NeoO 2.1 - Can't access Printer settings - Patch 4

James3359

Previously choosing File-Printer Settingsâ€¦ brought up the standard OS Page Setup dialog. After installing Patch 4, the dialog still comes up but after a very brief moment the 'Format for:' (choice of printer) and 'Paper Size:' pulldowns and the 'Orientation:' buttons are blanked out. How do I choose which printer to use now, and how do I access the numerous page sizes and custom page sizes which are set up for the printer? Is this a feature or a bug? It is a blocker at the moment for a non-standard paper-size/orientation combination which I use for a lot of my work. I have tried altering the page size using Format-Pageâ€¦ but this does not seem to send any information to the printer. In short, ATM, I can't tell the printer what paper size I am using. Sad

Or can I uninstall Patch 4?

pluby · The Architect Joined: Jun 16, 2003 Posts: 11949

File :: Printer Settings never set the printer. That is why you don't see anything in that dialog.

Format :: Page is the place where you set the paper size and orientation that you want to print to.

Patrick

James3359 · Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 9:18 am Post subject:

OK I understand what you are saying. Nonetheless I am experiencing a change in behaviour of NeoOffice between Patch 3 and Patch 4 which I have just installed, and I can't use the method you describe to print in a way which I have been using regularly until now.

File::Printer settings has previously brought up the standard Mac OS Page Setup dialog, and I have so far used it with NeoOffice in the usual way for Mac applications. Now it brings up the dialog as described in my previous post. Hitherto I have used A5 paper fed into the printer in landscape direction with a custom paper size to match. I have then used that paper size and landscape orientation in the Page Setup dialog to print out A5 portrait documents. It is hugely time saving in not resetting the printer paper guides every time I switch between those paper sizes. I have tried setting up an such a format in NeoOffice from Format::Page as you suggest, but it is clear that this is not transmitting the proper information to the printer.

I will uninstall and reinstall NeoOffice and Patch 3 to confirm that I am not going mad!

pluby · The Architect Joined: Jun 16, 2003 Posts: 11949

pluby · The Architect Joined: Jun 16, 2003 Posts: 11949

Since I'm probably going to get a rash of these types of "something is wrong with the Printer Settings dialog" posts and I had to issue an emergency patch today, I have reverted the code in Patch 5 which is available here:

http://www.neooffice.org/neojava/patch.php

Of course, the controls in that dialog will still not set the paper size or orientation. These will need to be set in the Format :: Page menu like it always has.

Patrick

James3359 · Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 10:22 am Post subject:

Well I am hugely grateful to you for this. I will 'play about' with this stuff a bit more and see if I can get my head round what is going on. Many thanks again Smile

James3359 · Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 11:36 am Post subject:

This further post is just to say I'm sorry and I was completely wrong Embarassed

There are reasons for that due to the way I've got into using NeoOffice, and I am left with some issues about how I manage printing and paper sizes for which I've only got some clunky workarounds ATM. However, I can also see the flexibility that is available in Writer. I see from another thread that the integration of the standard MacOS Page Setup dialog is non-trivial - and understand, therefore, the reason for disabling it. Personally, having reached this point I would agree - especially for new users that this is a sensible way to go. If you were to consider reintroducing the change, perhaps it would be worth specifically flagging it up to avoid unnecessary noise from others like me.

I continue to be hugely grateful for NeoOffice. Respect for all involved.

Lorinda · Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 1:14 pm Post subject:

I don't know what you are using as work arounds at the moment, but you might find using Page Styles, and particularly creating a set of page styles in a default template to be the answer to quickly switching page types/sizes.

I have done that in order to quickly set new documents for landscape, portrait, and for envelopes. Check out the following two articles in the Neowiki:

http://neowiki.neooffice.org/index.php/Using_Page_Styles

http://neowiki.neooffice.org/index.php/Editing_Default_Styles_and_Using_Templates

Lorinda

James3359 · Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 1:19 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the pointer. I've been thinking for a while that I need to do a ground-up conversion to NeoOffice (having only used AppleWorks regularly until now). I am particularly interested in finding a setup whic enables me to use A5 paper loaded in landscape format to produce A5 portrait documents.

pluby · The Architect Joined: Jun 16, 2003 Posts: 11949