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Logging Data

Logging copies data from display memory to the printer each time a line feed is received so that attributes, such as underline, are printed. For VT terminals, "Controller mode" captures incoming data to the printer. Typically, logging is enabled by the host. However, if you want to configure a user-initiated logging session, you can do this from the Logging group on the Tools Ribbon.

Logging serves two functions in Reflection:

  • It accommodates host printing, where an application turns on logging and starts sending data to a printer, a file, or both.

  • It provides user-initiated logging of terminal sessions.

You can log to a printer, a file, or a serial device. After logging is started, all printed output is directed to the option selected under Log output to. Output is not written to disk or sent to the printer until you (or the host) stop logging.

Host-Initiated Printing

Many VT host applications can print to printers that are not attached to the host. This type of host-initiated printing is referred to as slave printing, logging, pass through printing, auto-print, or controller printing.

Typically, host-initiated printing involves selecting the Print command from a host menu. To send a print job, the host transmits escape sequences to the terminal or terminal emulator, which signal that the print job should be forwarded to a printer. Reflection supports host-initiated printing and forwards the print job to the Windows default printer.

To change where the print job is sent, use the Logging dialog box to select a different output option.

note

The Serial device option is not used for typical printing, even if you have your Windows printer on the serial port. This option is only used for devices on serial ports, such as bar-code readers, which need to send information back and forth between the host and the device, through Reflection.

Serial Device-to-Host Communications

Reflection supports serial device-to-host communications (also called printer-to-host, bidirectional, or printer 2-way communications). You can enable serial device-to-host communications when you want a device on a serial port (such as a printer or bar-code reader) to be able to send information to a host via Reflection.

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