'.
              If edited to replace all references to lst with con, will
              dump to screen.

PRNTNLQ.PAS - the text printing program.  Reads and prints a TEXT file on
              a line by line basis.  Converts all non printable chars to
              spaces so does NOT know about tabs or form feeds.

ASCII2.NLQ   - near letter quality font file for printable ASCII set
               ' '..'~' .


	NOTE TO WORDSTAR USERS:  Wordstar uses the high order bit of characters
in document files to indicate soft carriage returns, inserted spaces, soft
hyphens etc.  PRNTNLQ does NOT understand this.  Two methods can be used to
zero these high order bits, PIP and Wordstar itself.

	With the command line:

	PIP dstfile.ext=srcfile.ext[z]

        PIP will copy srcfile to dstfile and Zero all the high order bits.
Alternatively, you can have Wordstar print the text to a file, it will zero
all the high bits in the process.  Be sure that you do NOT use form feeds
with this method since PRNTNLQ ignores them.

	These are the methods of choice since Pascal would have to read
the file a character at a time to find the soft line breaks, then zero the
high order bits before proceeding.



                                   John P. Jones
                                   6245 Columbia Ave.
                                   St. Louis, MO  63139
                                   October, 1985