This website is no longer being maintained.
Please see the latest information at our new site.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What versions of OS/400 are your products compatible with?
2. Is FORMagic compatible with PCL6?
- All versions of all of our iSeries and AS/400 products are compatible with all versions of OS/400 from V2R3 up to and including V5R2. We strive to maintain full compatibility with all versions of OS/400, and it is reasonable to expect that our current level of compatibility will continue in the future.
However, beginning with version 3.2, FORMagic/400 and FontMagic/400 will support only OS/400 versions V3R7 and above. If you need support for an older version of OS/400, we can provide it if you call our office.
We have had only one known instance of "broken" compatibility. Due to a change by IBM in OS/400 APIs, the following functions in all versions of ProSign/400 do not work in V5 releases: (1) ProSign/400 will not operate if extended password support (passwords greater than 10 characters) is used. (2) The command PSGDSPUPD will terminate abnormally. The product otherwise operates normally.
3. How do your products function in a disaster recovery or system migration situation?
- Yes, if you create forms with a PCL5e driver since both PCL5e and PCL6 printers are compatible with it. Specifically, we recommend using a plain LaserJet 4 (PCL5e) driver. There is no loss of efficiency in doing so. In fact, most host applications do not support PCL6 either.
PCL6 is to PCL5e as Chinese is to English, totally a different language, not an evolution of the prior version. For that reason, we will never support the creation of forms with a PCL6 driver. There is no reason to do so, and in fact it will break many applications because the PCL version in the form (created by your design product) and the PCL version used at run time (created by the host print spooler and generally PCL5e) must match (ie, the entire data stream must either be PCL6 or PCL5e).
FORMagic is therefore compatible with both PCL5e and PCL6 printers if you create forms with the LJ4 driver. If you do so and find problems, it has nothing to do with PCL6 compatibility issues per se as they are widely-used with FORMagic application today.
- Each of our current products using Activation Keys can simply be restored onto a new system, and it will immediately assume operation as a fully-functional evaulation system. All FORMagic/400 forms and FontMagic/400 fonts wil be fully operational. Such restoration can be made for any reason, including disaster recovery, system upgrade, startup at a new location, or general evaluation purposes. However, if you restore more forms or fonts than allowed by the evaluation limit, you will not be able to upload new or changed forms or fonts.
The above description applies to CISC-CISC and RISC64-RISC64 restorations. In general, our products are distributed without observability information. Restoration across a CISC-RISC boundary (or RISC64-RISCxx should IBM provide xx-bit systems) will require an additional step. After restoration, you must download and install the latest version of the product(s) being used. You must be careful to make proper choices to perform the installation as an upgrade which preserves existing user objects, such as forms and fonts.
The system will be functional for 30-60 days. There is no need to obtain temporary keys unless they are needed to overcome the evaluation limits described above. If you have an active support plan, temporary keys and any special support will be provided at no charge. If you do not participate in our support plan, normal fees for keys and support will apply.