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Jog the *AFPDS printed output

Spool files when printed are able to jog (or offset stack) the output for identification of separate jobs or output files. I need to be able to jog the *AFPDS printed output based on an internal criteria (i.e. a delivery sheet) within a large output file. Is this possible? There is no information on how the separate spool files accomplish this act, but it is needed for our large batch jobs.
The jog feature is not part of the iSeries, but is in the printer. When the printer starts to print a new file, it jogs the stack.

If you split up your report into separate spool files, then the printer will jog each file. To do this, whenever your program starts a new delivery sheet it should close the printer file and then open it. Specify USROPN on the F-spec for the Printer file, and use the OPEN and CLOSE operation codes in the C-specs.

A disadvantage of this approach is that other print jobs can queue on the printer while it is printing your files. If that is a problem, you may be able to get around it by allocating the output queue exclusively to your job while it is creating the spool files. Experiment with that if you need it.

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This was first published in May 2005

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