XyWrite for Windows can print using Windows drivers, but (unless I'm
missing something obvious) printing with XyWrite drivers can be more
difficult.
If your computer has an LPT1 port connected to a printer by a parallel
cable, and if your printer is compatible with the printer language used
by your XyWrite printer driver, then you can print from that XyWrite
driver directly to LPT1. However, if you don't have an LPT port, then
things are trickier.
I've been meaning to create a printing system (like the one I use for
DOSBoxWP and my Win31DOSBox system) that can be used with printer output
sent to a file, and here's a first step toward it. You may want to use
it in its present state IF and ONLY IF the following three things are true:
1. You do not have a printer connected to LPT1.
2. Your printer is a true LaserJet or PCL-compatible model that can
print PCL5 code. (You can also use a printer that supports PostScript.)
3. You want to use a XyWrite printer driver.
My XyWin installer installs a XyWrite driver for an HP LaserJet 4 model,
which by default prints to LPT1. You can use that driver with this
system by doing the following:
1. In XyWin, edit the HP printer driver to print to this output
filename, instead of LPT1:
C:\Otvdm\output\raw.prn
The filename should have "raw" in it; the rest is optional. (If your
Otvdm folder is not on drive C:, use the actual drive letter.)
Download and run this FilePrinter.exe program:
http://www.columbia.edu/~em36/FilePrinter.exe
Because it is written in AutoIt, your antivirus software will almost
certainly tell you that is a weapon of digital destruction; it's up to
you whether to make an exception for it or not. Please don't waste
bandwidth asking whether it's safe or not.
When you run this program, it watches the C:\Otvdm\output folder for a
file with the string "raw" in its name. When it finds one, and the file
is fully written to disk, it uses a small raw-printing utility to send
the raw data to your Windows default printer. The folder-watching
program will keep running until you shut down Windows or right-click on
its taskbar tray icon to pause or exit it.
Future versions will create PDF files or print to any Windows printer,
and will offer to edit the XyWrite printer driver if necessary. But not
this version.
One detail: If you want to use some other folder instead of
C:\otvdm\output, start the FilePrinter program with the path that you
want to use as a parameter, like this:
FilePrinter.exe D:\Path\To\SomeFolder
It's probably not a good idea to use a space in the pathname, but I
haven't tested that.
I'll be traveling with a Mac all week, so won't be able to make any
fixes in this. As always, this comes with no guarantees.