JPS6320621A - Editing printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To use a printer in such manner that a document is completed with hand-writing or a typewriter by setting the print condition to provide a space corresponding to a prescribed number of characters if a designated insertion file is not found. CONSTITUTION:If the file to be inserted and printed is not found though insertion print is designated, it is selected whether printing is cancelled or a space corresponding to 10 characters is set. Consequently, printing can be stopped or a space corresponding to 10 characters can be provided in the position, where the file should be inserted and printed by setting, to continue printing if the file to be inserted and printed does not exist because of error. In the former case, an unnecessary print-out time is eliminated; and in the latter, a label for insertion print is not printed and a user can complete the document with a typewriter or the like after confirmation of print data or printing.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Object of the Invention [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an editing printing device having a merge printing function.

[Prior art] Conventionally, in this type of editing and printing apparatus, a designation (insertion of a control code or special code) to perform mail merge printing is made at a location where mail merge printing is desired in a basic file to be edited and printed. There is. In addition, you can specify the merge data file (hereinafter referred to as the merge file) by directly entering the file name (label) in the mail merge location specified above, or by using the keyboard when printing. It is common to specify from etc.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in such editing and printing devices, if the specified file for insertion is not found in the main memory or external storage, the specified file name or the mail merge specification is usually There was a problem in that special notes for use were printed. Therefore, meaningless codes remain in the printed document, making it completely unusable.

On the other hand, if the insert file is not exported,
Editing printing devices that do not perform printing themselves have also been proposed. However, in actual use, it is a basic file (
The user may create a file first, and often tries to check the print image of the basic file (test print) before creating the merge file. For this reason, in such editing printing apparatuses, it is necessary to create an insertion file before printing, which poses a problem that the usability is not sufficient.

Structure of the Invention [Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following structure as a means for solving the problems. That is, when printing the contents of a basic file, an editing printing device has a function of reading an insertion file stored in a storage means and printing the insertion file into the basic file according to the specifications included in the basic file. As a printing condition for the merge file, at least if the merge file specified in the basic file is not found in the storage means, the base file is printed with a predetermined number of blank spaces in the position where merge printing is specified. This is the configuration of an editing printing device characterized by having a printing condition setting means that can set conditions for printing.

[Operation] The editing/printing device of the present invention having the above configuration has a function of reading an insert file from a storage means and inserting it into the basic file according to the specifications included in the basic file when printing the contents of the basic file. and further performs merge printing according to the printing conditions set by the printing condition setting means. These printing conditions include, if the merge file specified in the basic file is not found in the storage medium, the basic file is printed with a predetermined number of blank spaces at the position specified for merge printing. At least some students are included.

[Embodiment] In order to further clarify the configuration of the present invention described above, an editing printing apparatus as a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described next. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of this editing printing device.

As shown in the figure, the editing and printing apparatus of the embodiment includes a keyboard 1 for inputting characters and editing instructions, a display device (CRT display) 3 for displaying characters and figures, a flexible disk drive 5 as an external storage device, and a keyboard 1 for inputting characters and editing instructions. It is comprised of a printer 7 that prints graphics, an electronic control device 10 that is connected to these devices, and controls document input, editing, and printing. The electronic control device 10 is a well-known CPU II
.

ROM12. It is configured as an arithmetic and logic operation circuit centered around RAM 14, etc., and is used to display the characters and characters displayed on the CRT display 3.
A video RAM 15 that stores image data such as graphics, a keyboard input port 16 that inputs key data from the keyboard 1, a flexible disk drive controller 18 that controls the flexible disk drive 5 and reads and writes data, and a printer 7. It is provided with a printer output port 20 etc. for outputting print data. Further, the video RAM 15 has a so-called dual port RAM configuration, and is configured to be accessible also by a CRT controller 22 provided independently of the CPU 11. The CRT controller 22 repeatedly reads the contents of the video RAM 15 at a period determined by the scanning frequency of the CRT display 3 and displays it on the CRT display 3. Therefore, data written into a predetermined area of the video RAM 15 by the CPU 11 is immediately displayed on the CRT display 3.

