Managing Universal Printers Using the PRTDEF
Procedure
About Using the PRTDEF Procedure
Printer definitions can be created for an individual or for all SAS users at a site by using
the PRTDEF procedure. The PRTDEF procedure can be used to do many of the same
printer management activities that you can do with the Universal Printing windows. The
PRTDEF procedure can be used in any execution mode, but it is especially useful if you
use SAS in batch mode, where the Universal Printing windows are unavailable.
To define or modify one or more printers with the PRTDEF procedure, you first create a
SAS data set that contains variables that correspond to printer attributes. These four
variables must be specified for every printer destination:
DEST
specifies the printer destination.
DEVICE
specifies the device name.
MODEL
specifies the name of a printer prototype. For a list of printer prototypes, open the
SAS registry to this key: COREPRINTINGPROTOTYPES.
NAME
specifies the name of the printer.
For a list of optional variables, see “Input Data Set: PRTDEF Procedure” in Base SAS
Procedures Guide. The PRTDEF procedure reads the data set and converts the variable
attributes into one or more printer definitions in the SAS registry.
After you create the printer definition data set, you run the PRTDEF procedure to create
the printer.
Only system administrators or others who have Write permission to the Sashelp library
can use the PRTDEF procedure to create printer definitions for all SAS users at a site.
Individuals have Write permission to their Sasuser library and can use the PRTDEF
procedure to create their own printers. However, the printer definition is stored in the
Sasuser library and is lost if the Sasuser library is deleted. Printer definitions that are
created by individuals are available only when the directory where the printer definition
is stored is specified as the Sasuser library. For information about assigning the Sasuser
library, see “SASUSER= System Option” in SAS System Options: Reference.
For more information see, “PRTDEF” in Base SAS Procedures Guide.
Examples of Creating New Printers and Previewers Using the
PRTDEF Procedure
Introduction
These examples show you how to use the PRTDEF procedure to define new printers and
to manage your installed printers and previewers.
After a program statement containing the PRTDEF procedure runs successfully, the
printers or previewers that have been defined appear in the Print Setup window. A
276 Chapter 15 • Printing with SAS
complete set of all available printers and previewers appear in the Printer name list.
Printer definitions can also be viewed in the Registry Editor window under CORE
PRINTINGPRINTERS.
Creating a Data Set That Defines Multiple Printers
When you create a data set to use with the PRTDEF procedure to define a printer, you
must specify the name, model, device and, destination variables.
See the “PRTDEF” in Base SAS Procedures Guide in Base SAS Procedures Guide for
the names of the optional variables that you can also use.
The following code creates a data set to use with the PRTDEF procedure:
data printers;
input name $15. model $35. device $8. dest $14.;
datalines;
Myprinter PostScript Level 1 (Gray Scale) PRINTER printer1
Laserjet PCL 5 PCL 5e (RunLength) PIPE lp -dprinter5
Color LaserJet PostScript Level 2 (Color, Duplex) PIPE lp -dprinter2
;
run;
proc print data=printers;
run;
Here is the output:
Output 15.2 The Printer Data Set
After you create the data set containing the variables, you run the PRTDEF procedure.
The PRTDEF procedure creates the printers that are named in the data set by creating the
appropriate entries in the SAS registry.
proc prtdef data=printers usesashelp replace;
run;
The USESASHELP option specifies that the printer definitions are to be placed in the
Sashelp library, where they are available to all users. If the USESASHELP option is not
specified, then the printer definitions are placed in the current Sasuser library, where
they are available to the local user only. The printers that are defined are available only
in the local Sasuser directory. However, to use the USESASHELP option, you must have
permission to write to the Sashelp library.
Managing Universal Printers Using the PRTDEF Procedure 277
The REPLACE option specifies that the default operation is to modify existing printer
definitions. Any printer name that already exists is modified by using the information in
the printer attributes data set. Any printer name that does not exist is added.
Creating a Printer for Multiple Users
This example creates a Tektronix Phaser 780 printer definition that specifies to use
Ghostview as the preview application and to store the printer definition in the Sashelp
library. The bottom margin is set to two centimeters, the font size to 14 point, and the
paper size to ISO A4.
data tek780;
name = "Tek780";
desc = "Test Lab Phaser 780P";
model = "Tek Phaser 780 Plus";
device = "PRINTER";
dest = "testlab3";
preview = "Ghostview";
units = "cm";
bottom = 2;
fontsize = 14;
papersiz = "ISO A4";
run;
proc prtdef data=tek780 usesashelp;
run;
Note: To preview output for this printer, you must create a Ghostview printer definition.
You can do this either in the Preview Definition Wizard (Figure 15.14 on page 265),
on the Advanced tab of the Printer Properties window (Figure 15.18 on page 270) or
by using the PRTDEF procedure.
