Method of controlling a printer in an interactive text processing system to print records from stored files of spatially related data

摘要

An improved method is disclosed for printing a file of spatially related data stored in an interactive text processing system as vector formatted records. The method involves establishing for the printer the number of print positions for the print line, and transferring the field titles which make up the header portion of the file from storage to the print buffer sequentially, along with an indication of the maximum permissible field width until all of the field names have been transferred. The process involves determining when a new print line is to be started for the header data in those situations where more than one print line is necessary to accommodate all of the field name data of the header by determining if the next field in the sequence to be printed will fit in the space left on the print line previously specified and, if not, then entering a carriage return signal after the last transferred field. The process continues until all of the field names have been transferred. During the process a table is established indicating by line number and print position number where each field of a record starts.