PSEL.COM - Lantastic printer selection program, version 1.0a What is this thing? PrinterSelect is a Lantastic-compatible network utility which performs a very simple service: It switches the printer connected to LPT1:. Many older DOS programs will only print to LPT1, and using the supplied Lantastic programs (net.exe or lanpup.exe) to switch printers is a hassle. These programs require you to delete the current connection, choose a server, and reconnect to one of it's printers. These steps can cause trouble for the novice network user. I've seen too many occasions of the user accidentally logging out while trying to manipulate the lanpup menus. This small TSR is designed with simplicity in mind. The goal is to allow you to supply the user with a simple menu from which to select a printer. Installation: Unzip this file to any directory. This directory can either be located on a local workstation, or a network shared directory. Next, edit the file, psel.cfg (see below) to represent your printer configuration. Make sure psel.cfg is located in the default directory when you load PrinterSelect, since this is the only place the program looks. Usage - PSEL [/d|/e|/h] Enter "psel" by itself to load the TSR. It configures itself by reading the file "psel.cfg" in the current directory. This file contains a list of "network resources" (i.e., the network names of the printers) as well as descriptions. Each line is composed of a printer and a description, separated by a space or comma. A sample file is included which you can update. To use a "local" printer (i.e., one that is not on the network but connected to your local computer), just use the network name '\\'. This will essentially disconnect you from any network printers, allowing you to access the local printer. Once psel is loaded, it is invoked by pressing the hotkey, which defaults to -A. A list of printers will appear. Use the up and down arrow keys to highlight a printer, and the enter key to make the connection. Press escape to return to what you were doing. That's it! To temporarily disable the hotkey, use the /d option. To re- enable, use /e. This feature is useful in applications where the printer connections should not be changed by the user. If the application is invoked through a batch file, psel can be disabled before loading the application and enabled after the application exits. Setting the hotkey is detailed below in the revision history. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- REVISION HISTORY 12 Feb. 1995 Enable connection to a local printer by using the network printer name '\\'. 11 Feb. 1995 Allow a user-defined hotkey. To update the hotkey, start PSEL with the /h switch. This puts the software in "hotkey record" mode. The software will instruct to enter your new hotkey, just as it will be used to invoke the popup. It will then automatically make a change in your psel.cfg file to make this change permanent. Also, if PSEL is currently loaded, it will update the hotkey of the currently running program. Notice that the left and right shift keys are considered independently when selecting a hotkey. For example, - is a distinct hotkey from -. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ KNOWN LIMITATIONS Currently, this product is not guaranteed to work with printers on Windows for Workgroups, Windows NT, or Netware servers. This has to do with the more complex naming schemes and passwords used on these servers. I have found no problems with any LANtastic server printers. Thank you for using this software. **** Please be sure to register !!! *** PSEL - (c) Copyright 1994 Daniel J. Kelly.