PRINT (command)

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Computing command

title: "PRINT (command)" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["external-dos-commands", "os/2-commands", "windows-commands", "microcomputer-software", "microsoft-free-software", "windows-administration", "computer-printing"] description: "Computing command" topic_path: "technology/operating-systems" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PRINT_(command)" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Computing command ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/RT-11_help.jpg" caption="VT100]]."] ::

In computing, the print command provides single-user print spooling capability in a number of operating systems. It is roughly similar to that provided by the UNIX System V lp and BSD lpr print spooler systems.

Implementations

The command is available in the DEC RT-11, OS/8,"Concise Command Language" (CCL).{{cite web |url=http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/dec/pdp8/os8/OS8_Handbook_Apr1974.pdf |title=OS/8 Handbook |date=April 1974 |access-date=28 November 2017}} RSX-11, TOPS-10, and TOPS-20{{cite web |url=http://www.textfiles.com/bitsavers/pdf/dec/pdp10/TOPS20/V6.1/AA-FP65A-TM_tops20CmdsRef.pdf |title=TOPS-20 Command manual |access-date=18 July 2018 |archive-date=9 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809103116/http://www.textfiles.com/bitsavers/pdf/dec/pdp10/TOPS20/V6.1/AA-FP65A-TM_tops20CmdsRef.pdf |url-status=dead SISNE plus, IBM OS/2, eComStation, ArcaOS, Microsoft Windows, FreeDOS, Stratus OpenVOS, AROS, HP MPE/iX, and OpenVMS.

The FreeDOS version was developed by James Tabor and is licensed under the GPL.

DOS, OS/2, Windows

Background

The command was introduced in MS-DOS/IBM PC DOS 2.0. DR DOS 6.0 includes an implementation of the command.

In early versions of DOS, printing was accomplished using the [copy](copy-command) command: the file to be printed was "copied" to the file representing the print device. Control returned to the user when the print job completed. Beginning with DOS 2.0, the print command was included to allow basic print spooling: the ability to continue to use the computer while printing occurred in the background, and the ability to create a queue of jobs to be printed.

Description

The print command allowed specifying one of many possible local printer interfaces, and could make use of networked printers using the [net](net-command) command. A maximum number of files and a maximum buffer size could be specified, and further command-line options allowed adding and removing files from the queue. Margins, page lengths and number of copies could also be set, as well as a parameter to adjust between favoring printing speed versus computer responsiveness.

Retrospect

Users of the initial release of the print command commented on the slow print speed and high resource usage, as well as the lack of support for the newly introduced subdirectories. The command was among the first RAM-resident programs and was the first to achieve widespread use, with many users disassembling the binary in order to determine how RAM-resident programs should be written.

References

References

  1. "RT-11 HELP FILE".
  2. John F. Pieper. (1987). "RSX A Guide for Users". Digital Equipment Corporation.
  3. (August 1980). "TOPS-10 Operating System Commands Manual". Digital Equipment Corporation.
  4. (1986). "FlexOS User's Guide".
  5. (2 January 2022). "roelandjansen/pcmos386v501".
  6. (14 May 2015). "SISNE plus – Referência Sumária".
  7. "JaTomes Help – OS/2 Commands".
  8. "ibiblio.org FreeDOS Group -- FreeDOS Base".
  9. "Manual".
  10. "AROS Research Operating System".
  11. "MPE/iX Command Reference Manual".
  12. (October 2023). "OpenVMS User's Manual".
  13. "ibiblio.org FreeDOS Package -- print (FreeDOS Base)".
  14. "DR DOS 6.0 User Guide Optimisation and Configuration Tips".
  15. Norton, Peter. (July 1983). "The Dark Side of PC-DOS 2.0". PC Magazine.
  16. Dickinson, John. (11 November 1986). "Mastering Your Printer's Options". PC Magazine.
  17. Rubenking, Neil J.. (29 June 1993). "Moving PRINT.COM". PC Magazine.
  18. Cooper, Jim. (2002). "Using MS-DOS 6.22". Que.
  19. Ivens, Kathy. (2005). "Home Networking Annoyances". O'Reilly.
  20. (September 1988). "Using the Xerox 9700 Page Printer". University of Michigan Computing Center.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

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