METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING PRINT JOB BUFFERING FOR APRINTER ON A FAST DATA PATH

An improved printer is provided that improves the response time before jobs are printer by providing a "fast data path" for certain print jobs while als o storing on a hard disk all incoming print job data. This "fast data path" is especially useful in situations where the incoming print job lacks an "end of file" code, which c ouldotherwise hold up the processing of either this prin t job or later print jobs. Once the printer becomes relatively busy, and begins to accumulate a "queue" of print jobs waiting to be processed and printed, the printer will automatically store al l of the print job data on the non-volatile memory (e.g., a hard disk) before that sa me data is sent to the processing circuitry. Since it is important to utilize the pr inter's capabilities efficiently, the printer can allow a "small" print job to be pr ocessed and printed after being received from one input port of the printer, while a muc h larger print job is still being accumulated from a second input port, even though t he larger job began to be received first. Since all print job data received by the pri nter of the present invention is stored in a non-volatile memory, the capability exists for recovering such print jobs after the occurrence of a power failure. Upon pow er restoration, a "Header File" that contains status information about stored p rint jobs will be inspected, and if a print job was never completely printed, the prin ter will now begin printing the entire job. In this manner, the printer can guarantee that the entire job will be printed in one intact grouping of sheets of paper.