Printing Contents of File?

[RogerOut]

I have windows 98 SE, and have a file with mp3 music in it, some of which I have copied onto disc. What I need to do is print out the complete file (say "MYMUSIC") in order to keep a track on whats still to be backed up etc. How do I do this, I can get into the file v. easily thru Explorer, but can't find a way to print out the contents - any idea? Print Screen doesn't work, if I select all, copy, it copies the mp3 file not merely the text listing the music files..........

[bodger]

what sort of file is it.Is is a zipped file or do you mean its a folder .If we have a bit more info we could probably help.

[spannersatcx]

When you say print screen doesn't work, it doesn't print straight out it copies the screen to the clipboard, what you then do is open any drawing package and select paste as new image. The resulting BMP (large file) will be pasted into the drawing package, then save it as a .jpg or .gif as they are a lot smaller, and then print it out from there.

[MAX REVERSE]

Your question doesn't make this clear, but I'm assuming that what you have is a directory or folder with files in it, and what you want is a printed directory listing.

Bring up the DOS prompt, and change to the directory that has your MP3 files using the cd command. You should be able to list the contents of the directory to your printer by using the command

dir>prn

or make a textfile of the directory listing by typing

dir>yourfilename.txt

[RogerOut]

Sorry if it wasnt evident. In Windows explorer I go to the folder containing my mp3 files (about 350 of them), the contents shows the file names, conveniently being artist name and title of song, I want to print that list out. If I use copy/paste windows copies the mp3 files, not the bare text. If I printscreen (as suggested) I get just that including toolbars etc, also the screen doesn't show 350 files! I tried the dos road but sorry just kept getting "bad command or file name" e.g.
c:\progra~1\music>prn gave
Bad command or file name
I'm not sure what was meant by the
dir>yourfilename.txt, but on looking at the screen, the dos interface(?) is quite untidy uses lots of ~ etc, I'd rather print out via Windows somehow........ Either that or write them out! http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/confused.gif

[spannersatcx]

There are utilities for doing this you will have to search around at tucows or similar to find them/it.

[FireDragon]

Simply highlight the AREAS of the file you wish to print, select print, then click the 'selection' box in your printer options menu

[400 Hertz]

The reason why your MSDOS Prompt command is not working and why you keep getting "bad command or file name" is as follows:

You need to type in the dir>myfilelist.txt to create the filelist (which can be opened in Notepad afterwards) when you are in the directory (sometimes called folder) where your music files are stored. How about this:

c:\progra~1\music\dir>myfilelist.txt

This should create a file called myfilelist.txt in your music directory which is under the programfiles directory on you c: drive. You can then edit the file with notepad after typing exit at the DOS prompt.

To be sure though, when you exit windows into MSDOS by clicking the MSDOS Prompt icon, you may not be in the right directory, so type in

cd\

to get you to the c:\ directory, then type in

c:\progra~1\music\dir>myfilelist.txt

and that should work. There will be no reply from the operating system if this has worked OK.

Later versions of Windows (like Win 98 Ver 4.10.2222) show the full filename on the right hand side of the directory listing. Use Word with the text file above and you should be able to filter out the words that you don't want, then use the bits that you do.

------------------
400 Hertz but DC is easy

[MAX REVERSE]

Thanks 400Hz, I thought I'd explained it OK, but obviously not!

the prn command should work. As 400Hz pointed out, you need to be in the directory concerned, using the cd command as I said. When you're there, type:

dir>prn

which will send the directory listing to your printer. Note that 'dir' is actually a command to list the contents of a directory - I wasn't using it as shorthand for "your directory name" as you seemed to think.

Just so you know what's going on, dir lists the contents of a directory. Used on its own, it lists the current directory (if you add the pathname of the desired directory after the dir command you can list other directories without having to cd to that directory first). The '>' symbol redirects the output of the preceding command. Instead of the output going to the default destination (screen) it is sent to device prn, which is DOS shorthand for the printer port.

Sorry if I confused you.

This is obviously the PC version of a generation gap - those who are so ancient that they know how to use DOS vs. these young whippersnappers who think that the only people who do that are the homeless.

[Eric]

Roger, try this:-
http://update.techweb.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=es30BC5gl0H506UL