Next, according to the flowchart in Figure 2, mail merge printing (
The control when performing merge print) will be explained. It is assumed that the name (label) of the insertion file has been input at a predetermined position in the document (text) to be printed prior to insertion stamp 1.

When inputting and editing the document is completed, press a predetermined key on the keyboard 1 to specify printing, and the electronic control unit 10 of the main editing/printing device starts the print control routine shown in FIG. In step 100, printing conditions are set. Printing conditions include the number of pages to print from, the paper set in the printer 7, continuous paper, or manual paper (see Figure 3).In addition to these many conditions, rMERGE PRINTJ, That is, whether or not to perform mail merge printing, and whether to cancel printing when the file names specified for mail merge do not match (CHANCEL PRINTING).
IF LABEL MISMATCH> is set.

Subsequently, the text stored in the RAM 14 or the flexible disk is sequentially read out (step 110), and it is determined whether the text is complete (step 120). Until the end of the text, it is determined whether the read text is a label that specifies mail merge printing (step 130), and if it is not a label that specifies mail merge printing, the read text is sent to the printer as is. The output is output to the printer 7 via the output port 20 and printed (step 140).
).

On the other hand, when a label specifying mail merge printing is read from the text, a search is performed for the mail merge file according to this label name (steps 130 and 140>. Normally,
Since the insertion file is stored on the flexible disk, by controlling the flexible disk drive 5 via the flexible disk drive controller 18 and searching the directory of the flexible disk, the insertion file corresponding to the specified label can be created. It searches for files.

As a result of the search, it is determined whether or not a file is found (step 160). When a file is found, it is read and the contents of the insertion file are printed from the specified position of the document file that was being printed. Execute mail merge printing (step 170)
.

On the other hand, if the file to be inserted is not found through the search, in step 180, print cancellation is set as a condition for when no file is found when setting print conditions (step 100). Determine whether or not it was. If print cancellation is not specified, set a blank space of 10 characters in the place where the merge print is to be performed (step 190), then read the text in the same manner as after steps 140 and 170. Repeat the process.

If print cancellation is set, a print end control code is output to the printer 7 via the printer output port 20, and after canceling printing by closing the document file opened for printing, rE
Exit to NDJ and end this control routine.

According to the editing printing device of this embodiment configured as described above, when mail merge printing is specified and a file to be merged is not found, printing can be canceled or 10 characters can be printed. You can choose whether to set a blank.

Therefore, if the file used for mail merge does not exist due to an error, the printing itself can be stopped, and depending on the settings, it can be set to continue printing with a space of 10 characters in the area to be merged. You can also. In the former case, you can save time on unnecessary printing, while in the case of one-person printing, the label for mail-merge printing is not printed, and you can check the print image or type it after printing. This has the advantage that the user can complete the document using a writer or the like.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. For example, the present invention may be configured to ask the user during printing whether to cancel the print or set a blank, or It goes without saying that the present invention can be implemented in various ways without departing from the scope of the invention, such as a configuration in which a blank space corresponding to the specified number of characters of the label is set in place of the blank space.

Effects of the Invention (1) As described above, the editing printing apparatus of the present invention has an excellent effect of significantly improving usability in mail merge printing. That is, it is possible to set a mark 1 condition that prints at least a predetermined number of blank spaces when the specified insert file is not found when printing a basic file for which insert printing is specified. Therefore, even if the mail merge file is not found, the printed document is not wasted, and the document can be completed by handwriting or typing, resulting in good usability.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an editing printing apparatus as an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a print control routine in the embodiment, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of setting print conditions. I'll go. 1...Keyboard 5...Flexible disk drive 7...Printer 10...Electronic 11j control device 11...CPU

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] When printing the contents of a basic file, an editor having a function of reading an insertion file stored in a storage means and printing the insertion file into the basic file according to specifications included in the basic file. In the printing device, as a printing condition for the merge file, at least if the merge file specified in the basic file is not found in the storage means, a predetermined number of blank spaces are inserted at the position where merge printing is specified. An editing printing device characterized by comprising a printing condition setting means capable of setting a condition for printing the basic file with an empty space.