Re^2: DOC TO PRN

A PRN file is a file produced in a Microsoft DOS or Windows application when the option "Print to File" is used. Note that this isn't the same thing as using the normal print functionality with a "fake printer" like Adobe Acrobat or PDF Creator define. It's meant to be a printer ready dump that can be copied to a printer:

COPY myfile.prn LPT1
[download]

As you might guess from this syntax, this idea has been around for quite a long time (and only works on directly connected devices). One alternative I saw was to try in MS Windows to drag and drop a PRN file onto the printer icon. A quick Googling showed me a free tool that will let you print various kinds of files: PrintFile

None of this background information helps the OP, but you've already pointed to the use of Win32::OLE to automate the application needed to produce the PRN file. Even in Office 2007, you can use the Print to File option, it's just a matter of picking the right OLE print setting to specify it.

Oooh, another quick look gave me this: source file of Docserver which has a doc_convert function that looks just like what the doctor ordered.

Final Answer: get Docserver

Comment on Re^2: DOC TO PRN Download Code

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Re^3: DOC TO PRN by Corion (Patriarch) on Mar 17, 2010 at 12:35 UTC
I've seen other files named with the `.prn` extension, but even if it were as you described, the OP didn't mention for what printer the `.prn` file should be created, which makes the question even less answerable :)	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^4: DOC TO PRN by Sinistral (Monsignor) on Mar 17, 2010 at 12:47 UTC
I believe you're right, the resulting PRN files are device dependent. If you produced a PRN file for a PostScript printer, it would be normal PostScript (which if I remember right is a trick "back in the day" to get MS Windows apps to produce PostScript files), if it's a PCL printer it would be that, and so forth. I am assuming that the OP has a machine running Windows with at least one printer attached, or Win32::OLE won't be able to produce PRN file output. Wouldn't be able to print anything to hard copy, either. Huh, now that I think about it, I wonder what would happen if you did a print to file to a printer that produces files, such as PDF Creator or Adobe Acrobat? Ugh, don't want to ponder that	[reply]