PC DRIVEN PRINT FILE UTILITIES FOR MAINFRAME COMPUTER PRINTING

A personal computer (PC) running on MS/DOS interactively and graphically creates or modifies definitions for print fonts, electronic forms, page compositions and sketches and includes a function for converting the definitions for transfer to a mainframe computer facility for use by the mainframe printer control function and printer. The PC further includes functions for creating or modifying character arrangements, EFORM arrangements, page composition arrangements and sketch arrangements where the arrangements include all of the components required to print the entity. The mainframe computer comprises an OS1100 system with PERCON for controlling a laser printer. The invention includes a function at the mainframe facility for converting the definitions transferred thereto from the PC into omnibus elements containing the data required by PERCON to print the entities. The omnibus elements are stored in a user library. The invention also includes a function for creating and modifying print control records for insertion in the print file to control PERCON to utilize the created and modified omnibus elements in printing the file.