Adding a hardcopy device (MIDAS name and system name)

Suppose one wants to add the MIDAS device name mdevice to the system, which should point to the system name laserprinter.

The first step is the same as in the previous example: Add an extra line in the file agldevs.dat:

      laserprinter:pscript              # new device name

The second step would be to include the MIDAS name and system name in the file device.sh:

      mdevice=laserprinter; export mdevice

Finally, in the procedure checkdev.prg a few lines should be included in order to recognize the new logical name. The addition should be done in the section ``MIDAS Logical names''. For this particular example these line should look like:

      ELSEIF P1(1:3) .EQ. "MDE" THEN    ! here for mdevice
         P1 = M$SYMBOL("MDEVICE")

In case of problems you could use the MIDAS command DEBUG/PROCEDURE. This enables you to execute the ASSIGN/GRAPHICS and the COPY/GRAPHICS command step by step and to find out where a device name is missing or misinterpreted.

Finally, whenever you modify your system please document this. E.g. add or modify some help documentation in the assigngrap.hlq, copy_grap.hlq, and the printe.alq files in /midas/98NOV/prim/help.