Preparing to Use Natural Connection

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# Preparing to Use Natural Connection

This document describes the tasks that must be accomplished to allow download and upload.

- Displaying Work File and Printer Settings

- Defining Work Files

- Defining Printers

- Activating the PC Connection

- Deactivating the PC Connection

In order to download and upload data, a work file must be designated as a PC file.

To download reports, a printer must be designated as a PC printer.

## Displaying Work File and Printer Settings

#### Work File Settings

To display your current work file settings, invoke the Configuration Utility and from the Edit menu, choose Natural Execution Configuration > Work Files. A screen similar to the following appears:

    +-------------------------------- Work Files ---------------------------------+
    | Entire Connection protocol mode..... (ECPMOD)      ON                       |
    | Entire Connection local NCF protocol (NCFVERS)       2                      |
    | PC support.......................... (PC)          OFF                      |
    | Max. work file number............... (WORK)         32                      |
    | Alternate sort work file names...... (TMPSORTUNIQ) OFF                      |
    | Work file open on first access...... (WFOPFA)      ON                       |
    |                                                       Close                 |
    | Number Name                                Attributes Mode  Type            |
    | ------ ----------------------------------- ---------- ----- --------------  |
    |  1                                                    Auto  Default         |
    |  2                                                    Auto  Default         |
    |  3                                                    Auto  Default         |
    |  4                                                    Auto  Default         |
    |  5                                                    Auto  Default         |
    |  6                                                    Auto  Default         |
    |  7                                                    Auto  Default         |
    |  8                                                    Auto  Default         |
    |  9                                                    Auto  Default         |
    | 10                                                    Auto  Default         |
    | 11                                                    Auto  Default         |
    | 12                                                    Auto  Default         |
    | 13                                                    Auto  Default         |
    ON or OFF

#### Printer Settings

To display the printer settings, invoke the Configuration Utility and proceed as follows:

1. From the Edit menu, choose Natural Execution Configuration > Device/Report Assignments > Device Assignments. A screen similar to the following appears:

       +---------------------------- Device Assignments -----------------------------+
       | Logical  Close Line Page Max                                                |
       | Device   Mode  Size Size Page  Physical Output Device                       |
       | -------- ----- ---- ---- ----- -------------------------------------------  |
       | VIDEO    Auto    80   24 32767 VIDEO                                     D  |
       | LPT1     Auto    80   66 32767 LPT1                                      D  |
       | LPT2     Auto    80   66 32767 LPT1                                      D  |
       | LPT3     Auto    80   66 32767 LPT1                                      D  |
       | LPT4     Auto    80   66 32767 LPT1                                      D  |
       | LPT5     Auto    80   66 32767 LPT1                                      D  |
       | LPT6     Auto    80   66 32767 LPT1                                      D  |
       | LPT7     Auto    80   66 32767 LPT1                                      D  |
       | LPT8     Auto    80   66 32767 LPT1                                      D  |
       | LPT9     Auto    80   66 32767 LPT1                                      D  |
       | LPT10    Auto    80   66 32767 LPT1                                      D  |
       | LPT11    Auto    80   66 32767 LPT1                                      D  |
       +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
       Physical (D)evice, (E)ntire Connection, (F)ile. Use [PF2] for selection list

2. From the Edit menu, choose Natural Execution Configuration > Device/Report Assignments > Report Assignments. A screen similar to the following appears:

       +------------ Report Assignments -------------+
       | Override default report number (MAINPR) 0   |
       |                                             |
       | Report Device   Profile                     |
       | ------ -------- -------                     |
       |  0     VIDEO                                |
       |  1     LPT1                                 |
       |  2     LPT1                                 |
       |  3     LPT1                                 |
       |  4     LPT1                                 |
       |  5     LPT1                                 |
       |  6     LPT1                                 |
       |  7     LPT1                                 |
       |  8     LPT1                                 |
       |  9     LPT1                                 |
       +---------------------------------------------+

See Device/Report Assignments in the Configuration Utility documentation for further information.

## Defining Work Files

To download or upload from/to the PC, the corresponding work file must be defined as type `TRANSFER`. This can be done statically by an entry in the Configuration Utility or also during runtime with the `DEFINE WORK FILE` statement.

#### Definition in the Configuration Utility

From the Edit menu, choose Natural Execution Configuration > Work Files. You can define the corresponding work file number on the resulting screen. As work file type, `TRANSFER` must be defined.

If a download/upload takes place with the selected number of the work file, then the PC transfer is activated and an Entire Connection dialog box appears in which you specify the download destination on the PC or the file that is to be uploaded from the PC.

#### Definition during Runtime

If the work file shall get a new definition during runtime, then the Natural statement `DEFINE WORK FILE` must be defined before executing the download/upload sequence.

The work file type `TRANSFER` must be used. Example:

    DEFINE WORK FILE 1 'PC' TYPE 'TRANSFER'

## Defining Printers

To download data to a logical printer by writing reports, a static entry is required in the Configuration Utility which defines the setting of the logical printer.

The allocation of a report to this logical printer can then also be done during runtime with the `DEFINE PRINTER` statement.

#### Definition in the Configuration Utility

The following definition of the logical printer must always be done statically in the Configuration Utility in order to configure a printer that sends the output data to an Entire Connection terminal:

- From the Edit menu, choose Natural Execution Configuration > Device/Report Assignments > Device Assignments. On the resulting screen, select the desired logical printer device (one of LPT1 to LPT3) and set the device destination of the physical output device to "E" (send data to an Entire Connection terminal).

In a second step that can also be done during runtime, a report is allocated to the previously defined logical printer device:

- From the Edit menu, choose Natural Execution Configuration > Device/Report Assignments > Report Assignments. On the resulting screen, set the previously defined logical printer device (for example, LPT1) for the desired report number.

If a download takes place with the selected printer number, the PC transfer is activated and an Entire Connection dialog box appears in which you specify the download destination on the PC.

#### Definition during Runtime

The allocation of the desired report number to the previously defined logical printer device can also be done during runtime. The Natural statement `DEFINE PRINTER` must then be defined before executing the download sequence.

As an output parameter, the name of the previously defined logical printer device must be used (the following example uses the name "LPT1").

    DEFINE PRINTER (7) OUTPUT 'LPT1'

## Activating the PC Connection

To upload and download data to/from a PC, the PC connection must be active. You activate the PC connection from Linux.

To activate the PC connection

- Use the Natural terminal command `%+`.

  Or:
  Invoke Natural with the dynamic parameter `PC=ON`.

  Or:
  Use the `SET CONTROL '+'` statement in a Natural program.

With the terminal command `%+`, you can also set an additional option:

Option | Description
--- | ---
`%+N` | The PC connection is activated. In addition, no field names are sent when downloading or uploading data.

If you attempt to upload or download data without the PC connection being activated, a message appears indicating that the PC connection is not active.

If you enter `%+` and the PC connection is already active, a message appears indicating that the PC connection is already active.

## Deactivating the PC Connection

To deactivate the PC connection

- Use the Natural terminal command `%-`.

  Or:
  Use the `SET CONTROL '-'` statement in a Natural program.

### On this page

- Displaying Work File and Printer Settings
- Defining Work Files
- Defining Printers
- Activating the PC Connection
- Deactivating the PC Connection