Here is a Ghostview printer definition using the PRTDEF procedure:
data gsview;
name = "Ghostview";
desc = "Print Preview with Ghostview";
model= "Tek Phaser 780 Plus";
viewer = 'gv %s';
device = "dummy";
dest = " ";
proc prtdef data=gsview list replace usesashelp;
run;
The PROC PRTDEF statement LIST option specifies to write the printer definition to the
log.
Note: You must specify a preview command either in the Preview Definition Wizard
(Figure 15.14 on page 265) or on the Advanced tab of the Printer Properties window
(Figure 15.18 on page 270). An example of a preview command is ghostview -
bg white -fg black -magstep -2 –nolabel %s
For more information about print previewers see, “Creating PostScript Previewer
Definitions” on page 279.
278 Chapter 15 • Printing with SAS
Adding, Modifying, and Deleting Printers
This example uses the Printers data set to add, modify, and delete printer definitions. See
the “PRTDEF” in Base SAS Procedures Guide for more variables that you can use to
define a printer. The following list describes the variables used in the example:
• The MODEL variable specifies the printer prototype to use when defining this
printer.
• The DEVICE variable specifies the type of I/O device to use when sending output to
the printer.
• The DEST variable specifies the output destination for the printer.
• The OPCODE variable specifies what action (Add, Delete, or Modify) to perform on
the printer definition.
• The first Add operation creates a new printer definition for Color PostScript in the
registry and the second Add operation creates a new printer definition for ColorPS in
the registry.
• The Mod operation modifies the existing printer definition for LaserJet 5 in the
registry.
• The Del operation deletes the printer definitions for printers named “Gray
PostScript” and “test” from the registry.
The following example creates a printer definition in the Sashelp library. Because the
definition is in Sashelp, the definition becomes available to all users. Special system
administration privileges are required to write to the Sashelp library. An individual user
can create a personal printer definition by specifying the Sasuser library instead.
data printers;
infile datalines dlm='#';
length name $ 80
model $ 80
device $ 8
dest $ 80
opcode $ 3;
input opcode $ name $ model $ device $ dest $ ;
datalines;
add# Color PostScript F2# PostScript Level 2 (Color)# DISK# sasprt.ps
mod# LaserJet 5# PCL 5c (DeltaRow)# DISK# sasprt.pcl
del# Gray PostScript# PostScript Level 2(Gray Scale)# DISK# sasprt.ps
del# test# PostScript Level 2 (Color)# DISK# sasprt.ps
add# ColorPS# PostScript Level 2 (Color)# DISK# sasprt.ps
;
proc prtdef data=printers list;
run;
Note: If the end user modifies and saves new attributes for an administrator-defined
printer in the Sashelp library, the printer becomes a user-defined printer in the
Sasuser library. Values that are specified by the user override the values that were set
by the administrator. If the user-defined printer definition is deleted, the
administrator-defined printer reappears.
Creating PostScript Previewer Definitions
These examples show how to create the Adobe Acrobat Reader print previewer and the
Ghostview print previewer in order to preview PDF output in both formats. The
Managing Universal Printers Using the PRTDEF Procedure 279
variables in the data sets have values that the PRTDEF procedure uses to produce the
print previewer definition in the SAS registry.
• The NAME variable specifies the printer name that is associated with the rest of the
attributes in the printer definition data record.
• The DESC variable specifies the description of the printer.
• The MODEL variable specifies the printer prototype to use when defining this
printer.
• The VIEWER variable specifies the host system commands for print preview.
Note: The ghostview %s command needs to be the fully qualified command if it
is not in the machine's command path.
Note: You must specify a preview command either in the Preview Definition Wizard
(Figure 15.14 on page 265) or on the Advanced tab of the Printer Properties
window (Figure 15.18 on page 270). An example of a preview command is
ghostview -bg white -fg black -magstep -2 –nolabel %s and
c:Program FilesAdobeReader 9.0ReaderAcroRd32.exe'
%s.pdf
.
• The DEVICE variable should always be DUMMY.
• DEST should be blank to specify that output is not returned.
The following program creates a print previewer definition for using Adobe Acrobat
Reader:
data adobeR;
name = "myAdobeReader";
desc = "Adobe Reader Print Preview";
model= "PDF Version 1.2";
viewer = "'c:Program FilesAdobeReader 9.0ReaderAcroRd32.exe' %s.pdf";
device = "dummy";
dest = " ";
run;
proc prtdef data=adobeR list replace;
run;
The following program creates a print previewer definition for using Ghostview:
data gsview;
name = "MyGhostview";
desc = "Print Preview with Ghostview";
model= "PostScript Level 2 (Color)";
viewer = 'ghostview %s';
device = "dummy";
dest = " ";
run;
proc prtdef data=gsview list replace;
run;
Exporting and Backing Up Printer Definitions
The PRTEXP procedure enables you to back up your printer definitions as a SAS data
set that can be restored with the PRTDEF procedure.
The PRTEXP procedure has the following syntax.
PROC PRTEXP <USESASHELP> <OUT=dataset>
<SELECT | EXCLUDE> printer_1 printer_2 ... printer_n;
280 Chapter 15 • Printing with SAS
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