Custom/QC DOS^TM Production Process FAQ

Problem:

When the user tries to print a chart they get the following error message: Program not configured for this Graphics Device (Graphics Error -190).

Solution:

Production Process uses the PRINTER environment variable with their software package. Usually the problem is that they have done a "SET PRINTER=NUL" with their package. The PRINTER environment variable is used by GSS to determine what printer to send output to if there is more than one specified in either CONFIG.SYS or CGI.CFG. If that variable is set to NUL then you get the above error because there is no printer device named NUL that GSS uses. The work around is to add the following lines to QC.BAT before and after the DRIVERS statements:

set t=%printer%
set printer=
drivers
cqc %1 %2 %3 %4 %5 %6 %7 %8 %9
drivers/a
set printer=%t%
set t=

Problem:

Garbage appearing on the main CQC menu, getting "Work file contains insufficient or inappropriate data as described", or just general problems with the program not functioning properly but everything seems fine.

Solution:

Production Process uses .CQC as an extension for all their data files. With version 3.96 through 4.x of CQC the environment variable SI_CQCEXT could be set to allow CQC to keep track of certain information specific to a data file. With version 4.x of the program that variable is being set in the QC.BAT file to look for anything ending in .CQC as being an information file for CQC (.CQC is the default value). CQC looks at this file and expects to have information pertaining to how many columns are in the file, special data handling, file descriptions etc. Since it is assuming that the file contains this information and it doesn't, the program WILL die with unpredictable results. Either have them change QC.BAT so that the SI_CQCEXT variable is set to something other than .CQC as an extension, or you may have them remove it entirely since they are providing a turnkey solution and their operators do not typically run CQC as a separate application anyway.